In 1972 it was reported that in some euthyroid depressed patients the
serum thyrotropin (TSH) response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) was
deficient. Since then, 41 reports describing 917 depressed patients have
confirmed this finding. Although it is useful to report differences between
mean response values of patient populations, it is necessary to identify
those individuals in whom the fault occurs so that sensitivity,
specificity, state-trait distribution, and clinical correlates can be
determined. Present data allow some tentative conclusions: 1) the fault
usually reflects a defect in central regulation of the pituitary-thyroid
axis, 2) in some patients the fault may be a trait marker, and 3) it may
represent a biological bridge between some depressed patients and some
patients with other mental disorders.
Abstract Teaser