Human EEG response to beta-endorphin.

Beta-endorphin, morphine, and saline were given intravenously to a single schizophrenic subject on separate occasions in a double-blind design. EEG spectral analyses performed on data collected before and after drug injection demonstrated that beta-endorphin and morphine produced similar increases in alpha power within 5 to 15 minutes after injection. This effect could be distinguished from two placebo (saline) injections. These data suggest that intravenous beta-endorphin can produce changes in the central nervous system in humans.