[Dependence on serum cortisol level or the severity of intellectual impairment in primary degenerative dementias].

Basal serum cortisol level was measured in patients with primary degenerative dementia. The diagnosis of primary degenerative dementia was made by the DSM-III-R criteria, and the severity of dementia was measured by use the Rosen et. al. scale. Additionally, the presence of depressive and paraphrenia syndromes was evaluated. The Hamilton scale was used for the evaluation of depression severity. Cortisol level was measured by radioimmune assay. Sixty three patients, 39 female and 24 male, were evaluated. The mean age for women was 69.54 and for men 71 years. Patients were divided into 3 groups: I--simple dementia, II--dementia with depression, III--dementia with paraphrenia. Positive correlation was found between basal cortisol level and the severity of dementia only in group I. Mean cortisol level in patients from group II and III was significantly different than in group I. Among female patients with depression the negative correlation between cortisol level and severity of dementia was found; no other correlations were proved. No correlation was found between the cortisol level and severity of dementia in Hamilton's scale.