Neuroendocrine, polysomnographic and psychometric observations in healthy subjects at high familial risk for affective disorders: the current state of the 'Munich vulnerability study'

The present article summarizes the main results of the doss-sectional part of the 'Munich Vulnerability Study' in which healthy first-degree relatives of patients with an affective disorder were investigated by assessing thei r neuroendocrine, polysomnographic and psychometric status. As patients wit h an acute episode of a major depression. the group of the healthy relative s exhibited signs of a hyperactive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical sy stem verified by the combined dexamethasone corticotropine-releasing hormon e (DEX/CRH) test, as well as a slow wave sleep deficit in the first sleep c ycle and an increased amount of rapid eye movements during REM sleep. The p sychometric profile of the healthy relatives was characterised by elevated scores on the scales measuring 'Rigidity' and 'Autonomic Lability'. On a si ngle-case level, 32% of the healthy first-degree relatives of patients with an affective disorder exhibited 'depression-like' features or conspicuous findings in at least two of the three (i.e. neuroendocrine, polysomnographi c, psychometric) areas assessed. Whether the relatives with the neurobiolog ical and psychometric abnormalities we identified have a higher risk for de veloping an affective disorder than those without has to be answered by the still ongoing prospective part of the study. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V . All rights reserved.