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Monoamines, BDNF, IL-6 and corticosterone in CSF in patients with Parkinson’s disease and major depression

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Abstract

The biochemical basis of major depression (MD) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is largely unknown. To increase our understanding of MD in PD patients, the levels of monoamine metabolites (HVA, 5-HIAA and MHPG), BDNF, orexin-A, IL-6 and corticosterone were examined in cerebrospinal fluid. The analyses were performed in MD patients with (n = 11) and without (n = 12) PD at baseline and after 12 weeks’ of treatment with the antidepressant citalopram, and in patients with solely PD (n = 14) at baseline and after 12 weeks. The major findings were that PD patients with MD had significantly lower baseline levels of MHPG, corticosterone and IL-6 when compared to patients with solely MD. In response to citalopram treatment, patients with solely MD exhibited an expected decrease in 5-HIAA and MHPG levels which was not found in PD patients with MD. Moreover, the levels of BDNF and IL-6 were lower in PD patients with MD compared with patients with solely MD after treatment with citalopram. Thus, the biochemical basis and the response to citalopram differ between PD patients with MD and patients with solely MD.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Ms. Lena Olven-Andersson and Dr. Kaj Blennow for performing the monoamine metabolism analyses. This study was funded by an unrestricted grant from Lundbeck (SP, JW, AKG), Vetenskapsrådet (PS) and Söderberg’s stiftelse (PS).

The study was approved by the regional ethics committee. (Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Dnr 96165; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Hospital). All patients were well-informed and had given their written consent.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

    Sven Pålhagen, Björn Mårtensson & Per Svenningsson

  2. Department of Neurology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    Sven Pålhagen & Per Svenningsson

  3. Section of Translational Neuropharmacology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

    Hongshi Qi & Per Svenningsson

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Göteborg University, Mölndal, Sweden

    Jan Wålinder

  5. Division of Geriatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Science, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

    Ann-Kathrine Granérus

Authors
  1. Sven Pålhagen
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  2. Hongshi Qi
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  3. Björn Mårtensson
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  4. Jan Wålinder
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  5. Ann-Kathrine Granérus
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  6. Per Svenningsson
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Correspondence to Sven Pålhagen or Per Svenningsson.

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Pålhagen, S., Qi, H., Mårtensson, B. et al. Monoamines, BDNF, IL-6 and corticosterone in CSF in patients with Parkinson’s disease and major depression. J Neurol 257, 524–532 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-009-5353-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-009-5353-6

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