Serial Dexamethasone Suppression Tests and Clinical Outcome in ECT.
Serial dexamethasone suppression tests (DST), obtained during a course of electroconvulsive therapy in 43 severely depressed patients, did not exhibit relationships between the initial DST, final DST, or the change in DST with clinical outcome measures at the time of discharge. In 37 patients reviewed six months after discharge, no relationship with the continuation of improvement, rehospitalization, or suicide was found. We are unable to confirm a clinical application for the DST in the management of patients during a course of convulsive therapy.
Fink
Max
M
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, School of Medicine, SUNY at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York, USA.
Gujavarty
Krishnareddy
K
Greenberg
Lawrence
L