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A placebo-controlled study of sertraline's effect on cortisol response to the dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing hormone test in healthy adults
Plain-language guide to PMID 21617914 (2011): placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial study of ACTH (Corticotropin) and CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone) in 22 adults.
Key Facts
- PMID
- 21617914
- Journal
- Psychopharmacology
- Year
- 2011
- Study type
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Authors
- Carpenter LL et al. (6 authors)
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00213-011-2336-y
What This Study Did, in Plain Language
What Was Tested
The paper reports a study of ACTH (Corticotropin) and CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone), published as a randomized controlled trial.
In this study, the Dex/CRH test was evaluated with regard to its potential utility for drug development in nonclinical samples.
Why It Was Studied
These findings prompted research into the use of the Dex/CRH test as a tool for developing antidepressant drugs.
Who Took Part
The study group was 22 adults.
The age groups tagged for this paper are young adults, adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.
How the Study Was Run
In design terms this was a randomized and placebo-controlled study.
Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got ACTH (Corticotropin) and who got the comparison, which limits bias.
The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with ACTH (Corticotropin) could be set against what happens without it.
The methods mention a period of 6 weeks.
What Was Measured
These findings prompted research into the use of the Dex/CRH test as a tool for developing antidepressant drugs.
The subject headings attached to it are Antidepressive Agents, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone, Dexamethasone, Drug Design, Hydrocortisone and Sertraline.
What This Means in Plain Language
The paper is a randomized and placebo-controlled study of ACTH (Corticotropin) and CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone) in 22 adults over 6 weeks.
With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.
The abstract goes on to report its results in about 2 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.
The publication is from 2011 (Psychopharmacology), a journal based in Germany.
More context: the ACTH (Corticotropin) compound page and the CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone) compound page, all human trials.
Our Notes on the Compounds
ACTH (Corticotropin): The 39-amino-acid pituitary hormone that drives cortisol production; given as repository corticotropin (Acthar Gel).
CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone): The 41-amino-acid hypothalamic hormone that triggers ACTH release; corticorelin is used diagnostically.
Related Pages
Source: PubMed record. This explanation is written by PeptideWhiz from the public record. For research and education only. Not medical advice; no dosing information is given.