Title
Psychotic and nonpsychotic depressions: I. Comparison of plasma catecholamines and cortisol measures
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Psychiatry
Publication Date
1987-02-01
Document Type
Article
Subjects
Adult; Catecholamines; Depressive Disorder; Dexamethasone; Dopamine; Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase; Epinephrine; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Male; Middle Aged; Norepinephrine; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase
Disciplines
Psychiatry
Abstract
Unconjugated plasma catecholamines and cortisol were measured before and after a 1 mg dose of dexamethasone in 22 medication-free depressed patients and 6 healthy, medication-free control subjects. Plasma dopamine (DA) levels in the psychotically depressed subgroup (n = 4) were significantly higher both before and after dexamethasone than those in the nonpsychotic depressed group and higher before dexamethasone than in the control group. Similarly, the psychotically depressed group exhibited significantly higher cortisol levels both before and after dexamethasone than the nonpsychotic depressed group or the control group. In contrast, the psychotically depressed group had significantly lower postdexamethasone plasma norepinephrine levels compared to the nonpsychotic depressed group. In both patients and controls, plasma DA was significantly higher after dexamethasone administration than before, but the magnitude of the increase was 10 times greater in controls than in patients.
Source
Psychiatry Res. 1987 Feb;20(2):143-53.
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Psychiatry research
Related Resources
PubMed ID
2883694
Repository Citation
Rothschild AJ, Schatzberg AF, Langlais PJ, Lerbinger JE, Miller M, Cole JO. (1987). Psychotic and nonpsychotic depressions: I. Comparison of plasma catecholamines and cortisol measures. Psychiatry Publications and Presentations. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/psych_pp/25