Dexamethasone suppression test for depressive patients in Babol, 1994

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among cortisol level of depressed patients and dexamethasone suppression test (DST). Methods: The study was conducted with 50 depressed patients (28 females and 22 males) and 50 age and sex matched normal subjects. This research was a cross-sectional type in all referred cases to an outpatient clinic, during 6 month sampling time. Findings: (DST) in mild and moderate depressed group was normal, positive results limited to severe depressed patients, bipolar I, II (6.4 micg/dl vs. 2.2 micg/dl P<0.01). Conclusion: Plasma cortisol level in depressive spectrum is not uniform. This data is concordant with heterogeneous content of depressive spectrum disorders.

Keywords

• depression
• cortisol
• dexamethasone suppression test