Ventilatory Response to Carbon Dioxide Inhalation in Depression

Abstract

The ventilatory response to carbon dioxide (CO₂ response) was determined in 18 patients admitted to an inpatient service with endogenous depressive illness. Admission mean CO₂ response value for the group was below the mean value for a control group. At the time of hospital discharge marked clinical improvement had occurred in depressive symptomatology; mean CO₂ response had increased slightly and was no longer significantly below the control value. CO₂ response deserves further investigation as a possible physiologic characteristic of certain depressed patients.