Use of endocrine hormones for treating depression.

Disturbances in some endocrine hormones have been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. Some of these hormones (and drugs that affect hormone function) have been used as therapeutic agents for the treatment of depression, especially adrenal, thyroid, and gonadal axis hormones. Open-label and controlled studies of various drugs that directly suppress or inhibit adrenal axis function have shown some benefit for the treatment of major depression, including treatment-resistant depression. Thyroid hormone augmentation is effective for nonresponders to antidepressant agents, although it has not been studied extensively. Estrogen may improve mild mood symptoms in perimenopausal women but may not be effective alone for major depression. Evidence of the antidepressant effects of testosterone in men is inconsistent, with mixed results from controlled studies. The adrenal steroid hormone dehydroepiandrosterone has an important role in mood regulation and may have significant antidepressant effects. Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.