Abstract
S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) has antidepressant properties. The commonest neuropsychiatric complication of severe folate deficiency is depression. These independent observations suggest that methylation in the nervous system may underlie the expression of mood and related processes and may be implicated in some affective disorders; suggest new biological approaches to the understanding and treatment of some affective disorders; and may explain why methionine sometimes aggravates schizophrenia.
MeSH terms
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Anemia, Megaloblastic / metabolism
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Brain / metabolism*
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Depressive Disorder / drug therapy
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Depressive Disorder / etiology
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Depressive Disorder / metabolism*
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Emotions*
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Folic Acid Deficiency / complications
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Folic Acid Deficiency / metabolism
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Humans
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Methylation
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S-Adenosylmethionine / metabolism*
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S-Adenosylmethionine / therapeutic use
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Schizophrenia / metabolism
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Vitamin B 12 / metabolism
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Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / complications
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Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / metabolism
Substances
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S-Adenosylmethionine
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Vitamin B 12