Diagnostic Value of Blood Pressure Responses in Psychiatric Patients

Abstract

Funkenstein and his co-workers have reported extensively upon the use of the epinephrine-methacholine (Mecholyl) test as a prognostic aid in electroconvulsive therapy,¹ but did not extend their early observation that the diagnostic grouping by this means was not a random one.² Hoskins commented upon sympathetic underresponsivity in schizophrenia,³ and there are also reports of similar reduction of activity in the parasympathetic system of depressive patients.⁴ We therefore tested the blood pressure responses to these two drugs in patients with schizophrenia, endogenous depression, and mixed neuroses. Method and Subjects This method has been previously reported.⁵ All subjects were given epinephrine and methacholine (Mecholyl) on separate days. The 21 schizophrenics ranged in age from 16 to 49 years, with a mean of 35.1 years. The 22 patients with endogenous depression ranged in age from 26 to 56 years, with a mean of 47.9 years. The 25 patients