title: Dexamethasone suppression test in recently detoxified alcoholics: clinical implications.
abstract: An overnight dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was performed on 66 nondepressed primary alcoholics, a mean of 20.79 +/- 11.5 days after last alcohol intake. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was given concurrently. Only 6% of the subjects were nonsuppressors. There was no correlation between cortisol levels at 17 and 24 hours postdexamethasone and the age of the subjects or duration of abstinence. There was a low level correlation between cortisol values at 24 hours and the BDI scores. Review of published data indicates that the DST may be abnormal in alcoholics in the first 2 weeks of abstinence, probably a result of abnormal liver function and withdrawal phenomena. DST response of alcoholics resembles that of normal controls after more than 2 weeks of abstinence. Alcoholics with clinical features of depression and an abnormal DST after 2 weeks of abstinence may be candidates for antidepressant therapy or electroconvulsive therapy.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000430:Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003907:Dexamethasone; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011604:Psychoses, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D006854:Hydrocortisone