title: Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and psychiatric and laboratory measures of frailty in a residential care population.
abstract: Previous reports have found low levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) in association with frailty in elderly patients. The mechanisms underlying these associations are not known. Therefore, psychiatric symptoms and disorders that are common in frail elderly patients were correlated with DHEA-S levels in a convenience sample selected from a nursing home population. Low DHEA-S levels were associated with high degrees of self-rated disability and insomnia. In women, low DHEA-S levels were also associated with increased numbers of pain sites. However, cognitive impairment was associated with higher DHEA-S levels in women. Thus, in frail elderly patients, there are contradictory relationships between DHEA-S and neuropsychiatric measures of frailty (cognitive impairment, disability, insomnia, and number of pain sites), and there may also be gender differences in these relationships.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia 19104-4283, USA. mmorriso@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parmelee
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Boyce
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: TenHave
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009735:Nursing Homes; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012112:Residential Facilities; D012737:Sex Factors; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate