J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc.  2015 Feb;54(1):91-96. 10.4306/jknpa.2015.54.1.91.

Association between the Daytime Plasma Cortisol Level and Depression Component of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale in Korean Depression Clinic Outpatients

• Yoon HJ
• Oh YH
• Song J
• Kim J
• Jeon HJ
• Yu BH
• Joung YS

• KMID: 2344003
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4306/jknpa.2015.54.1.91

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
There is evidence that Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenocortical (HPA) system dysregulation plays a role in the pathophysiology of depression. However which psychiatric symptoms are related to HPA system dysregulation has not been studied well. The primary aim of this study was to investigate which symptom components of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) are related to HPA system dysregulation in Korean psychiatric outpatients. The secondary aim was to find other variables that have association with HAM-D components.
METHODS
This study was a retrospective review of the charts of outpatients who first visited Samsung Medical Center Depression Clinic between July 2012 and October 2013. Among them those who checked the plasma cortisol level and HAM-D within one week of their first visit were selected. Fifty nine patients were selected. The HAM-D was divided into four components, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, and somatic components. Multiple regression of cortisol level was used for four subscales.
RESULTS
Significant positive correlations were observed between the plasma cortisol level and depression component of HAM-D (beta=0.251, p=0.049). Age also showed negative correlation with the depression component of HAM-D (beta=-0.427, p=0.002). However anxiety, insomnia and somatic components of HAM-D did not show correlation with plasma cortisol level.
CONCLUSION
Our study suggests that in Korean depression clinic outpatients, the depression component of HAM-D is related to plasma cortisol level.

Keyword

Cortisol; Depression; Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; Depression component; Outpatients

MeSH Terms

Anxiety
Depression*
Humans
Hydrocortisone*
Outpatients*
Plasma*
Retrospective Studies
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders
Hydrocortisone

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Relationship between cortisol level and depression component of HAM-D. Cortisol : Square root transformation of raw cortisol level data, Depression : Depression component of HAM-D, HAM-D : Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.

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