The effects of chronic administration of hydrocortisone on cognitive function in normal male volunteers |
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Authors: | A H Young B J Sahakian T W Robbins P J Cowen |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Royal Victoria Informary, University of Newcastle upon Tyne NEI 4LP, UK e-mail: A.H.Young@ncl.ac.uk Fax: +44-191-227-5108, GB;(2) Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK, GB;(3) Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK, GB;(4) Psychopharmacology Research Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK, GB |
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Abstract: | Rationale: Corticosteroids are elevated in certain neuropsychiatric disorders and this may contribute to the neuropsychological impairments
reported in these disorders. Objective: To examine the effects of hydrocortisone on learning, memory and executive function. Methods: Hydrocortisone 20 mg was administered twice daily for 10 days to normal male volunteers in a randomized, placebo control,
crossover, within-subject design. Learning, memory and executive function were measured using selected subtests from the Cambridge
Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. Results: Hydrocortisone caused impairments of visuo-spatial memory. These included increased within search errors and impaired use
of strategies on the spatial working memory subtest. In addition, administration of hydrocortisone was associated with more
errors in the paired associate learning subtest, although no effect was found on the Tower of London. Hydrocortisone speeded
response latencies in certain tests (pattern and spatial recognition memory). Conclusion: These results indicate that chronic administration of hydrocortisone leads to deficits in certain tests of cognitive function
sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction and may contribute to the cognitive impairment reported in certain neuropsychiatric
disorders.
Received: 27 July 1998 / Final version: 9 February 1999 |
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Keywords: | Learning Memory Hydrocortisone Frontal lobe Normal volunteers Frontal lobe dysfunction |
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