title: Cortisol response in the combined dexamethasone/CRH test as predictor of relapse in patients with remitted depression. a prospective study.
abstract: The development and course of depression is causally linked to impairment of central regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system. Previous research documented that the combined dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing hormone (DEX/CRH) test identifies HPA dysfunction with high sensitivity. We evaluated the predictive validity for medium-term outcome of the cortisol response in the combined DEX/CRH test in 74 remitted patients previously suffering from major depressive disorder. Of the 74 patients, 61 remained in stable remission and 13 relapsed during the first 6 months after discharge from the hospital. Although the cortisol and ACTH responses in the DEX/CRH test did not differ between the two groups of patients on admission, the responses differed significantly just before discharge (P< 0.05). We defined two dichotomous variables as prediction rules indicating (1) the change between admission and discharge in the cortisol response to the DEX/CRH test, and (2) the effect of the CRH infusion on cortisol as compared to the baseline level in the DEX/CRH test prior to discharge only. An elevated cortisol response in the DEX/CRH test was correlated with a four- to six-fold higher risk for relapse than in individuals with a normal cortisol response. The two proposed rules for predicting relapse within the first 6 months after discharge could be optimized by including age and gender. Hence, an exaggerated cortisol response in the combined DEX/CRH test predicts the recurrence of depressive psychopathology. The test performance can be further optimized if gender and age are taken into account.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Zobel
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nickel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sonntag
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uhr
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Holsboer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ising
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone