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Abstract
This article discusses the current controversy surrounding the diagnostic utility
of the Dexamethasone Suppression Test, addresses the questions raised by the recent
editorial by Ross in this journal, discusses the general principles behind the development
of tests, and estimates their diagnostic utility. This discussion aims to clarify
some aspects of the controversy. It presents an operational analysis of the Dexamethasone
Suppression Test as utilized at a state hospital. This operational analysis shows
that the test may be useful in distinguishing schizophrenia from psychotic depression,
and mania from schizophrenia. Furthermore, it shows that the test is not useful as
a screening test. These results are compared with those obtained by other investigators.
The authors further show how test results can be used rationally by clinicians by
so-called threshold analysis. Clinical data from a state hospital are used to illustrate
this.
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Article info
Publication history
Received in revised form:
October 7,
1986
Received:
December 3,
1985
Identification
Copyright
© 1987 Published by Elsevier Inc.
