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Research Article| Volume 23, ISSUE 3, P252-260, February 01, 1988

Cortisol, ACTH, and dexamethasone concentrations in a psychogeriatric population

  • I.Nicol Ferner
    Correspondence
    Address reprint requests to Dr. I. Nicol Ferner, MRC Neuroendocrinology Unit, Newcastle General Hospital, Westgate Road. Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6BE England.
    Affiliations
    MRC Neuroendocrinology Unit (I.N.F., B.G.C., C.W., A.L., J.A.E.), Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne; the Royal Victoria Infirmary (J.P., H.W.G.) Newcastle upon Tyne; and St. Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth, England
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  • Juanita Pascual
    Affiliations
    MRC Neuroendocrinology Unit (I.N.F., B.G.C., C.W., A.L., J.A.E.), Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne; the Royal Victoria Infirmary (J.P., H.W.G.) Newcastle upon Tyne; and St. Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth, England
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  • Bruce G Charlton
    Affiliations
    MRC Neuroendocrinology Unit (I.N.F., B.G.C., C.W., A.L., J.A.E.), Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne; the Royal Victoria Infirmary (J.P., H.W.G.) Newcastle upon Tyne; and St. Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth, England
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  • Carolyn Wright
    Affiliations
    MRC Neuroendocrinology Unit (I.N.F., B.G.C., C.W., A.L., J.A.E.), Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne; the Royal Victoria Infirmary (J.P., H.W.G.) Newcastle upon Tyne; and St. Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth, England
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  • Alan Leake
    Affiliations
    MRC Neuroendocrinology Unit (I.N.F., B.G.C., C.W., A.L., J.A.E.), Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne; the Royal Victoria Infirmary (J.P., H.W.G.) Newcastle upon Tyne; and St. Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth, England
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  • Hugh W Griffiths
    Affiliations
    MRC Neuroendocrinology Unit (I.N.F., B.G.C., C.W., A.L., J.A.E.), Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne; the Royal Victoria Infirmary (J.P., H.W.G.) Newcastle upon Tyne; and St. Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth, England
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  • Andrew F Fairbairn
    Affiliations
    MRC Neuroendocrinology Unit (I.N.F., B.G.C., C.W., A.L., J.A.E.), Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne; the Royal Victoria Infirmary (J.P., H.W.G.) Newcastle upon Tyne; and St. Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth, England
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  • James A Edwardson
    Affiliations
    MRC Neuroendocrinology Unit (I.N.F., B.G.C., C.W., A.L., J.A.E.), Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne; the Royal Victoria Infirmary (J.P., H.W.G.) Newcastle upon Tyne; and St. Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth, England
    Search for articles by this author
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-3223(88)90036-4
Cortisol, ACTH, and dexamethasone concentrations in a psychogeriatric population
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      Abstract

      Cortisol and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) were measured at 2 time points before the administration of 1 mg of dexamethasone (day 1) and 1 time point on the following day (day 2). Thirteen severely depressed elderly patients, 15 patients with Alzheimer-type dementia (ATD), and 16 normal controls were studied. Cortisol was markedly elevated in depressed patients compared with the other subjects in day 1 samples. Following dexamethasone, both the depressed and ATD patients showed a similar elevation of cortisol compared with controls. ACTH concentrations were not significantly different between the groups before dexamethasone, but were significantly higher in both depressed and ATD patients after dexamethasone. More depressed patients than ATD patients exhibited hypersecretion of ACTH after dexamethasone. This implies that ACTH is less responsive to glucocorticoid feedback in elderly depressed patients, which may be a factor in causing hypercortisolemia.
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      Article info

      Publication history

      Received in revised form: March 28, 1987
      Received: October 20, 1986

      Identification

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-3223(88)90036-4

      Copyright

      © 1988 Published by Elsevier Inc.

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