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Do low levels of MHPG in depressive spectrum patients normalize after successful treatment?
1Department of Psychiatry VA Medical Center, Iowa City, Iowa 52246, USA.
Patients with depressive spectrum disorder (DSD) have low levels of the norepinephrine metabolite, MHPG. This study examines what happens to the low levels of MHPG following improvement of depressive symptoms. Sixteen depressed patients with a family history consistent with DSD showed no change in MHPG after 6 weeks of treatment. This was true for both treatment responders and nonresponders. The lack of change in low levels of MHPG suggests that reduced norepinephrine turnover is a biological trait of DSD patients. Implications of this finding are discussed.
Patients with depressive spectrum disorder (DSD) have low levels of the norepinephrine metabolite, MHPG. This study examines what happens to the low levels of MHPG following improvement of depressive symptoms. Sixteen depressed patients with a family history consistent with DSD showed no change in MHPG after 6 weeks of treatment. This was true for both treatment responders and nonresponders. The lack of change in low levels of MHPG suggests that reduced norepinephrine turnover is a biological trait of DSD patients. Implications of this finding are discussed.