The Relationship Between Serum Dehydroepiandrosterone Concentration and Memory Function in the Elderly

Background: World population is rapidly aging, and the elderly are most at risk of cognitive impairment. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA-Sulfate (DHEAS) have an essential effect on neuroprotection and might effectively improve cognition and memory. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the level of DHEA and memory function in the elderly. Materials & Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional analytical study, and the study population included the elderly (age 60 years and older) living in Rasht City, the north of Iran, in 2020. The participants completed a demographic questionnaire and Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS), and their serum DHEA levels were measured by the hormonal automation method. The data were analyzed by SPSS v. 23, using t-test, the one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: The participants included 100 older people (57 females and 43 males) with a Mean±SD age of 67.38±5.39 years. There was no correlation between serum DHEA concentrations with a total score of the WMS (r=0.117, P=0.247). However, the correlation between the DHEA level and the scores of personal and current information and visual reproduction subscales were statistically significant (r=0.219, P=0.029; r=0.206, P=0.04). Conclusion: The study indicates that the total memory score was not associated with the level of serum DHEA.