Psychiatric effects of alternate day steroid therapy

The prevalence of emotional disorder in a total of 72 patients suffering from myasthenia gravis of from peripheral neuromuscular disorders was assessed, using the General Health Questionnaire and Present State Examination. Approximately half the patients were being treated with an alternate day regime of prednisone, receiving high dosage one day and low the next. Emotional disorder was found to be less prevalent among these patients than among patients not on steroids. The significance of the finding is discussed.