Pretreatment dexamethasone suppression test as a predictor of response to phenelzine.
Twenty inpatients who met Research Diagnostic Criteria and DSM-III criteria for depression underwent a 2-week washout period before the administration of a pretreatment dexamethasone suppression test (DST); the patients then received the monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) phenelzine. The mean MAO inhibition level achieved during treatment was greater than 80%. On the basis of clinical global evaluation and changes in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores, 7 of the 9 baseline DST suppressors were classified as responders, 1 as a partial responder, and 1 as a nonresponder; of the 11 baseline DST nonsuppressors, 3 were responders, 1 a partial responder, and 7 nonresponders. The Mann-Whitney U test yielded p less than .02, indicating that an abnormally high pretreatment level of cortisol in response to the DST appeared to be predictive of nonresponse to phenelzine.
Illinois State Psychiatric Institute, Chicago.
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Janicak
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Pandey
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Sharma
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Boshes
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Bresnahan
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Davis
D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000032:analysis; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000097:blood; D010555:Personality Inventory; D010624:Phenelzine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011336:Probability; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
D003907:Dexamethasone; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase; D010624:Phenelzine; D006854:Hydrocortisone