title: The dexamethasone suppression test in adolescent psychiatric inpatients.
abstract: The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was administered to 120 adolescent psychiatric patients at the time of hospitalization, and cortisol levels were measured at 4:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. on the day after a 1-mg oral dose of dexamethasone was given. Failure to suppress serum cortisol (i.e., cortisol level less than 5 micrograms/dl) was noted in 25 patients: 7 of 17 patients who met DSM-III criteria for major depressive disorder, 7 of 38 patients with dysthymic disorder, 7 of 47 patients with conduct disorder, and 4 of 15 schizophreniform patients. The predictive value of the DST for major depressive disorder was only 28%. Although adolescent patients with abnormal DSTs may eventually develop affective symptoms consistent with a major depressive disorder, the DST did not discriminate between major depression and other psychiatric diagnoses in these hospitalized adolescents.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003907:Dexamethasone; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D006854:Hydrocortisone