title: Neurotransmission and the experience of low back pain; no association between CSF monoamine metabolites and pain.
abstract: We have investigated the possible associations between the demographic, clinical and psychological characteristics of 80 patients with low back pain and the CSF levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), homovanillic acid (HVA) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), the principal central nervous system metabolites of serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, and of tryptophan, the amino acid precursor of serotonin. Neither the clinical measures nor the psychological characteristics were significantly correlated with the CSF neurochemistry. Therefore the hypothesis about an intimate relationship between monoaminergic neurotransmission and the experience of chronic low back pain was not confirmed. Among the other factors studied, body height contributed most to the variance in both 5-HIAA and HVA concentrations; the levels of MHPG increased with age.
authors.affiliation: Psychosomatic Unit, The Rehabilitation Research Centre of the Social Insurance Institution, Peltolantie 3, SF-20720 Turku, Finland Department of Pharmacology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland Department of Surgery, Turku City Hospital, TurkuFinland.
authors.forename: Markku T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Hyyppä
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Scheinin
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alaranta
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hurme
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lahtela
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scheinin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D001416:Back Pain / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008297:Male; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D006719:Homovanillic Acid