Salivary cortisol and memory function in human aging.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association of salivary cortisol with cognitive changes in a 3 year longitudinal study. Previous studies have suggested that elevated glucocorticoid concentrations alter hippocampal neuronal morphology, inhibit neurogenesis, and impair cognition.


METHODS
Salivary cortisol samples were collected at home by 79 cognitively intact older persons (mean age 78+/-7 years) at 08:00, 15:00 and 23:00h, and collections were repeated annually for 3 years. Cognitive function was also assessed annually.


RESULTS
The mean cortisol level of samples taken at three times of day and the cortisol concentration at 23:00h were significantly associated with poorer performance on tasks of declarative memory and executive function. Of 46 subjects who completed the entire 3 year study, higher initial cortisol concentration at 23:00h predicted a decline in performance of delayed paragraph recall.


CONCLUSIONS
These results partially confirm previous findings that high cortisol is associated with impaired declarative memory function in non-demented older persons. In addition, our data show that high salivary cortisol concentrations predict a decline in memory function over the next 3 years.
Li
Ge
G
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. gli@u.washington.edu
Cherrier
Monique M
MM
Tsuang
Debby W
DW
Petrie
Eric C
EC
Colasurdo
Elizabeth A
EA
Craft
Suzanne
S
Schellenberg
Gerard D
GD
Peskind
Elaine R
ER
Raskind
Murray A
MA
Wilkinson
Charles W
CW
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000502:physiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000502:physiology; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*
D006854:Hydrocortisone