title: The dexamethasone suppression test in psychiatry.
abstract: The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) for depression (melancholia) has been the focus of considerable recent interest because of claims that it may be a sensitive and specific biological marker for melancholia. When the data from four separate studies were combined, 52% of our patients with major depression were DST nonsuppressors. However, nonsuppression was also observed in 11% of manic patients, 20% of schizophrenic patients and 15% of nondepressed abstinent alcoholics. These results, in conjunction with other reports, suggest that the specificity of the test is not sufficiently high to make it a satisfactory general diagnostic test.
authors.affiliation: Affective Disorders Unit, Sunnyside Hospital, Christchurch.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Joyce
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Brinded
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sellman
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Donald
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Elder
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003907:Dexamethasone; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D006854:Hydrocortisone