NOREPINEPHRINE AND SEROTONIN METABOLISM AND CLINICAL RESPONSE TO COMBINED IMIPRAMINE AND AMITRIPTYLINE THERAPY IN DEPRESSION

The present study was aimed to find out the alteration of NE and 5HT systems in depression, if so in the same direction or not and to find out the clinical response to combined therapy of Imipramine and Amitriptyline, both tricyclic antidepressants. The study group consisted of 39 depressives as defined by I. C. D. 9 and 17 normal controls. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was used to assess the severity of depression initially and after clinical improvement with drugs. Urinary MHPG and CSF 5HIAA were estimated final] depressives as per the standard procedure. It was found that both urinary MHPG and CSF 5HIAA were lowered in depressives but when individual patients were analysed both were not altered in the same direction in a given individual. All the depressives showed equal therapautic response to combined administration of Imipramine and Amitripiyline.