The effect of paroxetine on cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of neurotransmitter metabolites in depressed patients.

This paper describes the effect of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibiting drug (SSRI), paroxetine, on cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of neurotransmitter metabolites in depressed patients. 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) and homovanillic acid (HVA) were measured at baseline and after 3 weeks of treatment with 30 mg paroxetine daily. In line with similar studies on other SSRIs, influence on both the serotonin and noradrenaline metabolite was found. The mechanism behind the action of paroxetine on both 5-HIAA and MHPG is assumed to be an expression of the linkage between the serotonergic and noradrenergic systems in the brain. A frequently reported correlation between 5-HIAA and HVA was also found. The analysis of paroxetine in CSF proves the transportation of the drug into the central nervous system.