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Dexamethasone suppression test in schizophrenic patients before and during neuroleptic treatment
Author(s) -
Wik G.,
Wiesel F.A.,
Eneroth P.,
Sedvall G.,
Aström G.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1986.tb10600.x
Subject(s) - dexamethasone suppression test , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , dexamethasone , psychiatry , psychosis , psychology , medicine , thioridazine , test (biology) , chlorpromazine , paleontology , biology
— The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was performed in 21 drug‐free schizophrenic patients. The patients satisfied DSM‐III and Research Diagnostic Criteria for schizophrenia and were in an acute phase of the disease. In 15 of the patients the DST was repeated after about 5 weeks of treatment with neuroleptics. DST compliance was checked by analysis of dexamethasone concentrations in plasma. In the acute phase 71% (at 04 pm.) of the patients were nonsuppressors. After neuroleptic treatment the frequency of abnormal responders had decreased to 20%. The decrease in nonsuppressors was not due to alteration of the dex amethasone concentration between the two test occasions. Prolactin levels were markedly increased at the second test occasion compared with the first. There were no significant relationships between cortisol levels, cortisol suppression and prolactin levels. The high frequency of nonsuppressors among schizophrenic patients in the acute phase of the disease indicates that acute stress may be a confounding factor in the outcome of DST.