Plasma noradrenaline response to electroconvulsive therapy in depressive illness.
BACKGROUND
Abnormalities of catecholaminergic function have been hypothesised to cause depressive illness. Plasma noradrenaline can be used as a marker of central noradrenergic activity. It is of interest to examine the change in resting plasma noradrenaline in patients with depressive illness over a course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and relate this to their clinical state.


METHODS
Patients referred for ECT who suffered from DSM-III-R major depressive disorder or dysthymia were recruited. Blood samples were taken before and after each treatment, during a course of ECT, to measure plasma noradrenaline and cortisol. Clinical ratings were carried out weekly during the course of ECT.


RESULTS
Plasma noradrenaline fell significantly in those patients with melancholic/psychotic depressions but increased in those with non-melancholic depressive illness. There was a strong trend indicating that a fall in plasma noradrenaline was associated with improvement in depression ratings in the melancholic/psychotic patients only.


CONCLUSIONS
Electroconvlusive therapy decreases plasma noradrenaline in melancholic/psychotic depressive illness and this shows a trend associated with clinical improvement.
Kelly
C B
CB
Department of Mental Health, Queen's University of Belfast.
Cooper
S J
SJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D009638:Norepinephrine