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Updated: Aug 24, 2026
Biomarkers in an Animal Model for Revealing Neural, Hematologic, and Behavioral Correlates of PTSD
Published on: October 10, 2012
Overnight metyrapone and combined dexamethasone/metyrapone tests in post-traumatic stress disorder: preliminary
Michael Kellner1, Christian Otte, Alexander Yassouridis
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany. kellner@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Abstract:
Using overnight metyrapone and combined dexamethasone/metyrapone tests, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis feedback regulation was characterised in 10 patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 10 matched healthy comparison subjects. Significant treatment effects of both metyrapone and the combination of dexamethasone and metyrapone were observed for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), 11-deoxycortisol (11-DOC) and cortisol, but no differences between patients and comparison subjects emerged. Dose-response studies using metyrapone and glucocorticoid agonists are needed to further investigate HPA axis regulation in PTSD.