Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T02:52:55.275Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Dexamethasone suppression test and prediction of treatment response to selective antidepressants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

M Ansseau
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Unit
P Papart
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Unit
W Pitchot
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Unit
M Timsit-Berthier
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Applied Cognitive Psychophysiology
JJ Legros
Affiliation:
Psychoneuroendocrinology Unit, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire du Sart Tilman, B-4000Liège, Belgium
R von Frenckell
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Unit
Get access

Summary

The usefulness of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) in the prediction of treatment response to selective antidepressants was tested in 56 major depressive inpatients. Following DST, patients were randomly assigned to treatment by either nomifensine, a catecholaminergic antidepressant, or zimeldine, a serotonergic antidepressant during a 3-week period and assessed by means of the second part of the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI-2). No significant difference was present between the 27 DST suppressor and the 29 DST non-suppressor patients in their overall clinical outcome. Moreover, no preferential response to nomifensine or zimeldine was noted in any of the two groups defined according to DST status. Therefore, these results do not support the usefulness of the DST in the prediction of the treatment response to antidepressants in general and to selective antidepressants in particular.

Type
Short communication
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier, Paris 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arato, MRihmer, ZSzadoczsky, EGrof, P (1984) Dexamethasone suppression test as a predictor of drug treatment response. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 8, 649652CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Balon, R (1989) Biological predictors of antidepressant treatment outcome. Clin Neuropharmacol 12, 195214CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beckmann, HHolzmuller, BFleckenstein, P(1984) Clinical investigations into antidepressive mechanisms. II. Dexamethasone suppression test predicts response to nomifensine or amitriptyline. Acta Psychiat Scand 70, 342353CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carroll, BJFeinberg, MGreden, JFTarika, JAlbala, AAHaskett, RFJames, NMKronfol, ZLohr, NSteiner, MDe Vignc, JPYoung, E(1981)A specific laboratory test for the diagnosis of melancholia. Arch Gen Psychiatry 38, 1522CrossRefGoogle Scholar
D'Haenen, H (1991) The dexamethasone suppression test and the prediction of antidepressant treatment response. In: Biological Markers of Depression: State of the Art (Ansseau, Mvon Frenckell, RFranck, G eds) Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam, 2731Google Scholar
Fraser, AR (1983) Choice of antidepressant based on the dexamethasone suppression test. Am J Psychiatry 140, 990993Google ScholarPubMed
Georgotas, AStokes, PMcCue, REDubow, AWelkowitz, JFriedman, EFanelli, CChang, ICooper, TB (1986) The usefulness of DST in predicting response to antidepressants: A placebo-controlled study. J Affect Disord 11, 2128CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Guy, W (ed) (1976) ECDEU Assessment Manual for Psychopharmacology. National Institute of Mental Health, Psychopharmacology Branch, Rockville, MD, USAGoogle Scholar
Heel, RCMorley, PABrogden, RNCarmine, AASpeight, TMAvery, GS (1982) Zimeldine: A review of its pharmacological properties and therapeutic efficacy in depressive illness. Drugs 24, 169206CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hoffmann, L (1982) Pharmacology of nomifensine. Int Pharmacopsychiat 17, 420CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peselow, EDLoutin, AWolkin, ARohrs, CNovatt, ASiekierski, JRotrosen, J (1986) The dexamethasone suppression test and response to placebo. J Clin Psychopharmacol 6, 286291CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rush, AJ (1983) Cognitive therapy of depression: Rationale techniques and efficacy. Psychiat Clin North Am 6, 105127CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spitzer, RLEndicott, JRobins, E (1978) Research Diagnostic Criteria: Rationale and reliability. Arch Gen Psychiatry 35, 773782CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sulon, JDemey-Ponsart, EBauduin, ESodoyez, JC (1978) Radioimmunoassay of corticosterone, cortisone and Cortisol. Their application to human cord and maternal plasma. J Steroid Biochem 9, 671676CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.