Changes in Psychological Performance associated with Changes in Total Body Water

Abstract

CHANGES in body water have been shown to occur in mental illness. Gjessing¹ in his investigations of periodic catatonia showed biochemical changes associated with nitrogen and water balance. Crammer² examined a patient with a regular 6–7-day cycle of change in mood. He noted a change in body water associated with a change in body weight. Gibbons³ has reviewed the field in relation to changes in body water. Brown et al.⁴ have reported cases of changes of body water (extra cellular fluid) associated with changes in mood, in conditions other than periodic psychosis. Coppen and Shaw⁵ published a series of cases associated with change in body water and electrolytes. The work recorded here is associated with a larger series, Kerry⁶, investigating the relationship of changes of body water and mood. In all previous series the clinical changes of mood do not always correlate with the changes in total body water in either degree or direction. The aim of the work described here is to see if a more precise association could be obtained using psychological measures.