The desipramine‐induced growth hormone response and the dexamethasone suppression test in obsessive‐compulsive disorder

Abstract
Ten patients with DSM‐III‐R obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) underwent the desipramine (DMI) growth hormone (GH) stimulation test as well as the dexamethasone suppression test (DST). The results were compared with the responses in a group of matched healthy controls. The GH response to DMI did not differ between patients and controls and 9 of 10 patients showed cortisol suppression in response to dexamethasone. The data suggest that neither alpha2 adrenergic dysfunction nor DST non‐suppression are features of primary OCD.