RESEARCH - Effect of two prednisone exposures on mood and declarative memory

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1: Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2006 Jul;86(1):28-34. Epub 2006 Feb 3.

Effect of two prednisone exposures on mood and declarative memory.

Brown ES, Beard L, Frol AB, Rush AJ.

Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical

Center, Dallas, TX 75390-8849, USA.

Corticosteroids are essential for life and an integral part of the

stress response. However, in excess, corticosteroids can be associated

with a variety of effects on the brain including hippocampal atrophy

and even neuronal death, mood changes, and declarative memory

impairment. The magnitude of mood change in patients receiving

prednisone is reportedly associated with previous lifetime

corticosteroid exposure, consistent with a sensitization or kindling

process whereby greater effects are observed with repeated exposure.

To our knowledge, the effect of multiple corticosteroid exposures on

mood and memory has not been previously examined prospectively in

animals or humans. In this study, 30 human volunteers, with no history

of systemic prescription corticosteroid therapy, were given (in random

order using a crossover design) two 3-day exposures of prednisone (60

mg/day) and one of identical placebo, with 11-day washouts between

each medication exposure. Before and after each 3-day

prednisone/placebo exposure, declarative memory was assessed using

different versions of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) to

minimize practice or learning effects, while mood was assessed with

the 21-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Young Mania Rating

Scale and Internal State Scale. No significant mood changes were

found. However, a significant decrease in aspects of RAVLT performance

was observed after the first prednisone exposure consistent with a

decline in declarative memory performance. The decline in RAVLT

performance was significantly smaller after the second prednisone

exposure as compared to the initial prednisone exposure. Thus, a

second prednisone exposure was associated with an attenuated

prednisone-effect on declarative memory. These data suggest tolerance

or habituation, rather than sensitization, to prednisone effects on

declarative memory during a second exposure. Implications and possible

explanations for the findings are discussed.

PMID: 16458545

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16458545

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