ABSTRACT
Background:Depression is the most common type of mental illness. As per the WHO criterion of prevalence of depression, this disease has a prevalence of 4.4% all over the world and 4.5% in India. Some water-soluble vitamins like vitamin B2, B6, B9, B12; play an important role in mental health. Of these vitamins pyridoxal phosphate, the active form of vitamin B6 plays a pivotal role in a number of transamination reactions, decarboxylation reactions and in the control of plasma homocysteine concentration. PLP is vital for the biosynthesis of GABA, which is being used as the neurotransmitter in at least 40% of the inhibitory synaptic processing in the brain. Therefore, the present study was planned to assay the blood levels of vitamin B6 and GABA in patients with depression. The objective of the study was to help psychiatrists to take appropriate and informed decision about supplementation of vitamin B6 and use of specific antidepressant medication in the treatment of depression cases. Methods: Current study was an experimental case control study conducted at Santosh Medical College and Hospitals. A total of 204 (102 controls and 102 patients) both males and females, in the age group between 18-65 years were included in the study. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) 17 items was used to rate the level of depression. Results: In the present study, a total of 204 subjects including 97 females and 107 males participated, out of which 102 were clinically diagnosed cases of depression attending psychiatry OPD and included 55 females and 47 males. 47.1% of the cases were of mild depression, 23.5% were of moderate depression, 11.8% of severe depression and the remaining 17.6% belonged to very severe depression category. The mean value of vitamin B6 was found lowest in severe to very severe depressed patients (5.25) than in mild to moderate depressed patients (8.83) and the mean value of GABA was found to be highest in severe to very severe category (5571.73) than in mild to moderate depressed patients (5184.73). Conclusion: This study showed that majority of the patients with clinical depression had vitamin B6 deficiency and increase in GABA levels.
ABSTRACT
Background: Depression, the most common type of mental illness is the second leading cause of disability worldwide next to CAD. Vitamin B6, folate and vitamin B12 are involved in a series of methylation reaction that produce monoamine neurotransmitters, phospholipids and nucleotide. Therefore the present study was planned to assay the blood levels of vitamin B12 and folate in patients with depression. The objective of this was to study if metabolites are affected by diet and may be helpful in the prevention of depression. Methods: Current study was an experimental case control study, was conducted at Santosh Medical College. A total of 88 cases (44 patients and 44 controls) both males and females in the age between 18 - 65 years were included in the study. Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) -17 items scale was used to rate the level of depression. Results: In the present study a total of 88 subjects including 45 females and 43 males participated, out of which 44 were control, 24 males and rest 20 were females. Majority 55 patients were of no depression category, 11 were of mild depression category, 10 were of severe depression and rest 9, were of moderate depression category. Mean value of B12 were found lowest in ‘moderate’ depressed patients (115), than in ‘most severe depressed’ (137), followed by ‘severe’ and ‘mild’ depressed patients category. Value of HDRS increases with severity of depression, it was found lowest in the ‘mild’ (10.64), then it steadily increases with severity, moderate (15.11), severe (21.20) and most severe (27.55). Conclusion: This study showed that majority of the patients with clinical depression had vitamin B12 deficiency.