Differential rates of urinary noradrenalin excretion in affective disorders: utility of a short time sampling procedure.
Levels of morning urinary noradrenalin (NA) excretion were compared in 61 patients with unipolar major depression (MDE), 25 patients with minor depression (mDE), 39 patients with anxiety disorder (AD), and 21 healthy control subjects (C). The following differences in the level of urinary NA excretion rate were found: MDE greater than mDE = AD greater than C. In addition, a significant positive correlation was found in the MDE group between severity of illness, expressed as total Hamilton depression score, in diagnostic subclasses from the Research Diagnostic Criteria, and urinary NA excretion rates (first episode, MDE total group, recurrent, with psychotic features). These data support the utility of a short time urine sampling procedure to measure NA excretion as a peripheral marker monitoring sympathetic activity in inpatient as well as outpatient conditions.
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Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal.
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine*; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000652:urine*
D009638:Norepinephrine