Rapid eye movement (REM) latency and neuroendocrine responses to cholinergic agonist administration are enhanced in adults with major depression. With the use of cholinergic agonists and antagonists, we will delineate further the involvement of muscarinic cholinergic systems in both adult and adolescent depression. Our preliminary data with the muscarinic cholinergic antagonist scopolamine suggest that both adolescent and adult depressives respond comparably, but to a greater extent than normal age-matched controls. Further, our data support the view that REM sleep and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis abnormalities represent """"""""trait"""""""" and """"""""state"""""""" phenomena, respectively. A greater understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of muscarinic cholinergic systems in normal and depressives, as revealed by the responses of REM latency and the HPA axis to cholinergic challenges, will lead to findings that should help elucidate basic neurophysiologic mechanisms and have important clinical implications and applications to depression.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award (R37)
Project #
5R37MH034471-12
Application #
3486503
Study Section
Treatment Development and Assessment Research Review Committee (TDA)
Project Start
1980-09-25
Project End
1996-03-31
Budget Start
1993-04-01
Budget End
1994-03-31
Support Year
12
Fiscal Year
1993
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
City
Torrance
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90502
Rao, Uma; Poland, Russell E; Lin, Keh-Ming (2012) Comparison of symptoms in African-American, Asian-American, Mexican-American and Non-Hispanic White patients with major depressive disorder. Asian J Psychiatr 5:28-33
Ott, Geoffrey E; Rao, Uma; Nuccio, Innocencia et al. (2002) Effect of bupropion-SR on REM sleep: relationship to antidepressant response. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 165:29-36
Rao, U; Poland, R E; Lutchmansingh, P et al. (1999) Relationship between ethnicity and sleep patterns in normal controls: implications for psychopathology and treatment. J Psychiatr Res 33:419-26
Poland, R E; Rao, U; Lutchmansingh, P et al. (1999) REM sleep in depression is influenced by ethnicity. Psychiatry Res 88:95-105
McCracken, J T; Poland, R E; Lutchmansingh, P et al. (1997) Sleep electroencephalographic abnormalities in adolescent depressives: effects of scopolamine. Biol Psychiatry 42:577-84
Poland, R E; McCracken, J T; Lutchmansingh, P et al. (1997) Differential response of rapid eye movement sleep to cholinergic blockade by scopolamine in currently depressed, remitted, and normal control subjects. Biol Psychiatry 41:929-38
Wohi, M; Lesser, I; Smith, M (1997) Clinical presentations of depression in African American and white outpatients. Cult Divers Ment Health 3:279-84
Rao, U; McCracken, J T; Lutchmansingh, P et al. (1997) Electroencephalographic sleep and urinary free cortisol in adolescent depression: a preliminary report of changes from episode to recovery. Biol Psychiatry 41:369-73
Poland, R E; Hanada, K (1994) Dissociation between plasma bioactive and immunoactive ACTH concentrations in depressed patients. Biol Psychiatry 35:309-15
Poland, R E; McCracken, J T; Lutchmansingh, P et al. (1993) Effects of low-dose dexamethasone on sleep EEG patterns, plasma cortisol, and the TSH response to TRH in major depression. Pharmacopsychiatry 26:79-83

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