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Growth Hormone Response to Clonidine After Recovery in Patients with Endogenous Depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

P. B. Mitchell ,
J. A. Bearn ,
T. H. Corn  and
S. A. Checkley
P. B. Mitchell
Affiliation:
The Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales
J. A. Bearn
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London
T. H. Corn
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London
S. A. Checkley*
Affiliation:
The Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London
*
The Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SES 8AZ
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Abstract

The growth hormone response to clonidine was measured in ten drug-free recovered patients, seven of whom had previously been tested when endogenously depressed, and compared with the response in ten individually matched controls. In eight of the patients there was an impairment of the growth hormone response, despite clinical recovery, although the hypotensive effect of clonidine in these patients was normal. This is suggestive of a persisting abnormal alpha2-adrenoceptor function in forebrain regions after recovery from an episode of endogenous depression, and may represent a trait marker for this condition.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 152 , Issue 1 , January 1988 , pp. 34 - 38
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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