Neuroendocrine response to meta-chlorophenylpiperazine and ipsapirone in relation to anxiety and aggression.

The aim of this study was to establish the association of trait anxiety and anger with hormonal responses to acute challenges with two different 5-HT agonists in a mixed group of patients with depressed mood. Fifteen patients and 16 normal controls received single oral doses of 0.5 mg/kg meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (MCPP), a 5-HT(2C) agonist, and 10 mg of ipsapirone, a 5-HT(1A) agonist, according to a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design. Dutch-adapted versions of the Spielberger Trait-Anxiety Inventory and the Spielberger Trait-Anger Scale administered assessed at study entry. Hormonal responses, expressed as drug-placebo differences, to MCPP and ipsapirone (changes in cortisol, ACTH and prolactin) were measured. Blood levels of MCPP and ipsapirone were also measured. MCPP and ipsapirone elevated cortisol, ACTH and prolactin. In the patient group, there was a significant correlation between trait anxiety and the cortisol response to MCPP. No significant correlations between the ACTH and prolactin responses to MCPP and levels of anxiety/anger were observed in the patients. No significant correlations could be established between levels of anxiety/anger and hormonal responses to ipsapirone. This study provided evidence for an association between measures of anxiety/aggression and the hormonal response to MCPP. Thus, in subjects with depressed mood, high levels of anxiety suggest a higher probability of 5-HT(2C) disturbances.

Experimental affective symptoms in panic disorder patients.

OBJECTIVE: To date, carbon dioxide (CO2) challenge tests in panic disorder (PD) patients have focused on anxiety as the sole outcome measure. This study assesses a broader range of symptoms in patients with PD. METHOD: We administered a gas mixture of 35% CO2 and 65% oxygen (O2) to 25 patients with PD. Nine patients met the criteria for a comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD), and 16 did not. We assessed not only subjects' symptoms of anxiety but also their symptoms of depression and aggression. RESULTS: Baseline ratings did not differ across the 2 subgroups. Postchallenge ratings were higher for PD and MDD patients on all the assessed affective symptoms, except for specific panic symptoms. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that, in addition to anxiety, CO2 challenge induces depressive and aggressive symptoms, specifically in PD patients with comorbid depression.

Tryptophan, mood, and cognitive function.

In separate experiments we investigated the duration of the effects of acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) on mood and cognition. The results showed that ATD's effects consist of lowering of mood only in subjects with a family history of unipolar depression. A specific impairment of memory consolidation was seen in all subjects. In subjects without any vulnerability for mood disorders, performance on so-called 'frontal tasks,' measuring higher attentional functions tended to improve after ATD. The effects of ATD on mood and cognition were manifest as long as biochemical indices of low tryptophan remained low. In conclusion, ATD is a model for impairment of memory, next to being a model of mood disorders in vulnerable subjects. Moreover, ATD could be used as a challenge to demonstrate individual vulnerability of the serotonergic system.