DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE (DHEA) TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate, DHEA-S, are plentiful a drenal steroid hormones that decrease with aging and may have signific ant neuropsychiatric effects. In this study, six middle-aged and elder ly patients with major depression and low basal plasma DHEA and/or DHE A-S levels were openly administered DHEA (30-90 mg/d X 4 weeks) in dos es sufficient to achieve circulating plasma levels observed in younger healthy individuals. Depression ratings, as well as aspects of memory performance significantly improved. One treatment-resistant patient r eceived extended treatment with DHEA for 6 months; her depression rati ngs improved 48-72% and her semantic memory performance improved 63%. These measures returned to baseline after treatment ended. In both stu dies, improvements in depression ratings and memory performance were d irectly related to increases in plasma levels of DHEA and DHEA-S and t o increases in their ratios with plasma cortisol levels. These prelimi nary data suggest DHEA may have antidepressant and promemory effects a nd should encourage double-blind trials in depressed patients. (C) 199 7 Society of Biological Psychiatry.