ADRENAL SECRETION DURING MAJOR DEPRESSION IN 8-YEAR-OLDS TO 16-YEAR-OLDS .1. ALTERED DIURNAL RHYTHMS IN SALIVARY CORTISOL AND DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE (DHEA) AT PRESENTATION

The association between basal cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), its sulphate (DHEAS) and major depression was investigated in 8- to 1 6-year-olds. Eighty-two subjects with major depression, 25 non-depress ed psychiatric cases and 40 community controls were systematically ass essed for current mental state and hormone levels at 08.00, 12.00 and 20.00 h, assayed from salivary samples collected over a 48 h period. T he average mean of the two time points was compared between the three groups. Evening cortisol hypersecretion and morning DHEA hyposecretion were significantly, and independently, associated with major depressi on. High evening cortisol (> 0.594 ng/ml) and low morning DHEA (< 0.20 0 ng/ml) identified subgroups of depressives with different types of a drenal hormone dysregulation. The association between high evening cor tisol or low morning DHEA and MDD was not affected by either age or ge nder.