The aim of the current study was to compare the pupil reaction to light in
depressed patients and normal control subjects. Seven depressed patients wi
th melancholic features according to DSM-IV criteria and 14 age- and gender
-matched control subjects took part in the study. All were free of any medi
cation for at least 2 weeks. All were aged between 25 and 50 years. An opti
cal method was used to assess the pupil reaction to a single flash. Depress
ed patients manifested shorter latency for constriction than control subjec
ts, and a marginal difference in the total work produced by acetylcholine.
The results of the current study support the theory that there is a norepin
ephrine hypoactivity in melancholic depression, with less affected acetylch
oline activity. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.