Developer site: The content shown here is test data.

MyEClinic
MyEClinic
Health Dictionary AI Health Chat Find an Online Doctor
A serene Zen garden with raked sand and smooth stones, symbolising clarity and calm

Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

Back to skin conditions

Homovanillic acid

Introduction

Template:Chembox new Homovanillic acid (HOC6H3(OCH3)CH2COOH; synonyms: 3-Methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid; HVA; 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzeneacetic acid; 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylacetic acid) is a major catecholamine metabolite. It is used as a reagent to detect oxidative enzymes.

In psychiatry and neuroscience, brain and cerebrospinal fluid levels of HVA are measured as a marker of metabolic stress caused by 2-deoxy-D-glucose.[1]

References

  1. ↑ Marcelis M, Suckling J, Hofman P, Woodruff P, Bullmore E, van Os J (2006). “Evidence that brain tissue volumes are associated with HVA reactivity to metabolic stress in schizophrenia”. Schizophr. Res. 86 (1–3): 45–53. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2006.05.001. PMID 16806836. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

Template:Aromatic-stub Template:Neurotransmitter metabolism intermediates