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CSF monoamine metabolites in chronic schizophrenic patients who attempt suicide

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Alec Roy*
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health, Clinical Neuroscience Branch, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Philip Ninan
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health, Clinical Neuroscience Branch, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Anne Mazonson
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health, Clinical Neuroscience Branch, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
David Pickar
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health, Clinical Neuroscience Branch, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Daniel Van Kammen
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health, Clinical Neuroscience Branch, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Markku Linnoila
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health, Clinical Neuroscience Branch, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Steven M. Paul
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health, Clinical Neuroscience Branch, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Alec Roy, National Institute of Mental Health, Clinical Neuroscience Branch, Building 10, Room 4N-214, Bethesda, MD 20205, USA.

Synopsis

The monoamine metabolites 5-hydroxindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), homovanillic acid (HVA) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (MHPG) were measured in the lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 27 chronic schizophrenic patients who at some time had attempted suicide, and were compared with values from 27 chronic schizophrenic patients without a history of attempted suicide. There were no significant differences between either the violent or non-violent attempters and those without a history of attempted suicide in the mean lumbar CSF concentrations of the serotonin metabolite 5-HIAA, the dopamine metabolite HVA, or the norepinephrine metabolite MHPG. Significantly more of the suicide attempters had a previous major depressive episode, had received a course of ECT, and had significantly more psychiatric admissions than those who had never attempted suicide.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985

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