Relationship of monoamine metabolites in human cerebrospinal fluid to age.

Abstract

HOMOVANILLIC acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA), metabolites of 5-hydroxytryptamine and dopamine, have been detected and measured in animal and human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (refs. 1–3). Although these substances in CSF probably derive from neuronal populations in the central nervous system, their precise relationship to altered brain function remains to be determined. Nevertheless, several clinical studies have reported a decrease in 5HIAA and HVA in certain groups of patients, notably depressed psychiatric patients and individuals suffering from Parkinsonism2–4. In the course of our studies on monoamine metabolites in CSF, we have found that values for these substances vary with age, both in psychiatric and neurological groups of patients. This finding may be crucial for the interpretation of values for CSF monoamine metabolites in clinical studies.