Adrenal Activity in Aged Schizophrenics 225 



normal subjects as is true in the younger groups studied by 

 Fincus et al. (1949) and Hoagland et al. (1953). The response 

 to ACTH is an increase in the normal subjects and a decrease 

 in the elderly schizophrenic patients. There are, however, 

 no statistically significant differences between the normal 

 subjects and the patients either in the control values or in 

 the trends after the injection of ACTH. A similar lack of 

 differences in reactivity has been noted between young normal 

 and schizophrenic men (Pincus et al., 1949). 



The difference in trends between the normal and schizo- 

 phrenic men may be due, as has been attributed in younger 

 subjects (Pincus et al., 1949), to a factor of adrenocortical 

 dysfunction. It may also be related in this older group to 

 the difference in the initial levels between the two groups of 

 subjects. While in the younger subjects there is no relation- 

 ship between the basal values and the absolute change at 

 four hours, in this group there is a negative correlation of 

 high value {r= —0-70). The normal subjects with their 

 initial low values show increases at four hours, while the 

 patients with their initial high values show decreases. This 

 relationship holds good as well for the 17-ketosteroid values 

 alone as for the creatinine ratios. 



The basal values for the neutral reducing lipids or cortins 

 (Table III) show a significantly higher level in the elderly 

 schizophrenic patients. While the normal subjects show a 

 greater rise after ACTH than do the patients, the trends are 

 not significantly different. This is true for younger subjects 

 also (Pincus et al., 1949). Again, the slightly greater reactivity 

 of the normal group may be due, at least in part, to the 

 difference in the initial levels. Ther.e is a negative relationship 

 (/■= —0-47) between the initial values and the absolute 

 change at four hours, so the normal subjects, initially lower, 

 exhibit greater increases than the patients. 



In the values for the uric acid/creatinine ratios (Table III) 

 there is no difference between the initial levels of elderly 

 normal and psychotic men. After the administration of 

 ACTH there is an increase in the excretion in both groups 



