title: Clinical variables and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function in depression. The importance of mood reactivity.
abstract: Forty outpatients with major depressive disorder were studied with the 1 mg DST and the Afternoon Cortisol Test. No relationship was found between hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function and Research Diagnostic Criteria subtypes of depression, with the exception of higher log post-dexamethasone cortisol levels in endogenous depressives. Patients with mood reactivity had lower cortisol values on all assessments. The data suggest that the presence of mood reactivity may be useful as a predictor of normal HPA function in depression.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D006854:Hydrocortisone