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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Allan Young
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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.
Author(s): Young AH; Sahakian BJ; Robbins TW; Cowen PJ
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Psychopharmacology
Year: 1999
Volume: 145
Issue: 3
Pages: 260-266
Print publication date: 01/08/1999
ISSN (print): 0033-3158
ISSN (electronic): 1432-2072
Publisher: Springer
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s002130051057
DOI: 10.1007/s002130051057
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