ACTH CORTISOL INVOLVEMENT IN THE SEROTONERGIC DISORDER AFFECTING THE PARKINSONIAN BRAIN/

In order to establish whether the serotonergic disorder affecting the parkinsonian brain also modifies hypothalamic-pituitary function in Pa rkinson's disease, 10 patients (aged 57-66 years) and 10 normal contro ls (aged 55-69 years) were tested with the serotonergic agonist d,l-fe nfluramine (60 mg p.o.), with CRH (100 mu g i.v.) and with placebos, P lasma ACTH/cortisol levels during tests were evaluated and compared. B oth groups showed similar levels of ACTH and cortisol in basal conditi ons and after placebo administration. A slight physiological decline i n both ACTH and cortisol levels during the placebo test was observed i n normal controls and parkinsonian patients. CRH induced similar ACTH/ cortisol increments in all subjects. In contrast, d,l-fenfluramine sig nificantly increased plasma ACTH/cortisol concentrations in the normal controls, but not in the parkinsonian patients. These data show a def ective serotonergic control of the pituitary-adrenal axis in Parkinson 's disease.