Prediction of Outcome in Depressed Patients by Weekly Monitoring with the Dexamethasone Suppression Test

1987 ◽  
Vol 151 (6) ◽  
pp. 780-784 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Schweitzer ◽  
K. P. Maguire ◽  
A. H. Gee ◽  
J. W. G. Tiller ◽  
N. Biddle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Illness ◽  
Poor Correlation ◽  
Prediction Of Outcome ◽  
Depressed Patients ◽  
Poor Outcome Group ◽  
Outcome Group ◽  
State Marker ◽  
Suppression Test ◽  
Dexamethasone Suppression ◽  
Lhpa Axis

Forty-three depressed patients in hospital were studied with weekly dexamethasone suppression tests (DSTs) and were followed as out-patients for at least three months after discharge. The detection rate of patients with LHPA axis dysfunction increased from 41% with a single DST to 59% with serial DSTs. There was a poor correlation between weekly post-dexamethasone cortisol levels and Hamilton depression rating scores. In patients with evidence of LHPA axis dysfunction, a DST at discharge discriminated effectively between a good and a poor outcome group; persistent non-suppression was strongly linked with a relapse of depression in the first three months after discharge. In general, our results support previous claims that the DST is a state marker for depressive illness.

Speech Pause Time as a Method for the Evaluation of Psychomotor Retardation in Depressive Illness

1985 ◽  
Vol 146 (5) ◽  
pp. 535-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. A. Hoffman ◽  
J. C. Gonze ◽  
J. Mendlewicz
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Biological Markers ◽  
Sleep Latency ◽  
Depressive Illness ◽  
Psychomotor Retardation ◽  
Dexamethasone Suppression Test ◽  
Pause Time ◽  
Depressed Patients ◽  
Suppression Test ◽  
Dexamethasone Suppression

SummaryPsychomotor retardation is important in some depressed patients. We found that speech pause time (SPT) during a counting test correlated with the reaction time of both depressed patients and controls. It also correlated with global psychomotor retardation measured on Widlocher's scale. We demonstrated increased SPT in unipolar depressives, and also in retarded depressives as a group when compared with controls and with non-retarded depressives. SPT varied diurnally in controls, but not in depressed subjects. It did not correlate with biological markers of depression (REM sleep latency and the dexamethasone suppression test). It did, however, shorten during clinical improvement with antidepressant chemotherapy.

Neuroendocrine Identification of Depressed Patients

1976 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard J. Carroll ◽  
George C. Curtis
Keyword(s):  
Confidence Level ◽  
Depressive Illness ◽  
Normal Response ◽  
Depressed Patients ◽  
Abnormal Response ◽  
Suppression Test ◽  
Cortisol Levels ◽  
Simplified Procedure ◽  
Single Blood Sample ◽  
Dexamethasone Suppression

Recent studies of hypothalamo—pituitary—adrenal (HPA) suppression in depressed patients indicate that these subjects often show abnormal early escape of plasma cortisol levels following an initial suppression. Non-depressed psychiatric inpatients usually show normal sustained HPA suppression. The responses of 49 depressed and 30 non-depressed patients have been analysed to develop criteria which can make the dexamethasone suppression test suitable for outpatient studies. The cortisol levels measured in a 24-hour urine collection and a single blood sample post-dexamethasone were sufficient to enable 61% of the depressed patients to be identified correctly at a confidence level of 90%, on the basis of at least one abnormal cortisol value. When both cortisol values were abnormal 35% of the depressed patients were identified correctly at a confidence level of 100%. Patients with “endogenous” depressive profiles had the most abnormal results. A normal response to this test will not necessarily exclude the diagnosis of primary depressive illness. An abnormal response to the test may be of help in confirming the diagnosis. With the simplified procedure outpatient studies may become possible.

The Dexamethasone Suppression Test for Melancholia

1982 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
pp. 292-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard J. Carroll
Keyword(s):  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Adrenal Cortex ◽  
Depressive Illness ◽  
Dexamethasone Suppression Test ◽  
Neuroendocrine System ◽  
Biological Research ◽  
Biological Basis ◽  
Suppression Test ◽  
Dexamethasone Suppression

SummaryMelancholia is thought by many investigators to have a biological basis, and biological research, particularly on abnormalities of the neuroendocrine system and of the sleep electroencephalogram, is now beginning to yield results which can help in the differential diagnosis of depressive illness. This review will focus on the most widely studied neuroendocrine disturbance: disinhibition of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal cortex (HPA) system as revealed by the dexamethasone suppression test (DST).

Performance of the Dexamethasone Suppression Test in Depressive Illness According to ICD and DSM-III Classification Systems

1988 ◽  
Vol 152 (4) ◽  
pp. 554-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Watkins ◽  
Brian Harris ◽  
Nigel Cook ◽  
Roger Thomas ◽  
Diana Riad-Fahmy
Keyword(s):  
Major Depressive Episode ◽  
Depressive Illness ◽  
Dexamethasone Suppression Test ◽  
Classification Systems ◽  
Manic Depressive Illness ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Diagnostic Categories ◽  
Manic Depressive ◽  
Suppression Test ◽  
Dexamethasone Suppression

The performance of the dexamethasone suppression test was assessed in 90 consecutive admissions with a diagnosis of depression, categorised according to two classification systems (DSM-III and ICD-9). Non-suppression was found in most of the diagnostic categories, but there was a highly significant association with the DSM-III classification ‘major depressive episode with melancholia’ (52%) in comparison with the ICD group ‘manic-depressive illness-depressed’ (29%).

A study of the dexamethasone suppression test in hospitalized depressed patients

1984 ◽  
Vol 144 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Ames ◽  
G. Burrows ◽  
B. Davies ◽  
K. Maguire ◽  
T. Norman
Keyword(s):  
Dexamethasone Suppression Test ◽  
Depressed Patients ◽  
Suppression Test ◽  
Dexamethasone Suppression

National Differences in Dexamethasone Suppression Test Results and Suicide Rates

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 878-878
Author(s):  
David Lester
Keyword(s):  
Dexamethasone Suppression Test ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Depressed Patients ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
National Differences ◽  
Suppression Test ◽  
Dexamethasone Suppression

For 10 nations suicide rates were not correlated with the percentages of depressed patients who responded abnormally to the Dexamethasone Suppression Test.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document