RESUMO
In order to determine the sensitivity of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) for major depression in alcoholics, we administered this test to 27 alcoholics with major depression. Sixteen of 27 had abnormal DST results, yielding a 59% sensitivity for depression in alcoholics. When combined with previously reported specificity findings of 100%, the DST significantly (p less than 0.001) distinguished depressed from nondepressed alcoholics.
Assuntos
Alcoolismo/complicações , Transtorno Depressivo/complicações , Dexametasona , Hidrocortisona/sangue , Adulto , Idoso , Transtorno Depressivo/diagnóstico , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
The authors examined dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) test results in 32 chronic alcoholics without depression or hepatic disease to see if alcoholism alone might lead to positive test results. After 3 weeks of sobriety there were no DST abnormalities, but blunted TRH test results were observed in eight of the 32 alcoholics. More of the 15 patients also tested during alcohol withdrawal than of the 20 normal subjects or the 32 alcoholics without alcohol withdrawal had DST and TRH test abnormalities. When performed after 3 weeks of sobriety, the DST but not the TRH test has potential as a specific laboratory adjunct in the diagnosis of depression in alcoholics.