Combined dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing hormone test in patients with schizophrenia and in normal controls: II.
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system (HPA) function was tested in 24 patients with schizophrenia and compared to 24 age-matched healthy volunteers using the combined dexamethasone-suppression (DST/CRH) corticotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test (DST/CRH). After stimulation with CRH, the dexamethasone-pretreated patients released significantly more cortisol, but a similar amount of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in comparison to controls. No association between DST status and degree of severity of illness and/or current medication was found. However, in comparison to unmedicated patients, those patients currently receiving antipsychotics, who were also those with a lesser degree of severity of illness, showed a decreased release of CRH-stimulated cortisol and ACTH. This study demonstrates that schizophrenic patients have a dysregulation of the HPA system as assessed with the DEX/CRH test. Overall, however, the degree of HPA-system dysfunction in schizophrenic patients seems to be of a lesser magnitude than in patients with affective disorders.
Lammers
C H
CH
Clinical Institute, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
Garcia-Borreguero
D
D
Schmider
J
J
Gotthardt
U
U
Dettling
M
M
Holsboer
F
F
Heuser
I J
IJ
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone