"Serotonin Depression"—A Biochemical Subgroup Within the Affective Disorders?
SciencePublished 6 February 1976
Marie Åsberg, Peter Thorén, Lil Träskman, Leif Bertilsson, Vivi‐Ann Ringberger
Citations679
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score10.42
SNIP6.62
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TL;DR
There was a significant correlation between the concnetration of 5-HIAA and severity of depression in the lower, but not in the upper, mode, which suggests the existence of a biochemical subgroup of depressive disorder, characterized by a disturbance of serotonin turnover.
Abstract
The distribution of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid of 68 depressed patients was bimodal. Twenty-nine percent of the patients were in the lower mode, with a concentration of 5-HIAA below 15 nanograms per milliliter. Although there were no differences in overall severity of depression between the two modes, there was a significant correlation between the concnetration of 5-HIAA and severity of depression in the lower, but not in the upper, mode. The finding suggests the existence of a biochemical subgroup of depressive disorder, characterized by a disturbance of serotonin turnover.
Keywords
MedicineNeuroscience
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