Effects of ACTH and Prednisone on Mood: Incidence and Time of Onset

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Abstract
Prior studies of mood and cognitive changes produced by ACTH and glucocorticoids have not characterized accurately the incidence or time of onset of these changes. In this study mood and cognitive reactions of fifteen medical patients treated with ACTH or prednisone were studied prospectively. ACTH produced a lessening of dysphoria by the third treatment day, and mild euphoric reactions occurred in three of seven of the patients treated. Prednisone produced a reduction of dysphoria by the seventh day, but no euphoric reactions in the eight patients treated with it. Neither medical symptom improvement nor elevation of plasma cortisol levels in the patients given ACTH appeared to account for the results. The mechanism of the observed mood change remains to be elucidated.