Research Of Biological Rhythm And Predictors Of Treatment Effect In Depression Taking Venlafaxine

OBJECTIVE: 1. To explore biological elements of biological rhythm in depression. 2. To explore the predictors of treatment effect in depression taking venlafaxine.METHODS: 1. The plasma concentration of cortisol was measured by immunoradioassay in the morning and in the afternoon in 59 depressive patients and 17 normal controls, evaluate how many hours the depressive patients awake earlier than normal, evaluate depression severity with Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), evaluate the changing ratio of depression severity in a day. 2. 30 depressive patients were treated with venlafaxine 50mg/d. It was increased to 150mg/d in 2 weeks. The dosage was fixed till 4 weeks. During the 4 weeks benzodiazepines could be taking to improve the quality of sleeping, but antipsychotic drugs and other antidepressive drugs could not be taking. Evaluate depression severity in the first day , the day after 1 weeks, the day after 2 weeks and the day after 4 weeks with HAMD. The plasma concentration of cortisol was measured in the morning and afternoon of the second day and in the morning of the day after 4 weeks. These data was fitting using exponential curve with time as abscissa and the total score of HAMD as ordinate. Correlation index of these exponential curve was also...