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The Dexamethasone Suppression Test in Depression

A WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION COLLABORATIVE STUDY

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Alec Coppen  and
Maryse Metcalfe
Alec Coppen*
Affiliation:
West Park Hospital, Epsom, Surrey KT19 8PB
Maryse Metcalfe
Affiliation:
West Park Hospital, Epsom, Surrey KT19 8PB
*
∗Correspondece
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Abstract

The response to the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was examined in 543 patients suffering from major depressive illness and 246 healthy controls, from 13 research centres, representing 12 different countries, in a World Health Organization Collaborative Study. In almost all the centres, the post-dexamethasone plasma Cortisol concentration was significantly higher in the patients than in the controls. Although there is variation between centres, this abnormal response to the DST was shown to be frequent in patients from widely different geographical areas.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 150 , Issue 4 , April 1987 , pp. 459 - 462
Copyright
Copyright © 1987 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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