Brain scans reveal dopamine secrets in schizophrenia

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

* INCLUSION CRITERIA: * Subjects will be recruited among individuals volunteering for NIH protocol 95-M-0150 A Neurobiological Investigation of Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Their Siblings (PI: Karen Berman, M.D.), NIH protocol 00-M-0085 Structural and Functional Imaging of Neuropsychiatric Patients and Normal Volunteers with 3.0 Tesla MRI and Magnetoencephalography. (P.I.: Karen Berman, MD) or NIH protocol 89-M-0160 "Inpatient Evaluation of Neuropsychiatric Patients" (PI: Daniel Eisenberg, M.D.). Most included patients, with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or other non-excluded psychotic disorders, will be managed on the NIMH inpatient ward for the duration of their participation. * Only adult subjects who are able to provide informed consent will be studied. * Patients will be between 18 and 60 years of age. Healthy controls will be matched by age and sex to the patients. In addition, to study age effect on DA receptors, healthy controls will be included up to the age of 90 years. * Control subjects must be healthy based on history, laboratory and physical exam obtained through the above mentioned protocols. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: -Subjects will be excluded if they don t fit the study requirements regarding age, ability to provide informed consent, absence of significant general medical, neurological or psychiatric disorders (except the disorder object of study), or intake of substances that interfere with central dopaminergic signaling. * NIMH employees and staff and their immediate family members will be excluded from the study per NIMH policy. * Pregnant or breast feeding * Current psychiatric illness except for patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or other psychotic disorder * Secondary causes of schizophrenia-like syndromes, e.g. amphetamine abuse, brain infarction, tumor, or trauma * Neurological disorders except those of exclusively peripheral location * Current or prior use (within 4 weeks) of substances that interfere with central dopaminergic signaling (e.g. antipsychotics, dopamine receptor agonists, anticholinergics, MAO-B inhibitors) * History of any (excepting nicotine- related) DSM5-defined moderate to severe substance use disorder (or DSM-IV-defined substance dependence). * Cumulative lifetime history of any (excepting nicotine -related) DSM5-defined mild substance use disorder (or any DSM-IV-defined substance abuse), either in excess of 5 years total or not in remission for at least 6 months. * Severe systemic disease, such as hypothyroidism not compensated by medication * Laboratory tests with clinically significant abnormalities * History of a significantly abnormal EEG, cranial CT or MRI * Conditions that increase risk for MRI (pacemaker devices, ferromagnetic metal implants, etc.) * Prior participation in other research protocols such that radiation exposure would exceed the annual NIH RSC limits * Any medical condition that in the opinion of the investigators would interfere with the safe conduct of the study