Am J Psychiatry 1984; 141:247-249
Copyright © 1984 by American Psychiatric Association
Correlation between the dexamethasone suppression test in depressed patients and clinical response
CB Nemeroff and DL Evans
Eighteen psychiatric inpatients who fulfilled DSM-III criteria for major
depression and who had a positive dexamethasone suppression test after
admission were later retested. Of the 13 patients who exhibited cortisol
suppression at discharge, two relapsed within 6 months; five remained
nonsuppressors at discharge, and all either required further inpatient care
or were symptomatic within 2 weeks to 4 months. Continued cortisol
nonsuppression was thus associated with poor clinical response or high risk
of relapse.
