The Effect of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms on the Results of Combined Dexamethasone/Corticotropin Releasing Hormone Test in Patients with Schizophrenia.
- Author:
Byung Jin HAN
1
;
Sang Ick LEE
;
Chul Jin SHIN
;
Jung Woo SON
Author Information
1. Comfort-mind Psychiatric Clinic, Cheongju, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Schizophrenia;
HPA axis;
Anxiety;
Depression
- MeSH:
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone;
Anxiety;
Area Under Curve;
Axis, Cervical Vertebra;
Depression;
Humans;
Hydrocortisone;
Psychopathology;
Schizophrenia;
Weights and Measures
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry
2010;17(2):86-93
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this research is to determine the effects of depression and anxiety symptoms of schizophrenic psychopathology on the HPA axis. METHODS: Twenty patients with schizophrenia were included and divided into the medication non-exposed group(n = 10) and the medication exposed group(n = 10). Evaluated scales were the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS), Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms(SANS), Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms(SAPS), Hamilton Depression Inventory(HAM-D) and Hamilton Anxiety Inventory (HAM-A), and then the combined Dexamethasone/Corticotropin Releasing Hormone(DEX/CRH) test was conducted to determine the basal level, the peak level and the area under the curve(AUC) of cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH). RESULTS: When the correlations between each psychopathology and cortisol level or ACTH AUC value were analyzed, HAM-D showed a negative correlation, whereas HAM-A showed a positive correlation. Also, the non-depression group(HAM-D < or = 18) showed higher cortisol and ACTH concentrations than the depression group(HAM-D > 18), and the anxiety group(HAM-A > or = 14) showed significantly higher concentrations than the non-anxiety group(HAM-D < 14)(p < 0.05). Also, as for the comparison between the medication non-exposed group and the medication exposed group, the non-exposed group showed significantly higher cortisol and ACTH concentration than exposed group(p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study suggest that anxiety symptoms rather than depression symptoms are related to the increased activity of the HPA axis of schizophrenics.
