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Drug-induced actions on brain neurotransmitter systems and changes in the behaviors and emotions of depressed patients.
- Source :
-
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology [Neuropsychopharmacology] 1994 Oct; Vol. 11 (2), pp. 89-100. - Publication Year :
- 1994
-
Abstract
- Despite cumulative evidence that the tricyclic drugs result in significant changes in the functioning of brain serotonergic (5-HT) and nordrenergic (NE) systems, such changes have not been found to be associated with recovery from depression. Based upon evidence that the 5-HT and NE systems were associated with different emotions, it was hypothesized that changes in these systems were associated with different components of behavior in drug-responsive patients and not with changes in the "whole" disorder. Findings from this multihospital study of 104 unipolar and bipolar depressed patients showed early drug-associated reductions in anxiety and hostility in treatment responders to precede changes in motor retardation and depressed mood. Adopting this approach of looking for relationships between changes in components of major depression and changes in neurotransmitter system function, decreases in 5-HT and NE metabolite concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients treated with tricyclics, were found to be correlated with changes in specific behaviors. Results indicated the following: (1) drug-induced changes in the 5-HT system to be associated with mood aspects, notably anxiety, and depressed mood; changes in NE primarily with the psychomotor, secondarily with the mood components of the depressed state; (2) the pattern of relationships between changes in 5-HT and in mood in the unipolar was different than that in the bipolar subtype. The results indicate that in determining the relationships of biochemical changes to behavioral ones, that it is important to take into account the type of depression (bipolar or unipolar), as well as examining individually and over time those components that make up the disorder of depression. These results support evidence that tricyclics have multiple behavioral actions, that response is mediated through changes in specific behaviors and that this approach warrants further application in prospective studies of antidepressant drug mechanisms and their therapeutic actions.
- Subjects :
- Amitriptyline therapeutic use
Bipolar Disorder cerebrospinal fluid
Bipolar Disorder metabolism
Bipolar Disorder urine
Depressive Disorder metabolism
Double-Blind Method
Epinephrine cerebrospinal fluid
Epinephrine urine
Homovanillic Acid cerebrospinal fluid
Humans
Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid cerebrospinal fluid
Imipramine therapeutic use
Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol cerebrospinal fluid
Neurotransmitter Agents cerebrospinal fluid
Norepinephrine cerebrospinal fluid
Norepinephrine metabolism
Norepinephrine urine
Serotonin cerebrospinal fluid
Serotonin metabolism
Behavior drug effects
Brain Chemistry drug effects
Depressive Disorder drug therapy
Depressive Disorder psychology
Emotions drug effects
Neurotransmitter Agents physiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0893-133X
- Volume :
- 11
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 7530963
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.1994.38