title: Cerebrospinal fluid correlates of depression in Huntington's disease.
abstract: Patients with Huntington's disease (HD) commonly have concomitant depressive disorders. Prompted by reports of elevated corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and reduced 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) concentrations in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with major depression, these CSF constituents were examined in 56 nonmedicated patients who were in the early stages of HD. Elevated CRF concentrations were found in patients with HD in comparison with a control group of 21 subjects without neurologic illness. The CSF 5-HIAA concentrations in patients with HD did not differ from that in four normal volunteers. Patients with HD who had depressive disorders (major depression or dysthymia) did not differ from those without depression with respect to CSF 5-HIAA or CRF concentration. However, a positive correlation was observed between severity of major depression and CRF concentration. These findings suggest that the depression associated with HD may differ neurochemically from that seen in other major depressive disorders, and support the notion that clinically significant depressive symptoms reflect heterogeneous pathophysiologic conditions with different neurochemical correlates.
authors: Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine, NY 14642.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Kurlan
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Caine
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Rubin
authors: C B
authors: CB
authors: Nemeroff
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Bissette
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Zaczek
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Coyle
authors: F J
authors: FJ
authors: Spielman
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Irvine
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Shoulson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D003863:Depression / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000150:complications*; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009994:Osmolar Concentration
chemical_list: D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone