Adrenal Activity in Aged Sc'irizopiiRENus 



IV 



Normal (N) and Schizopuhknic (S) Mkx at Two Aok Lkvkf,s 



2-2!) 



i'ric Acid 

 (mg.lmin.) 



Sodium 

 {rng./hr.) 



N 



Potasaium 

 (mg.lhr.) 



Pliosplidtr 

 (mg.lmin.) 



{)-5V^ 



{)3V 



39 



OoO^ 



1901 



306" 



IG"; 



lin 



0-28«« 



138^ 



134«3 



112^2 



68" 



44 



■27 



00 



33 



(i.j 



0-541 



• 20»" 



0-30" 



17" 



33 



A further point of interest is the question as to whether 

 schizophrenic patients show a change in their reactivity to 

 ACTH as they grow older. Previous studies by Pincus (11)50) 

 and Solomon and Shock (1949) on ageing in normal men show 

 that the adrenocortical responsivity is essentially unaffected, 

 although the latter authors observed some deficiency in the 

 renal handling of the uric acid. Analysis of the data for young 

 and old normal and schizophrenic men bears out this con- 

 clusion for patients also. In Table V are shown the percentage 

 changes from the basal values four hours after the injection 

 of ACTH in young and old men of the normal and psychotic 

 groups. It is evident that for the normal subjects the only 

 marked changes in ageing are a lesser reactivity in the 

 excretion of uric acid and in potassium. In the patients, as 

 a result of senescence, there is a moderate increase in tlie 

 potassium excretion and a decrease in the phosphate excretion. 



We may conclude, therefore, that on the whole, schizo- 

 phrenic patients show the same degree of reactivity to ACTH 

 in old age that they do in youth and that whatever aspects 

 of lesser responsivity they exhibit are preserved throughout 

 life. 



Inter-ivhitioiiships between the effects on tlie various 

 functions studied have been notably lacking. It seems that 



