Think of cortisol as the stress hormone, roaming through your body wreaking havoc on your brain. Researchers have discovered that individuals with higher levels of cortisol tend to have smaller hippocampal volumes, which can lead to impaired memory function. This finding is especially significant for healthy seniors and those with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The study examined how cortisol levels relate to brain structure and memory performance in both groups. Interestingly, the results showed that cortisol levels were significantly higher in patients with AD compared to healthy seniors. Furthermore, elevated cortisol levels were directly correlated with worse memory performance in AD patients. In healthy seniors, higher cortisol levels were associated with smaller left hippocampal volumes and indirectly linked to poorer memory function. These findings indicate that cortisol not only serves as a biomarker for increased risk of AD but also suggests it as a potential target for preventive and therapeutic methods. To learn more about this fascinating research and its implications, check out the full article!

ObjectiveElevated cortisol levels have been frequently reported in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and linked to brain atrophy, especially of the hippocampus. Besides, high cortisol levels have been shown to impair memory performance and increase the risk of developing AD in healthy individuals. We investigated the associations between serum cortisol levels, hippocampal volume, gray matter volume and memory performance in healthy aging and AD.MethodsIn our cross-sectional study, we analyzed the relationships between morning serum cortisol levels, verbal memory performance, hippocampal volume, and whole-brain voxel-wise gray matter volume in an independent sample of 29 healthy seniors (HS) and 29 patients along the spectrum of biomarker-based AD.ResultsCortisol levels were significantly elevated in patients with AD as compared to HS, and higher cortisol levels were correlated with worse memory performance in AD. Furthermore, higher cortisol levels were significantly associated with smaller left hippocampal volumes in HS and indirectly negatively correlated to memory function through hippocampal volume. Higher cortisol levels were further related to lower gray matter volume in the hippocampus and temporal and parietal areas in the left hemisphere in both groups. The strength of this association was similar in HS and AD.ConclusionIn AD, cortisol levels are elevated and associated with worse memory performance. Furthermore, in healthy seniors, higher cortisol levels show a detrimental relationship with brain regions typically affected by AD. Thus, increased cortisol levels seem to be indirectly linked to worse memory function even in otherwise healthy individuals. Cortisol may therefore not only serve as a biomarker of increased risk for AD, but maybe even more importantly, as an early target for preventive and therapeutic interventions.

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