Faculty Bibliography

The predictive value of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was evaluated in two consecutive double-blind, placebo-controlled trials evaluating 61 depressed inpatients randomized to either one of two drugs, sertraline or oxaprotiline, or placebo over a 4-week clinical trial. For 30 patients who completed at least 3 weeks of double-blind treatment on either drug, the initial DST was not predictive of response to drug treatment. For the 17 patients who completed at least 3 weeks of double-blind treatment on placebo, the presence of a positive DST predicted a statistically significantly poorer response to placebo as opposed to a negative DST. These preliminary findings suggest that for depressed individuals who present with a positive DST, remission without active medication is less likely and somatic treatment should be considered

Preclinical and clinical observations suggest that enhancement of prostaglandin activity inhibits catecholamine release and may have antidyskinetic effects. A double-blind therapeutic trial with prostaglandin precursor essential fatty acids was conducted in 16 patients with tardive dyskinesia. No beneficial effects were seen

Twelve patients with neuroleptic-induced akathisia were treated in a randomised, double-blind, cross-over design with propranolol and matching placebo. Propranolol caused significant decrements in both subjective and objective ratings of akathisia, but not in anxiety scores. This confirms prior findings of the efficacy of propranolol in akathisia induced by neuroleptic treatment