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Recovery from major depression is not associated with normalization of serotonergic function
J D Flory1, J J Mann, S B Manuck
1Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
Biological Psychiatry
|March 26, 1998
Summary
Individuals with a history of major depression show a persistently blunted prolactin response to fenfluramine, suggesting long-term serotonergic pathway disturbances. This indicates a chronic issue, not just an acute symptom of depression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Blunted plasma prolactin response to fenfluramine is observed in depressed adults.
- The nature of this dysregulation (acute vs. chronic) in depression remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if blunted prolactin response to fenfluramine is a chronic disturbance in adults with a history of major depressive episodes.
- To compare prolactin responses in individuals with past depression to healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Compared prolactin responses to D,L-fenfluramine in 29 adults with a history of major depression (but not currently depressed) to 58 matched healthy controls.
- Administered a weight-adjusted oral dose of D,L-fenfluramine.
Main Results:
- Individuals with a history of major depression exhibited significantly lower peak prolactin responses compared to controls.
- This difference was not explained by weight, fenfluramine bioavailability, or baseline prolactin levels.
Conclusions:
- This study is the first to compare individuals with a history of depression (but not currently depressed) to healthy controls using a fenfluramine challenge.
- Results support the hypothesis of persistently disturbed central serotonergic activity in adults with a history of depressive episodes.