BACKGROUND: While the Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) has been extensively used in cross-sectional observations of patients with major affective disorders, studies have tended to ignore the longitudinal application of the DST in patients stabilized on long-term prophylactic medication. METHODS: Monthly DST's were performed on 19 patients, 16 with bipolar disorder and 3 with recurrent major depression. All cases had an excellent response to lithium treatment, and family history positive for bipolar disorder. The average duration of observation was 4 years. RESULTS: All patients remained clinically stable throughout the period of observation. Eleven patients showed intermittent DST positivity ranging from 10% to 60% of tests, and 2 patients exhibited no positivity. Six patients had fewer than 10% positive DST's. Females showed significantly higher positivity than males. The frequency of positivity did not correlate with current age, age of illness onset, duration of illness, duration of lithium treatment, or season. The risk of primary affective disorders in first-degree relatives was also unrelated to the frequency of positivity. CONCLUSIONS: While the highly selected and small sample population limits generalizability, our observations suggest that clinically sufficient lithium prophylaxis does not automatically prevent intermittent HPA dysregulation. We hope that a better understanding of this phenomenon will offer new approaches to the long-term management of mood disorders.
BACKGROUND: While the Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) has been extensively used in cross-sectional observations of patients with major affective disorders, studies have tended to ignore the longitudinal application of the DST in patients stabilized on long-term prophylactic medication. METHODS: Monthly DST's were performed on 19 patients, 16 with bipolar disorder and 3 with recurrent major depression. All cases had an excellent response to lithium treatment, and family history positive for bipolar disorder. The average duration of observation was 4 years. RESULTS: All patients remained clinically stable throughout the period of observation. Eleven patients showed intermittent DST positivity ranging from 10% to 60% of tests, and 2 patients exhibited no positivity. Six patients had fewer than 10% positive DST's. Females showed significantly higher positivity than males. The frequency of positivity did not correlate with current age, age of illness onset, duration of illness, duration of lithium treatment, or season. The risk of primary affective disorders in first-degree relatives was also unrelated to the frequency of positivity. CONCLUSIONS: While the highly selected and small sample population limits generalizability, our observations suggest that clinically sufficient lithium prophylaxis does not automatically prevent intermittent HPA dysregulation. We hope that a better understanding of this phenomenon will offer new approaches to the long-term management of mood disorders.
Authors: Shibani Mukherjee; Laurent Coque; Jun-Li Cao; Jaswinder Kumar; Sumana Chakravarty; Aroumougame Asaithamby; Ami Graham; Elizabeth Gordon; John F Enwright; Ralph J DiLeone; Shari G Birnbaum; Donald C Cooper; Colleen A McClung Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2010-06-29 Impact factor: 13.382
Authors: Emilio L Streck; Giselli Scaini; Gabriela C Jeremias; Gislaine T Rezin; Cinara L Gonçalves; Gabriela K Ferreira; Gislaine Z Réus; Wilson R Resende; Samira S Valvassori; Flávio Kapczinski; Mônica L Andersen; João Quevedo Journal: Neurochem Res Date: 2015-04-17 Impact factor: 3.996
Authors: Masoud Kamali; Erika F H Saunders; Alan R Prossin; Christine B Brucksch; Gloria J Harrington; Scott A Langenecker; Melvin G McInnis Journal: J Affect Disord Date: 2011-12-10 Impact factor: 4.839
Authors: Gwendolyn E Wood; L Trevor Young; Lawrence P Reagan; Biao Chen; Bruce S McEwen Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2004-03-04 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: L M Holsen; K Lancaster; A Klibanski; S Whitfield-Gabrieli; S Cherkerzian; S Buka; J M Goldstein Journal: Neuroscience Date: 2013-07-25 Impact factor: 3.590
Authors: Anne Duffy; Julie Horrocks; Sarah Doucette; Charles Keown-Stoneman; Paul Grof; Ana Andreazza; L Trevor Young Journal: Int J Bipolar Disord Date: 2014-03-31