title: Dexamethasone suppression test and TRH-TSH test in subaffective dysthymia and character-spectrum disorder.
abstract: Based on Akiskal's criteria of subaffective dysthymia (SDT) and character-spectrum disorder (CSD) as the two, etiologically distinct forms of early-onset primary dysthymia, the authors investigated the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) in 18 patients with SDT and in 30 patients with CSD. TRH-TSH test was also investigated in smaller subsamples of the patients (n = 8, and n = 7, respectively). Fifty percent of the patients with SDT showed abnormal DST and TRH-TSH test results respectively, while the figures in the CSD patients were 7% and 0%. These findings suggest that SDT is a clinically diagnosable and biologically distinct subgroup within the broader category of early-onset primary dysthymia, which represents a symptomatically milder version of primary affective disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry No. XIII., National Institute for Psychiatry and Neurology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rihmer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Szádoczky
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002605:Character; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone
chemical_list: D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003907:Dexamethasone; D013972:Thyrotropin; D006854:Hydrocortisone