Am J Psychiatry 1989; 146:1427-1433
Copyright © 1989 by American Psychiatric Association
Apparent phase advance in diurnal MHPG rhythm in depression
HE Gwirtsman, AE Halaris, AW Wolf, E DeMet, JE Piletz and M Marler
Brentwood VA Hospital, Los Angeles.
Several investigators have proposed that diurnal rhythms, particularly that
of the norepinephrine metabolite 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG),
show abnormalities in affective disorders. The present study compared
diurnal MHPG rhythms in the plasma of 18 male depressed patients and 12
healthy male volunteers. A diurnal rhythm of MHPG closely fit to a cosine
model was observed in volunteers and, to a lesser extent, in depressed
patients. Patients, especially those with endogenous depression (N = 11),
demonstrated an earlier acrophase (mean +/- SD = 12.53 +/- 3.38 hours), and
treatment with desipramine was associated with a significant (3-hour) phase
delay. This study confirms and extends previous reports of apparent phase
advances in circadian noradrenergic rhythms in depressed patients.
