Verbally Retarded Depression and Sodium Metabolism

Abstract

In 98 depressives of various diagnostic categories, Anderson and Dawson (1962) found that a raised fasting blood acetyl methyl carbinol (AMC) level was associated with marked verbal retardation and depressive preoccupation. They also found that raised fasting blood AMC levels fluctuated more than normal ones. It was suggested that the increases in amount and in fluctuation were best regarded as signs of impaired metabolic homeostasis because there was no reason to attribute any signs or symptoms to the effect of AMC itself.