Swartz C M, Dunner F J
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1982 Nov;39(11):1309-12. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1982.04290110061010.
Fourteen (33%) of 43 men hospitalized for alcohol abuse showed abnormal cortisol levels at 4 pm, 17 hours after administration of 1 mg of dexamethasone (median, five days after admission). Most (but not all) of these nonsuppressors showed multiple signs of alcoholic physical deterioration; there may be more than one mechanism by which alcohol abuse can lead to an abnormal result of this test. Suppressors and nonsuppressors reported similar alcohol consumption, symptoms of depression, and occurrence of depression among close relatives. Only two patients (5%) showed abnormal cortisol levels at 8 am, nine hours after administration of dexamethasone. These results suggest that, as a screen for primary depressive illness among recently abstinent alcohol abusers, the 4 pm cortisol level is not specific enough, but the 8 am level might be useful in patients who have no alcoholic relatives.
43名因酒精滥用住院的男性中，有14名（33%）在下午4点（即给予1毫克地塞米松17小时后，中位数为入院后五天）皮质醇水平异常。这些未被抑制者中的大多数（但并非全部）表现出酒精性身体衰退的多种迹象；酒精滥用可能通过不止一种机制导致该测试结果异常。被抑制者和未被抑制者报告的酒精摄入量、抑郁症状以及近亲中抑郁症的发生率相似。只有两名患者（5%）在给予地塞米松9小时后的上午8点皮质醇水平异常。这些结果表明，作为近期戒酒的酒精滥用者中原发性抑郁症的筛查方法，下午4点的皮质醇水平不够特异，但上午8点的水平可能对没有酒精成瘾亲属的患者有用。
