Certain pathologic alterations in the brain are known to be associated with changes in cerebrospinal fluid protein. It is of interest therefore to determine whether similar changes might be caused by the action of insulin and metrazol. That cerebrospinal fluid proteins are affected by insulin has been suggested by the work of Nicolajev.1 The present study was undertaken for the purpose of measuring and evaluating such changes, not only for insulin but for metrazol as well.
METHOD
Insulin.
—Patients with schizophrenia were subjected to insulin2 treatment for about five hours per day six times a week. Doses of insulin varied from 50 to 300 units. Spinal punctures were made one to five days before treatment to obtain control specimens. After at least five successive days of treatment, specimens of cerebrospinal fluid were taken within one to two hours after injection of insulin to determine its more immediate effect.