PHENOMENOLOGY OF MAJOR DEPRESSION

本子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的众多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能已经从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是中心的，不一定是研究者的机构。研究表明，下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴失调影响与特定症状组相关的抑郁症的表现。更好地了解这些差异背后的机制可能会导致抑郁症治疗的新目标，并有助于解释以往研究中的差异，这些研究通常包括不同抑郁症状的受试者。本研究旨在评估健康志愿者和抑郁症患者的HPA活性和急性应激反应，因为它们与特定症状组有关。假设抑郁症中HPA轴活动升高与失眠、食欲不振/体重减轻和焦虑有关，而低HPA活动与疲劳、食欲增加/体重增加和缺乏能量有关。此外，HPA活性增加、失眠症状、食欲下降/体重减轻和焦虑被认为与对压力的更大反应有关，而HPA活性降低、疲劳症状、食欲增加/体重增加和缺乏能量被认为与对压力的反应下降有关。这些假设将在三种不同的条件下通过收集血液、尿液和唾液中的应激激素来进行测试；基线，在使用两种FDA批准的药物进行诊断测试之后，以及对社会压力测试的反应。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Studies suggest that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation influences the presentation of depression related to specific groups of symptoms. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying these differences could lead to novel targets for the treatment of depression, and help to explain variability among previous studies that typically included subjects with varying symptoms of depression. This study is designed to assess HPA activity and measures of acute stress responses in healthy volunteers and depressed patients as they relate to specific groups of symptoms. The hypothesis is that elevated HPA axis activity in depression is associated with insomnia, loss of appetite/weight loss, and anxiety, whereas low HPA activity is linked with fatigue, increased appetite/weight gain and lack of energy. Moreover, increased HPA activity, symptoms of insomnia, loss of appetite/weight loss and anxiety are hypothesized to correlate with a greater response to stress, whereas low HPA activity and symptoms of fatigue, increased appetite/weight gain and lack of energy are hypothesized to correlate with a decreased response to stress. These hypotheses will be tested by collection of stress hormones in the blood, urine and saliva during three separate conditions; baseline, following a diagnostic test using two FDA approved medications, and in response to a social stress test.