ABSTRACT
The history of the relation between dopamine, psychosis and antipsychotics starts with the discovery of antipsychotic drugs just over five decades ago. At that time psychological theories of schizophrenia were prominent, and major biological theories restricted to abnormal metabolism in the brain.1,2 It was in this context that Delay et al reported the discovery of the antipsychotic actions of chlorpromazine,3 followed by reports of the efficacy of reserpine in the treatment of a variety of serious psychiatric disorders.4,5 However, these drugs were neither regarded as having specific efficacy in psychosis, nor restricted to the treatment of schizophrenia, assuming instead a broad indication as ‘major tranquillizers’.6
