Response Prediction mit dem kombinierten Dexamethason/CRH-Test

Depressive disorder represents a common disorder worldwide. Predictive capabilities of what helps whom and when are scarce, making clinical practice a trial and error process. Etiologically, there are well-documented neuroendocrinological findings in favor of dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. The influence of antidepressant treatment on the HPA- axis and the association of possible changes in HPA- axis regulation with response or non-response to pharmacotherapy is still insufficiently researched. In the present study, the influence of antidepressant pharmacotherapy with citalopram on HPA axis regulation was investigated in 30 predominantly untreated patients with major depression using the dexamethasone/CRH test. Before the start of therapy and after four weeks.