Dexamethasone suppression test in depressive stroke patients

Abstract

Depressive psychiatric patients often shown non-suppression to the dexamethasone suppression test (DST). Stroke patients shows a high frequency of depression. In the present study the DST was studied in 76 stroke patients and 26 controls. No difference was found in frequency of non-suppression to the DST between depressive and non-depressive stroke patients. It was found that postdexamethasone plasma cortisol level at 08 a.m. was significantly higher in patient with the lesion in the right hemisphere compared to patients with the lesion in the left hemisphere.