The Dexamethasone Suppression Test in Psychotic versus Non-psychotic Endogenous Depression

SummaryThe authors investigated the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) in 93 female patients with primary (endogenous) major depression; in 20 female paranoid schizophrenics, and in 17 healthy females. Depressed patients had a significantly higher rate of abnormal DST response and significantly higher post-dexamethasone serum cortisol levels than schizophrenics and normal controls. The unipolar and bipolar depressives showed a similar profile of DST abnormalities. Depressed patients with psychotic features had a significantly higher rate of positive DST results than non-psychotic patients.

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Dexamethasone Suppression Test and REM Sleep in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.145.4.383 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 145 (4) ◽

pp. 383-388 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Julien Mendlewicz ◽

Myriam Kerkhofs ◽

Guy Hoffmann ◽

Paul Linkowski

Keyword(s):

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Dexamethasone Suppression Test ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Depressed Patients ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Rem Latency ◽

Suppression Test ◽

Dexamethasone Suppression ◽

Normal Controls

SummaryDexamethasone suppression Test (DST) and sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings were carried out during three consecutive nights in 39 depressed patients who met Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) for major depressive disorder and in nine normal controls. Cortisol response to DST was abnormal in 26 patients and normal in all controls. REM latency and REM density were compared in patients with abnormal DST (n = 26) to values obtained in patients with normal DST (n = 13) and in normal controls (n = 9). Rapid Eye Movement (REM) latencies were significantly lower in depressed patients showing cortisol non-suppression after dexamethasone than in patients with a normal DST or in controls. REM densities were significantly higher in depressed patients than in normal controls (P <0.025), but there was no significant difference between DST suppressors and non–suppressors. The DST provided high specificity (100%) and a sensitivity of 67%, while REM latency showed a lower specificity (78%), but a higher sensitivity (85%).

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Dexamethasone Concentrations and the Dexamethasone Suppression Test in Psychiatric Disorders

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.148.1.66 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 148 (1) ◽

pp. 66-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 56

Author(s):

Howard Morris ◽

Vaughan Carr ◽

Judy Gilliland ◽

Michael Hooper

Keyword(s):

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Clinical Diagnosis ◽

Serum Cortisol ◽

Endogenous Depression ◽

Dexamethasone Suppression Test ◽

Suppression Test ◽

Cortisol Levels ◽

High Concentrations ◽

Dexamethasone Suppression ◽

Low Serum

The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) has been widely used in psychiatry as a laboratory aid for the diagnosis of endogenous depression; failure to suppress serum cortisol levels is interpreted as confirming a clinical diagnosis of endogenous depression. We found that serum dexamethasone concentrations in this test vary widely and are determinants of the DST response: non-suppression of serum cortisol levels is associated with low serum dexamethasone concentrations, and suppression is associated with high concentrations.

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Are depression and denutrition good predictors of dexamethasone suppression test (DST) in anorexia nervosa?

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(99)80688-9 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 411-418 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

C Massoubre ◽

F Lang ◽

L Millot ◽

M Pichon ◽

B Estour ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Stepwise Regression ◽

Serum Cortisol ◽

Dexamethasone Suppression Test ◽

Stepwise Logistic Regression ◽

Independent Variables ◽

Suppression Test ◽

Depression Scales ◽

The Relationship ◽

Dexamethasone Suppression

SummaryThis study was conducted to investigate the corticotropic axis in anorexia nervosa. In 93 female inpatients who met DSM-III-R criteria for anorexia nervosa, subsample (n = 64) with DSM-III criteria was also considered. Using stepwise regression analysis, this study examined the relationship between independent variables ie, age, body mass index, scores on depression scales and postdexamethasone serum cortisol, considered as a dependent variable. In patients who met DSM-III criteria, 16.7% of the variance of serum cortisol can be explained. The main predictors are depressive retardation, emaciation and age. Using stepwise logistic regression the main categorical predictors of the test suppression vs non suppression are of the same nature. The condition of realisation of DST are discussed.

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The research diagnostic criteria for endogenous depression and the dexamethasone suppression test: a discriminant function analysis

Psychiatry Research ◽

10.1016/0165-1781(85)90014-9 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 197-208 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Mark Zimmerman ◽

Dalene Stangl ◽

William Coryell

Keyword(s):

Diagnostic Criteria ◽

Discriminant Function ◽

Discriminant Function Analysis ◽

Function Analysis ◽

Endogenous Depression ◽

Dexamethasone Suppression Test ◽

Suppression Test ◽

Dexamethasone Suppression ◽

Research Diagnostic Criteria

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Dexamethasone Suppression Test in Depression and other Psychiatric Illness

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.142.5.498 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 142 (5) ◽

pp. 498-504 ◽

Cited By ~ 208

Author(s):

A. Coppen ◽

M. Abou-Saleh ◽

P. Milln ◽

M. Metcalfe ◽

J. Harwood ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Affective Disorders ◽

Psychiatric Illness ◽

Dexamethasone Suppression Test ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Abnormal Response ◽

Suppression Test ◽

Dexamethasone Suppression ◽

Normal Controls

SummaryThe prevalence of an abnormal response to the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was examined in 119 in-patients suffering from a major depressive disorder and in 79 normal controls. Only 11 per cent of controls showed an abnormal DST as against 70 per cent of depressed patients. The specificity of the DST was examined by testing patients with other psychiatric disorders. Abnormal responses were found in one-fifth of a sample of schizophrenics, over one-quarter of abstinent alcoholics, two-fifths of neurotics (including neurotic depressives) and almost half of senile dements. Abnormal DST was also found in 33 per cent of patients receiving prophylactic lithium for recurrent affective disorders.

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