The dexamethasone suppression test in dementia.

The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was performed on 13 patients with multi-infarct dementia (MID), 5 patients with primary degenerative dementia (PDD) and 18 elderly controls. Abnormal lack of suppression was found in 7 demented patients (3 with PDD, 1 mild and 2 severe, and 4 with MID, 1 mild and 3 severe), and in 2 of the controls. Only one demented patient was depressed.

The dexamethasone suppression test in depressed and non-depressed geriatric medical inpatients.

The frequency of an abnormal response to the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was examined in 38 geriatric patients hospitalized for medical illnesses and affected by depressive disorders diagnosed according to the DSM III, and in 18 medical patients (used as controls) hospitalized in the same ward. Only 11% of the controls and 11% of those affected by dysthymic disorder had an abnormal DST vs 73% of the patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). The sensitivity of the DST for MDD, in this particular setting, was found to be about 73% and the specificity 89%.

P.A.S. positive index of lymphocytes and metabolic control in insulin-treated and type II diabetes mellitus.

The relationship between metabolic control and glycogen lymphocyte content in diabetes mellitus, was studied. 30 insulin-treated and 30 type II diabetic subjects were evaluated with 40 age and sex matched normal controls. Glycaemic control was evaluated by a fasting and 2 h post-prandial plasma glucose and by glycosylated hemoglobin (GHb).