Serotonergic responsivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Comparison of patients and healthy controls.
To examine the "serotonin hypothesis" of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), we studied the behavioral and neuroendocrine effects of metachlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP), a serotonergic agonist, in patients with OCD and healthy controls. Twelve patients and 20 controls were given a single dose of 0.5 mg/kg of mCPP, administered orally under double-blind, placebo-controlled, random-assignment conditions. Following mCPP, but not following placebo, patients with OCD experienced a transient but marked exacerbation of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Moreover, compared with healthy controls, patients exhibited greater other behavioral (but not endocrinologic or thermal) changes after mCPP. These findings are consistent with a special role for the neurotransmitter serotonin in OCD psychopathology.
Zohar
J
J
Laboratory of Clinical Science, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Mueller
E A
EA
Insel
T R
TR
Zohar-Kadouch
R C
RC
Murphy
D L
DL
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D000368:Aged; D001519:Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008711:Metergoline / Q000494:pharmacology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D010879:Piperazines / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology
D010879:Piperazines; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D008711:Metergoline; D012701:Serotonin; D011388:Prolactin; C015068:1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine