Correlatos bioquímicos da depressão em crianças

Abstract

SUMMARY -The degree of depression in 88 abandoned children was analysed through a depression rating scale adapted to prepubertal children.The items were grouped into three dimensions: sociological-relational, psychological and biological. In 46 children from this sample it was dosed plasmatic Cortisol and the urinary excretion of catecholamine, VMA, HVA and 5-HIAA.When analysing the principal components, the sociological and psychological dimensions were the most important ones in the sample, followed by age and catecholamine variables.The group of male depressed children presented a higher level of catecholamine urinary excretion and a lower peak of plasmatic Cortisol than the non-depressed group. The variable age, in both sexes, was correlated with the biochemical variable catecholamine. Biochemical alterations are present in depressed children but it is difficult to show a correlation of dependence between them and the phenomenological aspects of depression.