Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-wq2xx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-16T22:30:52.946Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Plasma Magnesium and Calcium in Depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

D. Frizel ,
Alec Coppen  and
V. Marks
D. Frizel
Affiliation:
Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, Carshalton and West Park Hospital, Epsom, Surrey
Alec Coppen
Affiliation:
Area Laboratory, West Park Hospital, Epsom
V. Marks
Affiliation:
Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, Carshalton and West Park Hospital, Epsom, Surrey
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Recent investigations suggest that there may be an abnormality of calcium and magnesium in depressive illness. Flach (1964) followed the urinary excretion of calcium in depressed patients maintained on a constant intake of calcium before and during recovery. Those patients that recovered showed a significant decrease in the excretion of calcium. Coirault et al. (1959) reported an increase in ionized calcium and a decrease in total plasma calcium on recovery from depression. Cade (1964) reported considerably raised total plasma magnesium levels in depressed patients both before and after recovery. A connection between affective disorders and calcium metabolism is suggested by the common occurrence of such states in both hypo- and hypercalcaemia (Denco and Kaelbling, 1962; Rookus and Speelman, 1961). The present paper reports an investigation into total and ionized plasma calcium and magnesium in a group of depressed patients both before and after recovery. The effects of lithium carbonate, a compound used in the treatment and prophylaxis of affective disorders (Baastrup and Schou, 1967; Schou, 1963) on plasma concentrations of magnesium and calcium was also investigated.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 115 , Issue 529 , December 1969 , pp. 1375 - 1377
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1969 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baastrup, P. C., and Schou, M. (1967). ‘Lithium as a prophylactic agent against recurrent depressions and manic-depressive psychosis.’ Arch. gen. Psychiat., 16, 162.Google Scholar
Cade, J. F. L. (1964). ‘A significant elevation of plasma magnesium levels in schizophrenia and depressive states.’ Med. J. Australia, 1, 195.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coirault, R., Deselos de la Finchais, S., Ramel, P., and Neiger, R. (1959). ‘Les variations du calcium sanguin total, du calcium ionisé et du calcium uninaire 24 heures au course de la sismothérapie et des traitements chimiques.’ Medicina Experimentalis, 1, 178.Google Scholar
Coppen, A. J., Shaw, D. M., Herzberg, B., and Maggs, R. (1967). ‘Tryptophan in the treatment of depression.’ Lancet, ii, 1178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Denco, J., and Kaelbling, R. (1962). ‘The psychiatric aspects of hypoparathyroidism.’ Acta psychiat. Scand., 38, suppl. 164.Google Scholar
Flach, F. F. (1964). ‘Calcium metabolism in states of depression.’ Brit. J. Psychiat., 110, 588.Google Scholar
Frizel, D. E., Malleson, A. G., and Marks, V. (1967). ‘Measurement of plasma-ionised calcium and magnesium by ion exchange strip.’ Clin. Chim. Acta, 16, 45.Google Scholar
Goodwin, F. K., Murphy, D. L., and Bunney, W. E. (1968). ‘Lithium in mania and depression: a double-blind behavioural and biochemical study.’ Paper presented at A.P.A. Meeting, Boston.Google Scholar
Nielson, J. (1964). ‘Magnesium-lithium studies. 1. Serum and erythrocyte magnesium in patients with manic states during lithium treatment.’ Acta psychiat. Scand., 40, 190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rookus, P., and Speelman, J. J. (1961). ‘Psychic disturbances in hypoparathyroidism.’ Psychiat. Neurol. Neurochir., 64, 46.Google Scholar
Schou, M. (1963). ‘Normothymotics “mood-normalizers”: Are lithium and the imipramine drugs specific for affective disorders.’ Brit. J. Psychiat., 109, 803.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.