Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Postdexamethasone prolactin and cortisol: a biological state variable in depression.

H E Klein, B Seibold, W Bender

    Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
    |September 1, 1984
    PubMed
    Summary

    Post-dexamethasone cortisol and prolactin levels correlate with depression state variables. Elevated prolactin post-dexamethasone may indicate endogenous depression, suggesting a need for dosage adjustments in diagnostic testing.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Correction: Non-Response to Antidepressants: Risk Factors and Therapeutic Possibilities.

    Pharmacopsychiatry·2026
    Same author

    Unravelling the Link Between Body Mass Index and Cognitive Performance in Individuals With Bipolar Disorder and Exploration of PRS Moderation Effect: Findings From the PsyCourse Study.

    Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica·2025
    Same author

    [ECMO Therapy in a Case of Severe ARDS Related to COVID-19].

    Pneumologie (Stuttgart, Germany)·2020
    Same author

    Implementing shared decision-making on acute psychiatric wards: a cluster-randomized trial with inpatients suffering from schizophrenia (SDM-PLUS).

    Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences·2020
    Same author

    Neurocognitive functioning in patients with first-episode schizophrenia: results of a prospective 15-year follow-up study.

    European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience·2019
    Same author

    [Psychopathological Differentiation of Psychotic Symptoms].

    Fortschritte der Neurologie-Psychiatrie·2016

    Area of Science:

    • Neuroendocrinology
    • Psychiatry
    • Clinical Psychology

    Background:

    • Major depressive disorder (MDD) diagnosis and subtyping remain challenging.
    • The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) has been investigated for its utility in diagnosing depression.
    • Endogenous depression is characterized by specific neuroendocrine alterations.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the correlation between post-dexamethasone cortisol and prolactin levels and depression state variables in inpatients.
    • To evaluate the specificity of post-dexamethasone prolactin as a state marker for depression.
    • To explore the potential for optimizing the DST by adjusting dexamethasone dosage.

    Main Methods:

    • Seventy inpatients diagnosed with major depressive disorder were included.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Baseline and post-dexamethasone levels of cortisol and prolactin were measured.
  • Correlation analyses were performed between hormone levels and depression state variables.

    • Main Results:

    • Post-dexamethasone cortisol and prolactin levels, not baseline levels, significantly correlated with depression state variables.
    • Post-dexamethasone prolactin demonstrated higher specificity as a depression state marker compared to cortisol.
    • A distinct inverse prolactin response to dexamethasone was observed in endogenous depression (30% increase), contrasting with controls and non-endogenous depression (decrease).

    Conclusions:

    • Post-dexamethasone prolactin is a more specific indicator of depression state than cortisol.
    • The inverse prolactin response in endogenous depression suggests potential for increased DST sensitivity with higher dexamethasone doses.
    • The standard DST was not found to be a reliable diagnostic marker across all depression subgroups.