The effect of stress on the dexamethasone suppression test

The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was studied in 40 presurgical subjects and 20 controls. Cortisol plasma concentrations were measured before and after a nocturnal dose of 1 mg dexamethasone. Nineteen of the 40 patients (47.5%) failed to show a suppression of plasma cortisol after dexamethaso...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychiatry research 1985-03, Vol.14 (3), p.189-195
Main Authors: Ceulemans, Dominique L.S., Westenberg, Herman G.M., van Praag, Herman M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
anxiety
Anxiety - blood
Biological and medical sciences
Circadian Rhythm
cortisol
Depressive Disorder - blood
Depressive Disorder - diagnosis
Dexamethasone
dexamethasone suppression test
Female
Humans
Hydrocortisone - blood
Male
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous
Psychological Tests
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Stress
Stress, Psychological - blood
Techniques and methods
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Summary:The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was studied in 40 presurgical subjects and 20 controls. Cortisol plasma concentrations were measured before and after a nocturnal dose of 1 mg dexamethasone. Nineteen of the 40 patients (47.5%) failed to show a suppression of plasma cortisol after dexamethasone. Nonsuppression on the DST was associated with a significantly higher baseline plasma cortisol concentration. Another putative indicator of emotional stress, the level of acute anxiety, was also studied. There was a significant difference in the level of acute anxiety among suppressors, nonsuppressors, and controls—the level of anxiety in nonsuppressors being significantly higher than in controls. It is concluded that stress associated with a physical danger can be a cause of nonsuppression on the DST.
ISSN:0165-1781
1872-7123
DOI:10.1016/0165-1781(85)90013-7