The urinary excretion of 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyglycol was compared in a group of 23 depressive patients and 27 control subjects of similar age. There was no difference between patients and controls although female controls excreted less than males. After 6 weeks' treatment with 150 mg daily of amitriptyline there was no correlation between therapeutic response and pretreatment urinary excretion value.
Key words Depressive illness - Noradrenaline hypothesis - Amitriptyline - 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylglycol