CORRELATIONS OF PLASMA AND URINARY PHENYLACETIC ACID AND PHENYLETHYLAMINE CONCENTRATIONS WITH EATING BEHAVIOR AND MOOD RATING SCORES IN BROFAROMINE-TREATED WOMEN WITH BULIMIA-NERVOSA

Women with bulimia nervosa undergoing treatment with the reversible mo noamine oxidase type A inhibitor, brofaromine, were rated for mood and eating behaviour and their plasma and urine were assessed for phenyla cetic acid (unconjugated and total) and unconjugated phenylethylamine prior to and after four weeks of drug treatment. Changes in plasma unc onjugated phenylacetic acid concentrations were significantly and nega tively correlated with the corresponding changes in Hamilton Depressio n scores but not with eating behavior measures. There were no signific ant correlations between changes in phenylethylamine levels and change s in rating scores. Patients diagnosed as suffering concurrently from severe depression (Hamilton Depression score of 17 or higher) had lowe r plasma and urinary phenylacetic acid levels than did those whose dep ression was not severe (Hamilton score less than 17). Phenylethylamine concentrations were not different between the severely and mildly dep ressed subgroups. The results confirm earlier studies on the relations hip between phenylacetic acid and depression while showing that a simi lar relationship does not pertain to phenylacetic acid and eating beha vior in bulimia nervosa.