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Neuroendocrine dysfunction in depressive illness

E J Sachar

    Annual Review of Medicine
    |January 1, 1976
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Severe depression is linked to hormonal imbalances, including abnormal cortisol, growth hormone, and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels. These neuroendocrine findings suggest hypothalamic dysfunction in certain depressive illnesses.

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    Area of Science:

    • Neuroendocrinology
    • Psychiatry
    • Hormone Research

    Background:

    • Severe depressive illnesses, particularly of the endogenomorphic type, are associated with hormonal abnormalities.
    • Existing research highlights hypersecretion of cortisol and altered responses of growth hormone (HGH) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate hormonal abnormalities in patients with severe depressive illnesses.
    • To explore the link between neuroendocrine responses and hypothalamic dysfunction in depression.
    • To assess the utility of neuroendocrine analysis in understanding brain function alterations in mental illness.

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of neuroendocrine responses in patients with severe depressive illnesses.
    • Documentation of cortisol secretion patterns, dexamethasone suppression resistance, HGH response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia, and TSH response to TRH.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Review of reported LH concentrations in postmenopausal women with unipolar depression.

    • Main Results:

    • Patients exhibit hypersecretion of cortisol, especially in the late evening/early morning, with relative dexamethasone suppression resistance.
    • Diminished or absent HGH responses to insulin-induced hypoglycemia were observed.
    • Diminished TSH responses to TRH were noted.
    • Preliminary reports suggest diminished plasma LH in postmenopausal women with unipolar depression.

    Conclusions:

    • The observed hormonal abnormalities support the hypothesis of hypothalamic dysfunction in certain forms of depressive illness.
    • Findings are consistent with theories of abnormal brain monoamine activity in depression.
    • Neuroendocrine response analysis is a valuable tool for studying brain function in mental illness.