title: Hormonal responses to dextroamphetamine in depressed and normal adolescents.
abstract: Because of its neuroendocrine effects, amphetamine infusion has been used as a probe to investigate neurobiological correlates of depressive illness. In two separate studies, a total of 72 adolescents with major depressive disorder and 66 normal adolescents were given dextroamphetamine, 0.15 mg/kg, intravenously. Their cortisol, growth hormone, and prolactin responses were measured. These endocrine responses did not reliably distinguish adolescents with major depressive disorder from those without it, nor did they reliably delineate any specific depressive subgroup. These findings are compared with those from similar studies of adult depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, PA 15213.
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Waterman
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Puig-Antich
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Ambrosini
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rabinovich
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stull
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Novacenko
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003913:Dextroamphetamine; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D011388:Prolactin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D003913:Dextroamphetamine; D006854:Hydrocortisone