title: An association between low levels of 5-HIAA and HVA in cerebrospinal fluid and early mortality in a diagnostically mixed psychiatric sample.
abstract: We followed up a sample of psychiatric patients (diagnoses predominantly schizophrenia and depression) who had participated in in-patient studies of their CSF over the past 15 years. The status of 73 former patients was confirmed, of whom 12 had died. Seven of these patients died at age < or = 40, largely of suicide, homicide, or accidental causes. These seven patients had significantly lower CSF 5-HIAA and HVA than living control patients. There were significant direct correlations between age at death and both CSF 5-HIAA and HVA in the deceased patients. The results offer support for CSF monoamine metabolites relating to early death in a diagnostically diverse sample of psychiatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Stanford/VA Mental Health Clinical Research Center, CA.
authors.forename: W O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Faustman
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Ringo
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Faull
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000401:mortality; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006753:Hospital Records; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000401:mortality*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000401:mortality; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D006719:Homovanillic Acid