Decreased dopamine beta-hydroxylase activity in unipolar geriatric delusional depression

Background: Decreased dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity has been rep orted in unipolar psychotic depression. DBH comparisons between elderly del usional and nondelusional depressives and controls and determination of whe ther pretreatment group differences persist have not been reported. Our obj ective was to compare DBH activity in elderly delusional major depressives with that of nondelusional depressives and normal control subjects before a nd after hospital treatment. Methods: Enzyme activity was assessed after hospital admission. A subsample had predischarge assessments. Treatment was not controlled but accounted f or in analyses. Electroconvulsive therapy subjects were medication-free for posttreatment assays. Results: Baseline and predischarge DBH assays were lower in subjects with d elusional depression than in either comparison group, Despite high intraind ividual correlation, treatment was associated with significant increases in activity in the clinical groups. Conclusions: Patients with late-life delusional depression have lower DBH a ctivity before and after hospital treatment than age-matched nondelusional patients or normal controls. (C) 1999 Society of Biological Psychiatry.