Hormonal responses to clonidine and urinary MHPG in delusional and nondelusional melancholic patients: a
L Lykouras1, M Markianos, J Hatzimanolis
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens, Eginition Hospital, Greece.
Abstract:
The growth hormone (GH) and cortisol responses to intravenous clonidine (0.15 mg) treatment of 25 melancholic patients, 12 with and 13 without delusions, were studied with placebo control. The baseline concentrations of the main noradrenaline metabolite, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) were also estimated in urine. Cortisol plasma levels decreased significantly and equally after both placebo and clonidine. Baseline cortisol levels correlated positively with urinary MHPG. Clonidine did not increase GH levels significantly over time compared with placebo. Delusional melancholic patients tended to have smaller GH responses to clonidine than nondelusionals (F = 2.18, P = 0.06). There were no differences in GH response to clonidine between high and low MHPG excretors.
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