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Morning and Evening Adrenocortical Responses to ACTH Stimulation in Endogenously Depressed Patients: A Preliminary Report
Author(s) -
Shimoda Kazutaka,
Yamada Naoto,
Hanada Koichi,
Tsujimoto Tetsushi,
Takahashi Saburo,
Takahashi Kiyohisa
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1819.1989.tb02551.x
Subject(s) - evening , morning , endocrinology , medicine , stimulation , depression (economics) , acth stimulation test , dexamethasone , cortisol awakening response , dexamethasone suppression test , adrenal cortex , adrenocorticotropic hormone , hydrocortisone , psychology , hormone , physics , astronomy , economics , macroeconomics
Abstract: Adrenocortical stimulation with ACTH both in the morning (M‐test) and in the evening (Etest) and the dexamethasone suppression test were carried out in patients suffering from endogenous depression (DEP) and normal controls (NOR). A greater cortisol release in DEP was recognized than in NOR in the M‐test, an earlier peak response of DEP was shown in the M‐test than in the Etest, and a lack of association between hypersecretion of cortisol during depression and cortisol output after ACTH administration was noted. These findings, together with the results of DST, suggest that excessive activity of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis in depression may result, partly, from adrenocortical hyperresponsiveness.