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  • Title: Cortisol, ACTH, and dexamethasone concentrations in a psychogeriatric population.
    Author: Ferrier IN, Pascual J, Charlton BG, Wright C, Leake A, Griffiths HW, Fairbairn AF, Edwardson JA.
    Journal: Biol Psychiatry; 1988 Feb 01; 23(3):252-60. PubMed ID: 2892542.
    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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