title: Hydrocortisone impairs working memory in healthy humans, but not in patients with major depressive disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several studies have shown that stress or the administration of glucocorticoids can impair hippocampus-based declarative memory retrieval and prefrontal dependent working memory performance in healthy subjects. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is often characterized by memory impairment and increased cortisol secretion. Studies indicate that the impairing effects of glucocorticoids on declarative memory performance are missing in patients with MDD. The purpose of our study was to investigate whether the finding of missing effects of acute cortisol administration on memory performance in MDD is also seen when examining prefrontal-based working memory.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a placebo-controlled study, 57 patients with MDD and 56 sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects received either placebo or 10 mg of hydrocortisone orally before memory testing. To test the verbal modality of working memory, the Word Suppression Test was applied with one negative and one neutral test part.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After hydrocortisone intake, healthy subjects showed a significantly poorer working memory performance compared to placebo treatment when negative interference words were administered. In contrast, memory performance of MDD patients was not affected by hydrocortisone treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The missing effects of glucocorticoid administration on working memory in MDD might be interpreted in the context of reduced central glucocorticoid receptor function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf & Schön Klinik Hamburg-Eilbek, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terfehr
authors.forename: Oliver Tobias
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schlosser
authors.forename: Silvia Carvalho
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Fernando
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Otte
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muhtz
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Beblo
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Driessen
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spitzer
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Löwe
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wingenfeld
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000378:metabolism; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D006854:Hydrocortisone