TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2000//
TI  - Oral d-fenfluramine test in treatment-refractory depression. Plasma prolactin response compared in patients with and without suicide attempts and in a healthy reference group
JO  - Journal of affective disorders
A1  - Prochazka, H.
A1  - Sjögren, M.
A1  - Agren, H.
SP  - 201
EP  - 208
VL  - 57
IS  - 1-3
N2  - BACKGROUND: Fenfluramine (d-FEN) has been used as a serotonin challenge agent to assess central serotonin availability. Blunted serum prolactin (PRL) response to d-FEN has been reported in depressed patients, in suicide-prone patients, and in patients with aggression and personality disorders. We have analyzed suicidality in relation to central serotonergic events by comparing the PRL response to d-FEN in chronically depressed patients with and without suicide attempts and in healthy volunteers. METHODS: In 56 inpatients (10 patients with and 46 without suicide attempts) with at least 2 years of treatment-refractory depression (TRD) (DSM-IV) and a reference group of 30 healthy adults, the PRL response after an oral dose of 30 mg d-FEN was followed for 5 h. RESULTS: Controlling for group differences in age, sex, and weight, the PRL response to d-FEN did not differ significantly between the three groups. Far from confirming the hypothesis of a blunted PRL response in depressed patients, our results suggest: (1) that duration and treatment resistance of depression may affect the PRL secretion, and (2) that TRD and major depression may differ in biological relationship to suicidal behavior. LIMITATIONS: The findings require corroboration in larger and more closely matched study populations. The fenfluramine concentration was not analyzed in blood. CONCLUSIONS: PRL responses to d-FEN challenge did not differ between TRD patients with and without suicidality and the healthy reference group. Chronicity/treatment refractoriness per se may be related to a serotonergic mechanism.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0165-0327
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -