title: Allergy and depression: a neurochemical threshold model of the relation between the illnesses.
abstract: Empirical studies suggest a very high prevalence of atopic disorder in people with depression. Research indicates that individuals with allergy have cholinergic hyperresponsiveness and beta-adrenergic hyporesponsiveness in the autonomic nervous system. Evidence is reviewed that similar imbalances in central nervous system cholinergic-adrenergic activity play a casual role in depression behaviors. It is hypothesized that the allergic state or allergic reactions can accentuate cholinergic-adrenergic activity imbalances in the central nervous system of a small subgroup of people at risk for endogenous depression thereby producing depression symptomatology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Marshall
mesh_terms: D000322:Adrenergic Agonists / Q000276:immunology; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D012882:Skin Tests; D012895:Sleep, REM; D013694:Temperament
chemical_list: D000322:Adrenergic Agonists; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic