The psychiatric side effects of exogenous corticosteroids, such as prednisone, have been described for over forty years, but not well characterized. The limited data available suggest that psychosis and mood symptoms are common, though risk factors are not known. The symptoms appear strikingly similar to those observed in bipolar disorder. This study will investigate the effects of standard medical boluses of corticosteroids in patients with asthma using structured clinical interviews and standard psychiatric rating scales. The effects of multiple courses and risk factors for developing symptoms will be explored. This investigation will provide valuable data on the frequency and nature of mood symptoms with corticosteroids, and will be the first to examine the effects of multiple courses. If the symptomatology does in fact closely parallel that seen in bipolar disorder, the effects of corticosteroids could provide the first satisfactory model for this severe illness.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32)
Project #
5F32MH011580-02
Application #
2609431
Study Section
Clinical Neuroscience and Biological Psychopathology Review Committee (CNBP)
Program Officer
Goldschmidts, Walter L
Project Start
1997-12-01
Project End
Budget Start
1998-01-15
Budget End
1998-09-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Texas Sw Medical Center Dallas
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
City
Dallas
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
75390
Brown, E Sherwood; Suppes, Trisha; Khan, David A et al. (2002) Mood changes during prednisone bursts in outpatients with asthma. J Clin Psychopharmacol 22:55-61
Brown, E S; Suppes, T (1998) Mood symptoms during corticosteroid therapy: a review. Harv Rev Psychiatry 5:239-46