TRH Test in Depression

Abstract

To the Editor: Measurement of the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) by the pituitary after infusion of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is an established endocrine test used in the diagnosis of thyroid disease.¹ Abnormalities in the TRH test have been reported in patients with depression^{2 , 3} and have been related to dysfunction in the central monoaminergic neuronal systems that regulate hypothalamic function. However, no consensus has emerged on the relevance of this test to clinical psychiatry. We have recent TRH-test results on 75 consecutive psychiatric inpatients with depressive disorders. Our data suggest that the magnitude of the TSH response to TRH may . . .