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Growth Hormone Response to Clonidine in Obsessive-Compulsive Patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Larry J. Siever ,
Thomas R. Insel ,
David C. Jimerson ,
C. Raymond Lake ,
Thomas W. Uhde ,
Joseph Aloi  and
Dennis L. Murphy
Larry J. Siever
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20205, USA
Thomas R. Insel
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health
David C. Jimerson
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health
C. Raymond Lake
Affiliation:
University of the Health Services, Bethesda, Maryland 20014, USA
Thomas W. Uhde
Affiliation:
Biologic Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health
Joseph Aloi
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health
Dennis L. Murphy
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health
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Summary

We have observed a lesser growth hormone response to intravenous clonidine administration in nine obsessive-compulsive disorder patients meeting research diagnostic criteria than in nine matched controls. The obsessive-compulsive disorder patients had higher plasma free 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol and plasma norepinephrine levels before clonidine than the controls. As blunted growth hormone responses to clonidine are also characteristic of affective disorder patients, these results support other observations of a psychobiologic affinity between these two groups and are also compatible with an association between increased presynaptic noradrenergic activity and decreased post-synaptic receptor responsiveness.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 142 , Issue 2 , February 1983 , pp. 184 - 187
Copyright
Copyright © 1983 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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