The dexamethasone suppression test in depressive and schizophrenic patients under controlled treatment conditions

• Published in: European Archives of Psychiatry and Neurological Sciences 1986-01, Vol.235 (5), p.263-268
• Main Authors: MOLLER, H. J, KISSLING, W, BOTTERMANN, P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Clomipramine - therapeutic use; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - drug therapy; Dexamethasone; Double-Blind Method; Endorphins - therapeutic use; Female; Humans; Male; Maprotiline - therapeutic use; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Schizophrenia - diagnosis; Schizophrenia - drug therapy; Techniques and methods
• ISSN: 0175-758X; 1433-8491
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00515912

Endogenous depressive and schizophrenic patients demonstrated the same frequency of pathological DST results after admission. After 3 weeks of psychopharmacological treatment the percentage of abnormal DST results was significantly reduced in both groups, although the treatment conditions were different. A correlation between the DST non-suppression and intensity of depression was observed only in the depressive group, not in the schizophrenic group. Normalization of DST results in depressive patients was mostly associated with an improvement of depressive scores. Other course patterns of DST results did not seem to be combined with psychopathological changes. From this data it has to be concluded that DST non-suppression is in some part related to depressive symptoms, but is not characteristic or specific for endogenous depression or for depressivity.