title: Apomorphine induced alteration in corneofundal potentials in depression.
abstract: 1. The role of dopamine (DA) in mood regulation remains controversial. 2. Previous studies have examined DA sensitivity by measuring neuroendocrine responses following an agonist challenge. For the most part the results of such tests have failed to provide convincing evidence of a DA abnormality in affective disorders. 3. Neuroendocrine responses, however, are subject to complex regulatory influences and respond to DA systems which differ from those thought to modulate mood. 4. Recent animal and human studies suggest that light-dark adaptive electrical responses of the retinal pigment epithelium may serve as a better model of dopaminergic function. 5. The present study reports neuroendocrine and ocular results prior to, and following, an apomorphine (APO; 0.75 mg sc) challenge in 12 depressed patients and 12 normal controls. 6. Apomorphine administration increased both light and dark retinal potentials in patients whereas those of controls decreased and this group difference was significant (p < 0.002). 7. No group differences were detected in any measure at baseline, or in prolactin, or growth hormone levels after the APO challenge. 8. The results indicate that the retina may serve as a more sensitive indicator of dopamine abnormalities in depressive illness.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Administration Medical Center, Long Beach, CA, USA.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Demet
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Albers
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Sokolski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chicz-Demet
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003315:Cornea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004585:Electrooculography; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000097:blood; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000187:drug effects; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D011388:Prolactin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D001058:Apomorphine