A study of urinary excretion of biogenic amine metabolites in epilepsy

Urinary total catecholamines, their metabolites, and a metabolite of serotonin have been investigated in 20 patients with epilepsy, and in 10 controls. The levels of total catecholamines, vanillyl mandelic acid and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid in epileptics were not significantly different from the controls. However, the mean 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol, excretion in cases of epilepsy was significantly increased as compared to the control group. It is concluded that a central catecholaminergic disturbance is involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy.