Copper and Zinc Levels in Hair of Schizophrenics and Depression Patients

Egypt. J. Psychiatry, Jan 2010; 30(1): 23-30 Background: Copper stimulates the diencephalons or old brain and its overall effect appears to enhance all emotional states in a human being. While, Zinc is needed for the new brain or cortex. This brain is associated with the “higher emotions” such as reasoning, compassion and love. Objectives: The aim of this paper is to estimate hair copper and zinc levels in schizophrenic and depressive patients and to correlate these levels to the severity of schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. Subjects & Methods: The study was carried on 80 persons (male and female), with their age between 20 – 40 years; 20 of them (10 males and 10 females) were healthy control, 30 (15 males and 15 females) were suffering from schizophrenia (group I) and 30 (15 males and 15 females) were suffering from major depressive disorder (group II). Exclusion criteria for all persons selected for the study included another comorbid psychiatric disorder, pregnancy, and medical disorders (endocrine, liver cirrhosis, renal) or drugs (anticonvulsants, contraceptives, glucocorticoids) known to affect trace element metabolism. Approximately 100 mg of scalp hair samples were cut from each person as close to the scalp as possible. Zinc and copper levels in hair samples were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry after wet ashing. Results: The mean hair copper level was significantly higher in both schizophrenic patients (group I) and depression patients (group II) when compared with its mean levels in healthy control group. The mean hair zinc level was significantly lower in both schizophrenic patients (group I) and depression patients (group II) when compared with its mean levels in healthy control group. In depression patients the mean hair copper level was insignificantly higher meanwhile, the mean hair zinc level was significantly lower when compared with their mean level in schizophrenic patients. Conclusion: From these results, it can be concluded that copper intoxication and zinc deficiency may have a role in pathogenesis of both schizophrenia and depression disorders. It can also be concluded that zinc deficiency has more important role in inducing depressive disorders. So, it is recommended to evaluate both copper and zinc hair and serum levels in schizophrenic and depressive patients especially in patients resistant to therapy as this may have a prognostic value. It is recommended also to use zinc supplementation during antidepressant therapy as it may improve response to therapy and/ or decrease the dose that can minimize the side effects of antidepressants.