Stability of the dexamethasone suppression test in borderline personality disorder with and without comorbid PTSD: a one-year follow-up study.
Alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis feedback regulation have been repeatedly reported in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Due to the cross-sectional design of these studies, little is known about the longitudinal course of HPA axis functioning. In a sample of 13 patients with BPD, the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) has been used in a one-year follow-up study. There were no changes of cortisol concentrations before or after dexamethasone intake between baseline and follow-up examination. Patients with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) showed more pronounced cortisol suppression compared to those without PTSD. The DST seems to be a stable marker of alterations in HPA axis feedback regulation in BPD, which is also reflected by substantial correlations between percentage of cortisol suppression at baseline and follow-up examination.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bether, Ev. Hospital Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany. katja.wingenfeld@evkb.de
Katja
K
Wingenfeld
Wolfgang
W
Lange
Hella
H
Wulff
Christina
C
Berea
Thomas
T
Beblo
Anamaria Silva
AS
Saavedra
Christoph
C
Mensebach
Martin
M
Driessen
D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003907:Dexamethasone; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology
D003907:Dexamethasone; D006854:Hydrocortisone