Trazodone and dexamethasone suppression in major depressive illness

ABSTRACT

This study is a clinical investigation for the effects of trazodone on the dexamethasone suppression response of 23 patients with major depressive episode. Assessment of the clinical response to four weeks treatment period was done by applying the Hamilton scale of depression [H.S.D.] before and after the treatment period. Analysis of the HSD results, the presence of 12 responders to trazodone treatment with a mean score of 12.2 +/- 2 and 11 non-responders with a mean score of 27 +/- 3.4. Responders were considered to be those who achieved 50% [or more] reducation in their post-treatment HSD score. The Dexamethasone Suppression Test [D.S.T] done before and after the four weeks treatment, revealed that before trazodone treatment, only four patients out of the 12 responders were suppression [showed lowering of Cortisol level after dexamethasone treatment]. The rest were non-suppressors. After trazodone treatment 9 patients were suppressors and 3 were non-suppressors. All the [HSD] non-responders [11 patients] were [DST] non-suppressors before trazodone treatment and only one of them became a suppressor after treatment