@article{ref1,
title="Relationship between alpha 2-adrenergic function and suicidal behavior in depressed patients",
journal="Psychiatry research",
year="1994",
author="Pitchot, W. and Ansseau, M. and Gonzalez Moreno, A. and Wauthy, J. and Hansenne, M. and von Frenckell, R.",
volume="52",
number="2",
pages="115-123",
abstract="The current main neurochemical theories of the biological correlates of suicidal behavior involve serotonergic and, to a lesser extent, dopaminergic systems. Few data are available about the possible implication of the noradrenergic function. In the present study, we assessed the growth hormone response to clonidine, a selective alpha 2-adrenergic agonist, in 15 DSM-III-R major depressive inpatients with a history of suicide attempts, compared with 15 age- and gender-matched major depressive inpatients without a history of suicidal behavior. Mean (+/- SD) growth hormone peak responses to clonidine were significantly lower in the group of suicide attempters than in the control group: 2.93 +/- 3.01 ng/ml vs. 8.28 +/- 8.15 ng/ml. Therefore, these results suggest that a blunted growth hormone response to clonidine could be a biological correlate of suicidal behavior.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0165-1781",
doi="10.1016/0165-1781(94)90081-7",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0165-1781(94)90081-7"
}