Cortisol-dehydroepiandrosterone ratios are inversely associated with hippocampal and prefrontal brain volume in schizophrenia

Ji, Ellen; Weickert, Cynthia Shannon; Purves-Tyson, Tertia; White, Christopher; Handelsman, David J; Desai, Reena; O'Donnell, Maryanne; Liu, Dennis; Galletly, Cherrie; Lenroot, Rhoshel; Weickert, Thomas W

doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104916

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Ji, E., Weickert, C. S., Purves-Tyson, T., White, C., Handelsman, D. J., Desai, R., O’Donnell, M., Liu, D., Galletly, C., Lenroot, R., & Weickert, T. W. (2021). Cortisol-dehydroepiandrosterone ratios are inversely associated with hippocampal and prefrontal brain volume in schizophrenia. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 123, 104916. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104916

Abstract

While high levels of glucocorticoids are generally neuro-damaging, a related adrenal steroid, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), has anti-glucocorticoid and neuroprotective properties. Previous work has shown increased circulating levels of DHEA and abnormal cortisol/DHEA ratios in people with schizophrenia, however reports are limited and their relationship to neuropathology is unclear. We performed the largest study to date to compare levels of serum DHEA and cortisol/DHEA ratios in people with schizophrenia and healthy controls, and in