Dopaminergic, Noradrenergic, Adrenal, and Thyroid Abnormalities in Psychotic and Affective Disorders

ConclusionsAlthough results must be interpreted with caution because of the small sample, this preliminary study suggests that depressed bipolar and schizoaffective patients share common biological dysregulations, distinct from that of paranoid schizophrenic patients. From a pathophysiological viewpoint, paranoid schizophrenic patients can be characterized by hyposensitivity of the hypothalamic DA receptors (possibly resulting from an increase in presynaptic DA release) associated with increased HPA axis activity, while depressed bipolar and schizoaffective patients can be characterized by hyposensitivity of the pituitary TRH and DA-D2 receptors (possibly linked to the activation of the hypothalamic TRH and tuberoinfundibular DA neurons, respectively), together with subsensitive postsynaptic α2-adrenoreceptors at the hypothalamic level (possibly secondary to an erratic release of NA) and increased HPA axis activity.
Source: Frontiers in Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research