Cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and homovanillic acid in psychiatric patients

Levels of 5HIAA and HVA have been measured in the lumbar CSF of psychiatric patients. Pre-treatment values for CSF 5HIAA were lower in a combined group of psychiatric patients age matched with neurologic patients as controls. CSF 5HIAA was lower than in age matched neurologic controls in each psychiatric diagnostic sub-group; however, these differences were significant prior to treatment in the schizophrenic group only. Depressives treated with amitriptyline showed significant decreases in CSF 5HIAA. There were no significant correlations between degree of improvement in depression (as rated with the BPRS) and CSF 5HIAA levels while patients were improved and continuing on the drug. Further, no correlations were noted between values or changes in either CSF amine metabolite and initial ratings or changes in BPRS ratings as a result of treatment. Values for HVA tended to be higher in schizophrenics and lower in manics and depressives than for a combined psychiatric group, although this difference was significant only for depressives vs. schizophrenics while on drug therapy. Groups of patients scoring above the median on total sleep ratings were also found to have significantly above median HVA scores prior to treatment.