Gjessing L R
Chronobiologia. 1975 Oct-Dec;2(4):307-16.
Both in periodic catatonia and in manic-depressive disorders sudden switches occur in behavior, in the autonomic nervous system and in the catecholamine metabolism during the transition from interval or depression into catatonia or mania. Both the manic and the catatonic attacks seem to be superimposed on the basic depressive or schizophrenic illnesses. The attacks can be counteracted or suppressed by psychotropic drugs such as alpha-methyldopa, disulfiram, reserpine, haloperidol or chloropromazine which interfere with the catecholamine metabolism or their receptor sites. The involvement of the catecholamines may however be secondary to primary defects in the thyroid, the hypothalamus or the limbic system. The strict periodicity in periodic catatonia points to an accumulation of some active metabolite which may be produced centrally during the interval. At a certain level it may trigger the switch-mechanism and then be reduced during the catatonic phase. In periodic catatonia both the basic schizophrenic disease as well as the periodic manifestations are compensated by thyroxine-thyroid treatment.
在周期性紧张症和躁郁症中，从间歇期或抑郁期转变为紧张症或躁狂期时，行为、自主神经系统和儿茶酚胺代谢都会突然发生变化。躁狂发作和紧张症发作似乎都叠加在基本的抑郁症或精神分裂症之上。这些发作可以通过精神药物如α-甲基多巴、双硫仑、利血平、氟哌啶醇或氯丙嗪来对抗或抑制，这些药物会干扰儿茶酚胺代谢或其受体部位。然而，儿茶酚胺的参与可能继发于甲状腺、下丘脑或边缘系统的原发性缺陷。周期性紧张症的严格周期性表明存在某种活性代谢产物的积累，这种代谢产物可能在间歇期在中枢产生。在一定水平上，它可能触发转换机制，然后在紧张症阶段减少。在周期性紧张症中，基本的精神分裂症疾病以及周期性表现都可以通过甲状腺素-甲状腺治疗得到缓解。
