Posted by CaptainAmerica1967 on December 15, 2008, at 16:18:53
In reply to Re: Treatment Resistant (Refractory) Depression » Racer, posted by JadeKelly on December 15, 2008, at 12:14:29
A good source to read from is www.biopsychiatry.com.
Dexamethasone suppression test involves giving cortisol to see if the depressed patient's body decreases or block it's own porduction as it should in normal non depressed individuals, but most hospitalized or refractory patients don't suppress their own production after the test. Excess cortisol blocks or interferes with serotonin.
CRF (corticotropin releasing factor) is secreted from the pituary but is faulty in depression and continues to be secreted to increase or stimulate cortisol production from the adrenal cortex despite a normal amount of cortisol in the body. Normally there's a feedback mechanism by which if you have normal levels in the blood stream then the pituary "recognizes" that one doesn't need more cortisol and suppresses CRF.
CRF antagonists (blockers) are being developed by pharmaceutical companies to treat depression.
www.biopsychiatry.com/crf1.htm
www.neurotransmitter.net/newdrugs/html
poster:CaptainAmerica1967
thread:868231
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081214/msgs/868957.html