title: The 24-hour pattern of urinary MHPG excretion in depressives and normals.
abstract: The 24-h pattern of urinary 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol (MHPG) was studied in 15 depressives and 15 healthy controls. MHPG was measured at 3-h intervals over two consecutive 24-h periods. The shape of the MHPG excretion pattern of the depressed group was different from that of the control group. However, both the consistency and shape of the individual 24-h MHPG patterns exhibited a high interindividual variability. Therefore it is difficult to speculate on a circadian phase difference between depressives and healthy controls. Major factors that may have influenced our results are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychiatry, State University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Van Bemmel
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Smeets
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Van Diest
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006018:Glycols / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000652:urine*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D006018:Glycols; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol