Dexamethasone suppression tests in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder and major depressive disorder are associated by several lines of evidence. To explore the possible relationship between the two disorders, the authors administered 1-mg dexamethasone suppression tests to 18 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and 51 patients with major depressive disorder. None of the obsessive-compulsive patients were classified as nonsuppressors on the basis of a 4:00 p.m. serum cortisol level, whereas 37% of the depressed patients were nonsuppressors. The mean cortisol levels of the two groups differed significantly. Factors that may influence hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function, such as age, depressive symptoms, and severity of illness, are discussed in light of these results.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003907:Dexamethasone; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
D003907:Dexamethasone; D006854:Hydrocortisone