CRH CHALLENGE TEST IN ANXIOUS DEPRESSION

Recently, renewed interest has developed in the concept of anxious dep ression. Using an operational definition of ''anxious depression'' bas ed on the SADS interview, 25 patients with major depressive disorder w ere separated into anxious (n = 14) and nonanxious (n = II) subtypes, These two patient groups and normal control subjects received an intra venous corticotropin-releasing hormone challenge test, Adrenocorticotr opic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol responses were compared among the thr ee groups. Patients with anxious depression had significant attenuatio n of ACTH response when compared to nonanxious patients and normal con trol subjects.