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Cortisol levels and cognitive status in elderly subjects: Preliminary results from the Brazilian Aging and Memory Study
Author(s) -
Barbosa Breno José Alencar Pires,
Jesus Maria Clara Ferreira,
SouzaTalarico Juliaery,
Buchpiguel Carlos A.,
Busatto Geraldo,
Nitrini Ricardo,
Brucki Sonia M. D.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.042342
Subject(s) - dementia , anthropometry , medicine , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , cognition , cognitive test , cognitive decline , population , gerontology , psychology , psychiatry , disease , environmental health
Abstract Background The Brazilian Aging and Memory Study (BRAMS) is a single center, population‐based initiative to address memory and cognitive impairment in Brazil. Volunteer controls and subjects with either subjective cognitive decline (SCD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are being followed up under a strict protocol that involves cognitive, general health, biomarkers and neuroimaging measures. There’s a growing body of research evaluating chronic stress as potentially preventable risk factor for dementia. Method we performed a transversal analysis to evaluate the relation between cortisol levels, amyloid pathology and cognitive status in a subset of BRAMS subjects. Chronic stress evaluation included anthropometric measures, serum cortisol and DHEA‐sulfate, glycated hemoglobin, total and HDL cholesterol, creatinine, fibrinogen and reactive protein‐C. Exclusion criteria included dementia and corticosteroids use. Result 489 individuals were screened for the BRAMS between 2012 – 2017. A subset of 50 participants with serum cortisol levels available were included for analysis. Mean age was 71.8 years (SD ± 5.2), with 36 female patients (50%), 11.3 years of education (SD ± 5). Amnestic MCI was the most prevalent cognitive status (40%), followed by non‐amnestic MCI (28%) and SCD (21%). 24 subjects had access to amyloid status assessment with PET‐PiB (9 positive, 15 negative). In our sample the mean serum cortisol level was 9.09 mg/dL (±SD 4.1), with 12 individuals in the first tercile (24%), 30 in the middle tercile (60%) and 8 in the upper tercile (16%). Individuals in the lower cortisol tercile had more positive PET‐PiB scans, while in the middle cortisol tercile all individuals had negative scans (p = 0.007 | Fisher’s test). There was no difference in the upper cortisol tercile. No significant associations were observed regarding other chronic stress biomarkers or cortisol levels vs. cognitive status. All tests were adjusted for covariables. Conclusion Despite the modest sample size, there was a significant association between cortisol terciles and amyloid status. However, this association cannot be explained by the current hypothesis that chronic hypercortisolism is related to amyloid pathology and accelerated neurodegeneration. More longitudinal cortisol measures (ie. salivary, urinary or hair) and a larger sample size could give us more information.