Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site bigtuna.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!prls!amdimage!amdcad!amd!vecpyr!lll-crg!dual!islenet!bigtuna!brianm From: brianm@bigtuna.UUCP (Brian Martin) Newsgroups: net.med Subject: Re: chemical depression? Message-ID: <163@bigtuna.UUCP> Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 21:51:25 EDT Article-I.D.: bigtuna.163 Posted: Wed Aug 14 21:51:25 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 20-Aug-85 06:58:55 EDT References: <207@nrcvax.UUCP> Reply-To: brianm@bigtuna.UUCP (Brian Martin) Organization: University of Hawaii, Bekesy Lab, Neurophysiology Lines: 37 Chemical depression is a misnomer--it refers to a theoretical subclassification of major depression, an affective disorder requiring psychiatric treatment. Basically, one category of patients with major depression have unusually low levels of norepinephrine (NE) metabolites in their urine, and it's been observed that these patients respond favorably to drugs that tend to increase the availability of NE in the central nervous system (CNS). On the other hand, another category of patients with major depression have unusually low levels of serotonin (5-HT) metabolites in their cerebro-spinal fluid, and this group of patients responds favorably to drugs that tend to increase the availability of 5-HT in the CNS. And there's yet a third type of major depression in which patients demonstrate an abnormal response to the hormone dexamethosone. The antidepressant medications used to treat these illnesses fall into two major categories: tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) and monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressants (MAO-I). (Lithium carbonate is also used to treat certain types of depression.) They are organized into various subclasses depending on their relative specificities for neural membrane receptor proteins. These drugs can affect a large number of organ systems within the body; serious side effects, even death can result if the antidepressant medication is improperly chosen or prescribed (for example, a person on MAO-I therapy could die from taking certain non-prescription cold remedies). Because of this, antidepressant therapy should only be administered by a properly trained physician, preferably a psychiatrist--one who can do a complete medical evaluation, who understands the various and many times complex interactions between the body's organ systems, and who is well-versed in the use of antidepressants. There are a number of other types of depression which fit neither of the classes described above, and which respond only marginally if at all to antidepressant medication. These people generally respond quite well to one of the various forms of psychotherapy currently practiced. Hope this answers some of your questions. Brian Martin University of Hawaii School of Medicine