DEPRESSION IN PARKINSONS-DISEASE IS NOT ACCOMPANIED BY MORE CORTICOTROPIN-RELEASING HORMONE EXPRESSING NEURONS IN THE HYPOTHALAMIC PARAVENTRICULAR NUCLEUS

Background: Depression is frequently encountered in Parkinson's diseas e (PD). III addition, more than half of the PD patients have a disturb ed dexamethasone suppression rest, which is associated with increased activity of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons. We recently found an increase in CRH neuron number; CRH-messenger RNA, and vasopr essin colocalization in CRH neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PV N) of depressed patients, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of depression, Methods: The number of neurons expressing CRH was determi ned in the PVN of 6 depressed PD patients with a high score (greater t han or equal to 13) on the Hamilton Depression Raring Scale, 6 nondepr essed PD patients, and 6 controls. Results: The three groups did not d iffer in the number of neurons expressing CRH. Conclusions: We hypothe size that activation of CRH neurons in the PVN, as we recently observe d in idiopathic depression, does nor play an essential role in depress ion in PD. (C) 1998 Society of Biological Psychiatry.