Clinical and biochemical heterogeneity of depressive disorders.
Indirect evidence, mostly pharmacologic, has suggested a role for brain neurotransmitter amines such as norepinephrine in the production of depression or mania. Clinical investigations have supported this concept but also indicate that depression is probably a biochemically heterogeneous group of illnesses. There may be a clinically, biochemically, and pharmacologically definable subtype of depression in which there is a disorder of norepinephrine metabolism or disposition in brain. I review here the experimental data from which this hypothesis is derived.
D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D003863:Depression / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003891:Desipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007099:Imipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008676:Metanephrine / Q000652:urine; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000502:physiology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology / Q000652:urine; D009647:Normetanephrine / Q000652:urine; D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid / Q000652:urine
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D009647:Normetanephrine; D000639:Amitriptyline; D008676:Metanephrine; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid; D007099:Imipramine; D003891:Desipramine; D003913:Dextroamphetamine; D009638:Norepinephrine