Serum cortisol is negatively related to hippocampal volume, brain structure, and memory performance in healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional case-control study
PubMed 37251803 · doi:10.3389/fnagi.2023.1154112
What was done
Authors evaluated relationships between morning serum cortisol, verbal memory performance, hippocampal volume, and whole-brain voxel-wise gray matter volume in a cross-sectional sample of 29 healthy seniors and 29 patients along the biomarker-based Alzheimer's disease spectrum (total n = 58).
What was found
The abstract reports directional relationships without numerical metrics, correlation coefficients, or p-values. Cortisol levels were significantly elevated in Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy seniors and correlated with worse memory performance in Alzheimer's disease. In healthy seniors, higher cortisol significantly associated with smaller left hippocampal volume and indirectly correlated with worse memory function via hippocampal volume. Across both groups, higher cortisol related to lower gray matter volume in left hippocampal, temporal, and parietal areas with similar association strength.
Why it matters
The findings link elevated peripheral cortisol to structural atrophy in brain regions vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease and memory deficits in both healthy aging and clinical dementia. This supports further investigation into glucocorticoid pathways as early risk markers or modifiable targets.
Limits
The study is cross-sectional, preventing causal determination. The sample size is small (29 participants per group). The abstract does not provide exact numerical values, effect sizes, or confidence intervals, and single morning serum draws do not capture full diurnal cortisol dynamics.
Cited by
- supports Elevated fasting blood glucose levels and elevated cortisol levels are associated with hippocampal volume reduction.