C B Kelly1, S J Cooper. 1. Department of Mental Health, Queen's University of Belfast.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Abnormalities of catecholaminergic function have been hypothesised to cause depressive illness. Plasma noradrenaline can be used as a marker of central noradrenergic activity. It is of interest to examine the change in resting plasma noradrenaline in patients with depressive illness over a course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and relate this to their clinical state. METHOD: Patients referred for ECT who suffered from DSM-III-R major depressive disorder or dysthymia were recruited. Blood samples were taken before and after each treatment, during a course of ECT, to measure plasma noradrenaline and cortisol. Clinical ratings were carried out weekly during the course of ECT. RESULTS: Plasma noradrenaline fell significantly in those patients with melancholic/psychotic depressions but increased in those with non-melancholic depressive illness. There was a strong trend indicating that a fall in plasma noradrenaline was associated with improvement in depression ratings in the melancholic/psychotic patients only. CONCLUSIONS: Electroconvlusive therapy decreases plasma noradrenaline in melancholic/psychotic depressive illness and this shows a trend associated with clinical improvement.
BACKGROUND: Abnormalities of catecholaminergic function have been hypothesised to cause depressive illness. Plasma noradrenaline can be used as a marker of central noradrenergic activity. It is of interest to examine the change in resting plasma noradrenaline in patients with depressive illness over a course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and relate this to their clinical state. METHOD:Patients referred for ECT who suffered from DSM-III-R major depressive disorder or dysthymia were recruited. Blood samples were taken before and after each treatment, during a course of ECT, to measure plasma noradrenaline and cortisol. Clinical ratings were carried out weekly during the course of ECT. RESULTS: Plasma noradrenaline fell significantly in those patients with melancholic/psychotic depressions but increased in those with non-melancholic depressive illness. There was a strong trend indicating that a fall in plasma noradrenaline was associated with improvement in depression ratings in the melancholic/psychoticpatients only. CONCLUSIONS: Electroconvlusive therapy decreases plasma noradrenaline in melancholic/psychotic depressive illness and this shows a trend associated with clinical improvement.
Authors: Jaap G Goekoop; Remco F P de Winter; Ron Wolterbeek; Godfried M J Van Kempen; Victor M Wiegant Journal: Ther Adv Psychopharmacol Date: 2012-04