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CSF monoamine metabolites in patients and controls: support for a bimodal distribution in major affective disorders
Author(s) -
Westenberg H. G. M.,
Verhoeven W. M. A.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1988.tb06382.x
Subject(s) - monoamine neurotransmitter , medicine , psychiatry , psychology , clinical psychology , serotonin , receptor
The monoamine metabolites 5‐hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5‐HIAA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured in 38 patients with major affective disorder and 48 age‐ and sex‐matched controls by means of liquid chromatography. Statistical analysis using maximum likelihood normal mixture computations provided evidence for a subgroup of patients characterized by low CSF levels of both 5‐HIAA and HVA. In controls, CSF 5‐HIAA and HVA levels appeared to be normally distributed when fitted separately, whereas a subgroup of controls characterized by higher values of 5‐HIAA and HVA could be discerned when metabolite data were fitted simultaneously. No relationship was found between monoamine levels and suicidal behaviour in patients. A statistically significant relationship was found between CSF 5‐HIAA and HVA levels in patients and controls. These data provide supportive evidence for the existence of a subgroup of patients with an abnormal serotonin metabolism as reflected by 5‐HIAA, and probably HVA, in CSF.