title: Agitation and postdexamethasone cortisol levels in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: The clinical correlates of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) functioning were examined in 29 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease. The 8:00 a.m. postdexamethasone cortisol levels of these patients were highly correlated with higher agitation scores but not with the degree of depressed mood or memory impairment. The possible neural basis for the association between hypercortisolism and behavioral disturbance in Alzheimer's disease warrants further exploration and replication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, N.Y.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Lawlor
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tsuboyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Mohs
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D003907:Dexamethasone; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D006854:Hydrocortisone