Einblicke in die zentrale serotonerge Funktion bei Patienten mit affektiven Störungen

Abstract

The simple insight in the central serotonergic activity would allow a more specific pharmacotherapy of disorders with serotonergic deficits and could thus serve as a predictive parameter. An antidepressive treatment could be chosen due to the verification or falsification of such a deficit with a serotonergic or noradrenergic substance. In search of predictive parameters we have investigated the loudness dependence of auditory evoked potentials (LDAEP), a parameter that has already been discussed concerning this matter, and serotonin levels in the human blood serum regarding their correlation. Eight outpatients of a lithium clinics were investigated neurophysiologically after blood samples had been taken. A significant negative correlation between LDAEP and serotonin level in the serum was found, a low serotonin level correlates with a high LDAEP. The result of this pilot study justifies further investigations with larger sample sizes. In case of further and stable evidence the use of serotonin levels in the serum as a predicitve parameter is conceivable.