Year: 1982 Source: Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, v.66, (1982), p.190-198 SIEC No: 19850178

In this controlled study, 5HIAA levels in the urine & CSF of 18 hospital patients & 11 healthy volunteers were analyzed by the method of mass fragmentography. Results indicated pronounced variation in day-to-day levels of urinary 5HIAA in both subjects & controls, & no correlation between urinary excretion & CSF levels of 5HIAA. The authors suggest this variance indicates different aspects of serotonin metabolism & conclude urine levels of 5HIAA are of little value for studies on biochemistry.