Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: Neurosteroids, a unique hormone group, are recognized for their impact on cognitive processes. The primary objective is to assess the correlation between cognitive function and NS levels in cases of Cushing’s disease and a control group of nonfunctional pituitary adenoma (NFPA).

Design: The study comprised 26 individuals diagnosed with Cushing’s disease (CDG), while a control group (CG) consisted of 14 age-gender matched participants with NFPA. Eighteen different neurosteroid levels were investigated. Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test (MoCA) to evaluate attention, sustained attention, information processing speed; Selective Recall Test (SRT) to evaluate verbal learning and delayed recall; Spatial Recall Test (SPART) to evaluate visuospatial learning and delayed recall; Symbol Digit Modalities (SDM) to evaluate attention and processing speed; Animal Naming Test (ANT) to evaluate verbal fluency and semantic memory, Verbal Fluency Test (FAS) for evaluate verbal fluency.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference in age between CDG and CG (P=0.918). The median age of the CDG was 49.5 years and the median age of the CG was 44 years. (IQR: 40.5-58.0, IQR: 34.5-64.0) There were 5 males, 19.2% and 21 females, 80.2% in CDG, and 4 males, 28.6%, and 10 females, 71.4% in CG. There was no difference between the sexes (P=0.5). There was no difference in cognitive function tests in patients with CDG and CG. In CG, there was a negative correlation between verbal memory performance measured by SRT test and aldosterone level (r=-.667, P=.009). In CG, there was a positive correlation between FAS and corticosterone, 7-OH-Pregnenolone, and dihydrotestosterone (r=.731, P=.003, r=.738, P=.003, r=.969, P=.031). In CG, ANT was positively correlated with corticosterone and 7-OH-Pregnenolone (r=.787 P=.001, r=.767 P=.001). In CG, there was a positive correlation between the SDM and corticosterone and 7-OH-Pregnenolone (r=541 P=.046, r=.545 P=.044). In CDG, there was a positive correlation between learning verbal memory, corticosterone, and deoxycorticosterone (r=.401 P=.042, r=.446, P=.043). In CDG, MoCA scores tend to be negatively associated with aldosterone levels (r=-405 P=.062). There was a negative correlation between the visuospatial attention test and allopregnanolone(r=-.571, P=.021). In CDG, deoxycortisol levels were positively correlated with ANT(r=.391, P=.048), and cortisol, corticosterone, and deoxycorticosterone levels tended to be associated with ANT (r=.385, P=.052, r=.361 P=0.070, r=.423, P=.056). Visio-spatial memory and allopregnanolone levels tend to be negatively correlated (r=-467, P=.068).

Conclusion: Some particular neurosteroids could potentially influence certain cognitive abilities in cases with CD.