PLASMA MAGNESIUM LEVELS IN A POPULATION OF PSYCHIATRIC-PATIENTS - CORRELATIONS WITH SYMPTOMS

Plasma magnesium levels were tested in a group of 155 psychiatric in-p atients with a variety of diagnoses and were correlated with the sever ity of their symptoms. We hypothesized that lower Mg levels would corr elate with a higher degree of anxiety, tiredness and other symptoms ch aracteristic of Mg deficiency. No such correlations were observed. How ever, Mg levels varied widely, with 22.4% below, and 10.4% above the n ormal range. There was a strong association for more disturbed and exc itable patients to have abnormal (either high or low) levels. We specu late that more disturbed patients might have some abnormality of Mg me tabolism with possible therapeutic implications.