title: Depression, prolactin and dissociated mind.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Usual neuroendocrinological manifestation of traumatic stress and dissociation is dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The aim of the present study is to perform examination of HPA axis as indexed by basal serum prolactin and test its relationship to dissociative symptoms and symptoms of traumatic stress.
  
  
  METHODS
  25 inpatients treated at the university hospital with diagnosis of unipolar depression mean age 41.23 (SD=11.53) were assessed using psychometric measures of dissociation (DES) and traumatic symptoms (TSC-40), and using standard biochemical analytical methods basal serum prolactin levels were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data show that prolactin manifests significant relationship to dissociative symptoms (r=0.52, p=0.004). Significant correlation was not found between prolactin and traumatic symptoms measured by TSC-40 (r=0.31, p=0.07).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present data suggest that serum prolactin levels in unipolar depressive patients are related to dissociative symptoms that is likely caused by passive coping mechanisms leading to dissociation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. petrbob@netscape.net
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bob
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Fedor-Freybergh
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Susta
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pavlat
authors.forename: Denisa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jasova
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zima
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Benakova
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miklosko
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hynek
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raboch
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D011388:Prolactin