Abstract
Background: Several epidemiologic and clinical factors have been shown to predict
long term outcome in major depressive disorder (MDD). The value of biological predictors
has not been extensively studied. This study examined whether plasma norepinephrine
may be useful in predicting outcome in MDD.
Methods: Forty patients were followed up 8 years after an index major depressive episode.
Three outcome variables were assessed: time to first recurrence (the primary outcome
measure), the Lee and Murray criteria and the Depression Outcome Scale (DOS). The
results were examined against plasma norepinephrine value, at the index episode, using
survival analysis and linear regression.
Results: High plasma norepinephrine at the index episode was positively and significantly
associated with time to first recurrence for patients with nonpsychotic MDD (n = 31, χ2 = 8.38, on 1 df, p < .01). Similarly, plasma norepinephrine was significantly associated with good global
outcome, both using Lee and Murray criteria (n = 34, adjusted R2 = .24, p < .01) and DOS criteria (n = 31, adjusted R2 = .17, p < .01) for this group of patients. In contrast, plasma norepinephrine was not significantly
related to outcome for MDD with psychotic features.
Conclusions: Plasma norepinephrine at index episode seems to be a predictor of outcome
in MDD.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
May 21,
1999
Received in revised form:
May 17,
1999
Received:
February 1,
1999
Identification
Copyright
© 1999 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
