Summary
In patients suffering from anorexia nervosa (n = 20) a significant correlation was found between pathological DST results and weight loss. In this respect, patients with bulimic symptomatology do not differ from the main anorectic group. In addition, the correlation was unaltered by the length of the disease. These results are interpreted as indicative of secondary regulatory disturbances of the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-adrenal axis, whereas they are inconsistent with a close connection between anorexia nervosa and endogenous depression. As demonstrated by other authors, weight change exerts an influence on DST results in endogenous depression as well.
Zusammenfassung
Bei Magersüchtigen (n = 20) fand sich eine relativ enge Beziehung zwischen pathologischen Ergebnissen im DST und dem Grad der Gewichtsabnahme. Bulimische Verlaufsvarianten hoben sich diesbezüglich nicht von Syndromen ab, die die Kerngruppe der Anorexia nervosa bilden. Und auch die Krankheitsdauer war ohne Bedeutung. Diese Befunde werden als Hinweis auf sekundäre Regulationsstörungen im Bereich des hypothalamisch-hypophysäradrenokortikalen Systems gedentet, nicht aber als Beleg für enge verwandtschaftliche Beziehungen des Krankheitsbildes zur endogenen Depression. Wie von anderer Seite nachgewiesen wurde, wirkt sich auch bei ihr die Variable Gewichtsveränderung wesentlich auf die DST-Resultate aus.
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Kuhs, H., Mester, H. Der dexamethason-suppressions-test bei anorexia nervosa. Eur Arch Psychiatr Neurol Sci 234, 335–340 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381045
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381045