Biological differences in endogenous depressive placebo responders versus nonresponders: dexamethasone suppression test and sleep EEG data.

The association between abnormal Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) and sleep electroencephalographic (EEG) findings and depressives’ response to active drug treatment is equivocal. Recently, however, investigators have attempted to determine the relationship between these measures and response to somatic versus nonsomatic treatment. Carroll (1985) has reported that DST nonsuppressors are not likely to respond to psychotherapy and support unless somatic treatment is also given. Similarly, Georgotas and associates (cited in Carroll 1985) found that patients with abnormal DSTs did not respond to treatment with placebo, whereas those with normal DSTs had a high rate of response. One study has even shown that abnormal DST