RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Douglas Hospital Longitudinal Study of Normal and Pathological Aging: summary of findings
JF Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
JO JPN
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP 328
OP 334
VO 30
IS 5
A1 Sonia J. Lupien
A1 Georges Schwartz
A1 Ying Kin Ng
A1 Alexandra Fiocco
A1 Nathalie Wan
A1 Jens C. Pruessner
A1 Michael J. Meaney
A1 N.P. Vasavan Nair
YR 2005
UL http://jpn.ca/content/30/5/328.abstract
AB In 1988, our group initiated the Douglas Hospital Longitudinal Study of Normal and Pathological Aging to assess the association between secretion of the stress hormone cortisol and cognitive performance in a group of 51 older adults. In this paper, we summarize the data obtained in this study to date. We have found that long-term exposure to high endogenous levels of cortisol is associated with both memory impairments and a 14% smaller volume of the hippocampus. We also report on studies showing that in older adults with moderate levels of cortisol over time, memory performance can be acutely modulated by pharmacologic manipulations of cortisol. We describe one participant who was included in the group of older adults presenting with increased cortisol levels over time, memory impairments and reduced hippocampal volume and in whom major depression, followed by Alzheimer’s disease, developed during the course of the study. Together, the results of the Douglas Hospital Longitudinal Study of Normal and Pathological Aging show that increased secretion of cortisol in the older human population is significantly associated with impairment of cognitive function during aging.