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CSF neurotransmitter metabolites and short‐term outcome of patients in coma after head injury
Author(s) -
Markianos M.,
Seretis A.,
Kotsou S.,
Baltas I.,
Sacharogiannis H.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1992.tb05064.x
Subject(s) - homovanillic acid , glasgow coma scale , neurotransmitter , coma (optics) , dopamine , 5 hydroxyindoleacetic acid , anesthesia , medicine , serotonin , depression (economics) , psychology , head injury , endocrinology , psychiatry , central nervous system , physics , receptor , optics , economics , macroeconomics
The main metabolites of the neurotransmitters noradrenalin, dopamin, and serotonin, methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), homovanillic acid (HVA), and 5‐hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA) respectively, were estimated by HPLC with electrochemical detection in CSF samples from 24 patients in coma after head injury, 1 to 12 (mean 3.0) days from accident, and from 24 age‐ and sex‐matched subjects undergoing myelography for possible herniated disk. Analysis of variance with age as covariate, revealed significantly elevated levels of all three metabolites in the patients group. The concentrations of 5HIAA were negatively correlated to the score in the Glasgow Coma Scale. Fourteen patients who recovered with no or minor neurological deficits, had significantly lower CSF 5HIAA levels compared to the ten patients who had a bad outcome (death), while there were no differences regarding HVA or MHPG concentrations. The possibility of a connection of the high neurotransmitter turnover during coma to the development of post‐traumatic depression is discussed.