title: Effects of acute cortisol administration on response inhibition in patients with major depression and healthy controls.
abstract: Glucocorticoids (GCs) have repeatedly been shown to impair hippocampus-mediated, declarative memory retrieval and prefrontal cortex-based working memory in healthy subjects. However, recent experimental studies indicated that patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) lack these impairing effects. These missing effects have been suggested to result from dysfunctional brain GC receptors. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether response inhibition, an executive function relying on the integrity of the prefrontal cortex, would be impaired after cortisol administration in patients with MDD. In a placebo-controlled, double blind crossover study, 50 inpatients with MDD and 54 healthy control participants conducted an emotional go/no-go task consisting of human face stimuli (fearful, happy, and neutral) after receiving a dose of 10 mg hydrocortisone and after placebo. GC administration had an enhancing effect on inhibitory performance in healthy control participants, indicated by faster responses, while no GC effect was revealed for the patients group. Moreover, patients showed an overall worse performance than healthy participants. In conclusion, this study further supports the hypothesis of impaired central glucocorticoid receptor function in MDD patients. Regarding the importance of inhibitory functioning for daily living, further studies are needed to examine the impact of glucocorticoids on response inhibition.
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bethel, Ev. Hospital Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Schlosser
authors: Oliver Tobias
authors: OT
authors: Wolf
authors: Silvia Carvalho
authors: SC
authors: Fernando
authors: Kirsten
authors: K
authors: Terfehr
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Otte
authors: Carsten
authors: C
authors: Spitzer
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Beblo
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Driessen
authors: Bernd
authors: B
authors: Löwe
authors: Katja
authors: K
authors: Wingenfeld
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D003657:Decision Making; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D056344:Executive Function / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Go/no-go; Human; Hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis; Major depressive disorder; Prefrontal cortex