Plasma norepinephrine responses to cold challenge in depressed patients and normal controls.
Thirty depressed patients were compared with 39 controls for their plasma norepinephrine (NE) levels in relation to a cold challenge (placing a hand in ice cold water for 1 minute). Depressed patients showed significantly higher plasma NE levels than controls. Unipolar, but not bipolar patients, had significantly higher plasma NE levels than age- and sex-matched controls. Unipolar melancholic patients who were nonsuppressors on the dexamethasone suppression test showed a strong trend to have higher plasma NE levels than suppressors. These results are further evidence that the NE system is dysregulated in depression.
D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000032:analysis; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*
D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D003907:Dexamethasone; D009638:Norepinephrine