title: Endocrine and behavioural responses to methylphenidate in depression.
abstract: Twenty patients with a major depressive disorder and 20 control subjects were subjected to a 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and a challenge with intravenous (IV) methylphenidate (MP)(0.3 mg/kg). None of the controls, but 9 depressives, were DST non-suppressors. Among the depressives there were correlations between DST-cortisol and baseline (4 p.m.) levels of cortisol, growth hormone, prolactin and adrenaline. Compared with the controls the depressives had a decreased cortisol response and an enhanced adrenaline response to the MP challenge. The decreased cortisol response was not related to either DST-cortisol or baseline cortisol, but was correlated with the mood response to MP.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003907:Dexamethasone; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008774:Methylphenidate; D003907:Dexamethasone; D011388:Prolactin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine