공황장애，주요우울증, 알콜의존 환자들의 Clonidine 주입에 의한 성장호르몬 반응에 대한 연구 (I)

Growth Hormone Response to Peripheral Infusion of Clonidine in Patients with Panic Disorder, Major Depression and Alcohol Dependence (I)

Clonidine, an a2-adrenergic receptor agonist that decrease noradrenergic function, is administered to eight normal control groups and twenty three patients of three groups (eight panic disorder, seven major depression and eight alcohol dependence ). Clonidine challenged Growth hormone(G .H ) response test can provide an indirect meassure of the sensitivity of a2-adrenergic receptor in the brain noradrenergic system of above patients, because of that thought to result from the stimulation of a2-adrenoceptors. Especially, clonidine test for noradrenergic system of alcohol dependence is first trial. The results are as follows : 1) The mean increment of G .H of the three patients groups after Clonidine infusion was significantly different from that of controls. The mean peak G .H response to clonidine infusion was significantly blunted in the panic disorder, major depression and alcohol dependence compared to the normal controls. 2 ) But each G .H response of three patients groups was not different. From the findings, authors support the hypothesis that abnormal regulation of noradrenergic function may have close relation to the pathogenesis of panic disorder, major depression and Alcohol dependence, and suggest that there is an overlap in the phenomenology, epidemiology and neurobiology of these disorders.