Psychopathology and plasma cortisol responses to dexamethasone in prepubertal psychiatric inpatients

Abstract This study of 51 prepubertal psychiatric inpatients evaluates plasma cortisol measurements at 8 am , 4 pm , and 11 pm before and after dexamethasone was administered in counterbalanced order at does of 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg. Approximately 76.5% of the children had an affective disorder. Major depressive disorder was associated with higher plasma cortisol levels than other disorders. Pre- and postdexamethasone plasma cortisol levels using 0.5 mg dexamethasone exhibited a circadian variation. The optimal criterion for cortisol nonsuppression was 5 μgldl measured at 8 am after administration of 0.5 mg dexamethasone.