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Brain 5-HT function in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Prolactin responses to d-fenfluramine
N A Fineberg1, A Roberts, S A Montgomery
1St Mary's Hospital, London.
The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science
|October 24, 1997
Summary
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients show an amplified prolactin response to d-fenfluramine, suggesting increased serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission. This may be an adaptive mechanism, not a core pathophysiology, in non-depressed individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are effective OCD treatments.
- The role of serotonin (5-HT) in OCD pathophysiology remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission in OCD patients.
- To examine the prolactin response to d-fenfluramine in OCD.
Main Methods:
- Studied 14 non-depressed, drug-free OCD patients and 14 healthy controls.
- Administered d-fenfluramine, a selective 5-HT releasing agent.
- Measured prolactin response as an indicator of 5-HT activity.
Main Results:
- OCD patients exhibited a significantly increased prolactin response to d-fenfluramine compared to controls.
- This suggests heightened central serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission in OCD.
Conclusions:
- Disturbances in brain 5-HT function are unlikely to be central to OCD pathophysiology.
- Increased 5-HT neurotransmission in non-depressed OCD patients may be an adaptive mechanism.
- This heightened neurotransmission could be therapeutically leveraged by 5-HT-potentiating drugs.