EFFECTS OF CAFFEINE ON BEHAVIOR OF SCHIZOPHRENIC INPATIENTS - RESPONSE

This article addresses itself to the apparent conflict between those reports indicating that caffeine affects schizophrenic behavior and the present study which failed to show substantial behavior or medication changes with caffeine. It is suggested that there are important subgroups of schizophrenic patients who are unusually sensitive to caffeine's apparent psychotogenic actions as reported in case reports and data on violence and destruction. It is also suggested that there are subgroups of schizophrenia which seem to require increased medication doses to "cover" caffeine effects. © 1990 Oxford University Press.