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Depressive Illness, Pulse Rate and Forearm Blood Flow

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Peter Noble  and
Malcolm H. Lader
Peter Noble
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London, S.E.5
Malcolm H. Lader
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London, S.E.5
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Extract

In depression alteration in mood is accompanied by pronounced physical and behavioural changes. Characteristically there is a decline in appetite, weight and libido, insomnia and a disturbance of diurnal rhythm. A slowing of thought and movement to the point of severe retardation or even stupor may occur. Anxiety is often present and in agitated depression is accompanied by restless psychomotor activity. As lesions in the hypothalamus may produce disturbances in appetite, weight, libido and sleep, it has been suggested that hypothalamic dysfunction may play a part in the aetiology of those depressions in which physical symptoms predominate (Pollitt, 1965).

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 119 , Issue 550 , September 1971 , pp. 261 - 266
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1971 

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