Variations in Body Water during Recovery from Depression

Reports of significant changes in water and electrolytes during recovery from depression may provide insight into important physiological factors in depressive illnesses. Brown et al. (1963) demonstrated an increase in the extracellular fluid volume in 22 of 28 patients suffering from primary depressive disorders treated with E.C.T. or imipramine. The findings of these authors, which were discussed in relation to previous work on sodium metabolism and water balance in depressive disorders, were thought to support the idea of a shift of fluid from intracellular to extracellular spaces during the response to treatment. Coppen and Shaw (1963) found an increase in total body water, extracellular fluid and a decrease in the residual sodium space on recovery from depression.