Descriptive studies of H-reflex recovery curves in psychiatric patients.

The rate of recovery of the H-reflex, an electrical evoked monosynaptic spinal cord reflex, was abnormally high (fast) in over 20% of unmedicated psychotic patients of all major diagnostic classes. A few patients had significantly lower H-reflex recovery curves. Chronic neuroleptic treatment produced relatively lower recovery curves, whereas fluoxetine, a specific serotonin uptake blocker, produced relatively higher curves.