OBJECTIVE: On a group level depression is related to hypercortisolism and to psychomotor retardation, executive dysfunction and memory impairment. However, intra-group heterogeneity is substantial. Why some are impaired while others remain in the normal range, is not clear. The present study aims at discerning the relative contribution of present symptom severity and hypercortisolism to impairment in the three domains of cognition. METHOD: Morning saliva cortisol was measured in 26 subjects with recurrent major depression prior to a neuropsychological examination with tests known to be sensitive to cognitive impairment in depression. RESULTS: Cortisol level correlated with executive dysfunction and post-encoding memory deficits, but not with processing speed. Depression level correlated with processing speed. These patterns remained significant after controlling for confounders through partial correlations. CONCLUSION: The association between cortisol and cognition is not an artifact of psychiatric symptom load. High level of saliva cortisol is associated with aspects of cognition that can be dissociated from psychomotor retardation, which is dependent on symptom load.
OBJECTIVE: On a group level depression is related to hypercortisolism and to psychomotor retardation, executive dysfunction and memory impairment. However, intra-group heterogeneity is substantial. Why some are impaired while others remain in the normal range, is not clear. The present study aims at discerning the relative contribution of present symptom severity and hypercortisolism to impairment in the three domains of cognition. METHOD: Morning saliva cortisol was measured in 26 subjects with recurrent major depression prior to a neuropsychological examination with tests known to be sensitive to cognitive impairment in depression. RESULTS:Cortisol level correlated with executive dysfunction and post-encoding memory deficits, but not with processing speed. Depression level correlated with processing speed. These patterns remained significant after controlling for confounders through partial correlations. CONCLUSION: The association between cortisol and cognition is not an artifact of psychiatric symptom load. High level of saliva cortisol is associated with aspects of cognition that can be dissociated from psychomotor retardation, which is dependent on symptom load.
Authors: Ciaran M Considine; Sara L Weisenbach; Sara J Walker; E Michelle McFadden; Lindsay M Franti; Linas A Bieliauskas; Daniel F Maixner; Bruno Giordani; Stanley Berent; Scott A Langenecker Journal: Arch Clin Neuropsychol Date: 2011-05-18 Impact factor: 2.813
Authors: Marieke J van der Werf-Eldering; Rixt F Riemersma-van der Lek; Huibert Burger; Esther A E Holthausen; André Aleman; Willem A Nolen Journal: PLoS One Date: 2012-05-14 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Aimee James Karstens; Inez Korzun; Erich T Avery; Michelle T Kassel; Rachel Keelan; Helen Kales; Heather Abercrombie; Tory Eisenlohr-Moul; Scott A Langenecker; Sara Weisenbach Journal: Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn Date: 2018-07-11