Apomorphine's Antipsychotic Activity

To the Editor.—  Some controversy has developed recently over the antipsychotic efficacy of apomorphine in schizophrenic psychosis, including an article by Levy et al1 in the Archives.² It is our opinion that a definitive answer to this question requires a broader experimental approach than that attempted by the investigators in either of these groups. Previously, Corsini and co-workers^3,4 reported apomorphine's marked antipsychotic action when given in a dose of 1 mg subcutaneously to a group of unmedicated schizoaffective patients. Tamminga et al,⁵ in a double-blind placebocontrolled study, showed an equally dramatic effect of a 3-mg subcutaneous dose given to a group of chronic schizophrenic and schizoaffective subjects who were maintained on a neuroleptic regimen.⁵Those drug trials reporting antipsychotic activity of apomorphine in a controlled design are characterized by at least two features. First, a range of apomorphine doses, including high levels, were used in the