The relationship of the dexamethasone suppression test to subtypes of depression and to symptomatic severity in the elderly

Abstract

Dexamethasone Suppression Tests (DSTs) were performed on 91 subjects consisting of 66 elderly outpatients diagnosed as having major depression according to RDC and 25 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Postdexamethasone plasma cortisol levels were significantly higher in depressed patients than in normals. The depressed patients were subdivided into endogenous and nonendogenous groups by alternately, RDC and Newcastle Diagnostic Scale (NDS). A significant difference in postdexamethasone plasma cortisol levels between endogenous and nonendogenous groups was noted only when NDS was used, but this difference was found to be related to a significant difference in severity of depression.