cortodoxone and Schizophrenia

As it has been suggested that calculating the ratio of cortisol to its biosynthetic precursor, 11-deoxycortisol, may enhance the sensitivity of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) for depression, cortisol and 11-deoxycortisol were measured in 90 subjects undergoing this test. Among these subjects, post-dexamethasone cortisol and 11-deoxycortisol levels were significantly correlated (r = 0.65, P less than 0.001) and evaluating the ratio of cortisol to 11-deoxycortisol decreased rather than enhanced sensitivity of the DST.

Topics: 17-Hydroxycorticosteroids; Bipolar Disorder; Cortodoxone; Depressive Disorder; Dexamethasone; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Middle Aged; Schizophrenia

The metyrapone test, a useful and reliable procedure for assessing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis function, was applied to schizophrenic patients and healthy controls. 4 out of 18 patients had subnormal responses to metyrapone whereas there were no such cases in the 22 control subjects. 1 schizophrenic patient and 3 control subjects had high normal responses to metyrapone. The relationship with the dexamethasone suppression test was found to be complex. These preliminary results suggest that the HPA axis activity patterns in psychiatric illness may be more complicated than previously reported.

Topics: Adult; Cortodoxone; Dexamethasone; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Male; Metyrapone; Middle Aged; Pituitary-Adrenal System; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia, Paranoid

The metyrapone test was applied to groups of patients suffering from major depressive illness with melancholia, mania or schizophrenia, before and after treatment. There were interesting individual correlations between post-metyrapone cortexolone values, cortexolone/cortisol ratios and clinical improvement in depressives. Two patients who had exhibited abnormal metyrapone responses displayed a normalization of post-metyrapone cortexolone values upon clinical improvement, whereas the opposite trend was observed in a patient who did not improve and in another who became manic. These preliminary results may indicate that abnormal metyrapone responses in depression are state dependent.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antidepressive Agents; Antipsychotic Agents; Bipolar Disorder; Cortodoxone; Depressive Disorder; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Imipramine; Lithium; Male; Metyrapone; Middle Aged; Psychotic Disorders; Psychotropic Drugs; Schizophrenia

The metyrapone test was applied to patients suffering from major depressive illness with melancholia, from mania, and from schizophrenia. Hypoactivity of the HPA axis as assessed by the test appears to occur infrequently in affective disorders and schizophrenia. High normal or exaggerated responses to metyrapone, as observed in Cushing's disease, appear to be correlated to DST non-suppression in melancholia.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Bipolar Disorder; Cortodoxone; Depressive Disorder; Dexamethasone; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Male; Metyrapone; Middle Aged; Pituitary-Adrenal System; Schizophrenia