title: Utility of the dexamethasone suppression test in the diagnosis of poststroke depression.
abstract: The utility of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) in the diagnosis of depression was examined in an outpatient sample of 29 stroke patients. Results indicated that the DST's sensitivity was 15%, its specificity was 67%, and its positive predictive value was 48%. These findings suggest that the DST yields no more information than would be gained from random assignment of the diagnosis of depression. Therefore, it is not a useful measure of mood in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical School, New York, NY 10029-6574.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Grober
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sliwinski
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hibbard
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Aletta
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Paddison
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D003907:Dexamethasone; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone