ABSTRACT
The correlation between the degree of psychopathology (assessed by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, MMPI) and sympathetic function (assessed by the skin potential response to somatosensory stimuli) was evaluated in 209 patients with affective disorders. A number of skin potential parameters (skin potential levels, negative fluctuations of first derivative of skin potential, negative areas in phase plane analysis, differences between last and initial average potentials and between the last average potential for the preceding stimulus and initial average potentials for a given stimulus) were correlated with the psychopathology index, calculated as the average of clinically relevant MMPI scales. Categorical classification of patients having or not having abnormally high psychopathology index scores also supported the differences in skin potential response between both groups of patients. The results further indicate the existence of a correlation between severity of mood disorders and increased sympathetic reactivity.
Subject(s)
Galvanic Skin Response , MMPI , Mood Disorders/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Ambulatory Care , Female , Galvanic Skin Response/physiology , Humans , MMPI/statistics & numerical data , Male , Middle Aged , Mood Disorders/physiopathology , Mood Disorders/psychology , Proprioception/physiology , Severity of Illness Index , Sympathetic Nervous System/physiopathologyABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to determine whether pineal indoles affect cyclic nucleotide levels in mammary gland slices of BALB/c adult mice. Melatonin at 0.1 nM-10 microM concentrations decreased cAMP and augmented cGMP concentration in murine mammary gland slices in the presence of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor (1 mM theophylline), an index of cyclic nucleotide synthesis. Melatonin-induced changes in cyclic nucleotide levels were significantly larger at the end of the light period (2000) than in the morning (at 1000). Indole-induced inhibition of cyclic AMP levels by mammary slices exhibited the following order of potency: 5-methoxytryptamine > melatonin > or = 6-hydroxymelatonin > serotonin, N-acetylserotonin > 5-hydroxytryptophol. The order of potency for indole-induced augmentation of cyclic GMP levels was: 5-methoxytryptamine > melatonin > 6-hydroxymelatonin > serotonin, N-acetylserotonin, 5-hydroxytryptophol. When melatonin or 5-methoxytryptamine (10 nM) were examined for their effects on cAMP and cGMP levels in mammary glands of mice killed at six different time intervals during the 24-hr cycle, the activity was maximal during night. The data demonstrate that 5-methoxytryptamine and melatonin decreased cAMP and increased cGMP levels in mammary gland slices. Methoxyindole-induced changes in cyclic nucleotide synthesis in murine mammary glands exhibit the time-dependency known to occur in several other melatonin-influenced responses.
Subject(s)
Circadian Rhythm/drug effects , Cyclic AMP/metabolism , Cyclic GMP/metabolism , Indoles/pharmacology , Mammary Glands, Animal/drug effects , Mammary Glands, Animal/metabolism , Animals , Female , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Pineal Gland/chemistry , RadioimmunoassayABSTRACT
In 57 patients with psicovegetative disorders and abnormal MMPI, abnormality in MMPI scales indicating hypochondriasis, hysteria, gender deviant, paranoia, psychastenia, schizophrenia, hypomania or introversion was accompanied by increased plasma catecholamine levels and/or responses to hypoglycemia or by an increased cardiovascular reactivity. A high depression scale was associated with lower plasma catecholamine levels. Blunted plasma growth hormone responses to hypoglycemia were found in abnormal hypomania scale, and augmented responses of plasma cortisol in abnormal hysteria or schizophrenia scales. Paranoia and hypomania traits correlated with absence of morning-evening differences in blood cortisol levels. Electrodermal responses compatible with increased sympathetic activity correlated with high hysteria, gender, paranoia, schizophrenia or hypomania MMPI scales. This study indicates that most psychopathological traits in MMPI are accompanied by humoral and/or electrophysiological signs of abnormality of the autonomic nervous system.
Subject(s)
Autonomic Nervous System/physiopathology , MMPI , Mental Disorders/physiopathology , Mental Disorders/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Dexamethasone , Epinephrine/blood , Female , Galvanic Skin Response , Growth Hormone/blood , Hemodynamics/physiology , Humans , Hydrocortisone/blood , Hypoglycemia/physiopathology , Insulin/pharmacology , Male , Middle Aged , Neurotransmitter Agents/blood , Norepinephrine/bloodABSTRACT
In 57 patients with psicovegetative disorders and abnormal MMPI, abnormality in MMPI scales indicating hypochondriasis, hysteria, gender deviant, paranoia, psychastenia, schizophrenia, hypomania or introversion was accompanied by increased plasma catecholamine levels and/or responses to hypoglycemia or by an increased cardiovascular reactivity. A high depression scale was associated with lower plasma catecholamine levels. Blunted plasma growth hormone responses to hypoglycemia were found in abnormal hypomania scale, and augmented responses of plasma cortisol in abnormal hysteria or schizophrenia scales. Paranoia and hypomania traits correlated with absence of morning-evening differences in blood cortisol levels. Electrodermal responses compatible with increased sympathetic activity correlated with high hysteria, gender, paranoia, schizophrenia or hypomania MMPI scales. This study indicates that most psychopathological traits in MMPI are accompanied by humoral and/or electrophysiological signs of abnormality of the autonomic nervous system.
ABSTRACT
In 57 patients with psicovegetative disorders and abnormal MMPI, abnormality in MMPI scales indicating hypochondriasis, hysteria, gender deviant, paranoia, psychastenia, schizophrenia, hypomania or introversion was accompanied by increased plasma catecholamine levels and/or responses to hypoglycemia or by an increased cardiovascular reactivity. A high depression scale was associated with lower plasma catecholamine levels. Blunted plasma growth hormone responses to hypoglycemia were found in abnormal hypomania scale, and augmented responses of plasma cortisol in abnormal hysteria or schizophrenia scales. Paranoia and hypomania traits correlated with absence of morning-evening differences in blood cortisol levels. Electrodermal responses compatible with increased sympathetic activity correlated with high hysteria, gender, paranoia, schizophrenia or hypomania MMPI scales. This study indicates that most psychopathological traits in MMPI are accompanied by humoral and/or electrophysiological signs of abnormality of the autonomic nervous system.
