The “Steroid Dementia Syndrome”: A Possible Model of Human Glucocorticoid Neurotoxicity

@article{Wolkowitz2007TheD,
  title={The “Steroid Dementia Syndrome”: A Possible Model of Human Glucocorticoid Neurotoxicity},
  author={Owen M. Wolkowitz and Sonia J. Lupien and Erin D. Bigler},
  journal={Neurocase},
  year={2007},
  volume={13},
  pages={189 - 200}
}
Glucocorticoid medications cause neurotoxicity in animals under certain circumstances, but it is not known if this occurs in humans. We present the case of a 10-year-old boy with no prior psychiatric history and no prior exposure to glucocorticoid medication who received a single 5-week course of glucocorticoids for an acute asthma flare. Beginning during steroid treatment, and persisting for over 3 years after stopping treatment, he showed a significant decline from his pre-morbid academic… 
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41 Citations
Background Citations
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Results Citations
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41 Citations

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This article will focus on the relationships between glucocorticoids and psychiatric symptoms in Cushing's syndrome, major depression, and steroid psychosis/steroid dementia, as well as the effects of exogenously administered glucocORTicoids in normal volunteers.
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A conceptual model of glucocorticoid actions in the brain that may lead to novel therapeutic opportunities is concluded, and correlational and causal evidence will be reviewed.
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A framework for assessment of patients is proposed that incorporates functional, physiological, and molecular biomarkers to identify subgroups of patients at risk for depressive symptomatology associated with glucocorticoid treatment, and for prevention of side effects, which in many cases can be life‐threatening.
A Systematic Review of the Neuropsychological Sequelae of People Diagnosed with Anti N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis in the Acute and Chronic Phases
  • Della Nicolle, J. Moses
  • Psychology
    Archives of clinical neuropsychology : the official journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists
  • 2018
TLDR
The review revealed difficulties with memory, particularly delayed verbal memory, and executive functioning in people diagnosed with anti-NMDAR encephalitis, consistent with the role of NMDA receptors in the limbic system, specifically the hippocampus, which are thought to be essential to aspects of learning and memory.
Neuropsychiatric findings in Cushing syndrome and exogenous glucocorticoid administration.
  • M. Starkman
  • Psychology, Medicine
    Endocrinology and metabolism clinics of North America
  • 2013
Major Depression Cortisol Abnormalities in Major Depression Cortisol ’ s relationship to psychiatric illness
TLDR
This article will focus on the relationships between glucocorticoids and psychiatric symptoms in Cushing’s syndrome, major depression, and steroid psychosis/steroid dementia, as well as the effects of exogenously administered glucocORTicoids in normal volunteers, and develops a conceptual model of glucoc Corticoid actions in the brain that may lead to novel therapeutic opportunities.
Steroid and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cognitive decline, and dementia
Mathematical processing is affected by daily but not cumulative glucocorticoid dose in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
TLDR
Daily prednisolone dose ≥9 mg, but not cumulative glucocorticoid dose, had an independent negative impact on mathematical processing in SLE patients.
Association between Anti-inflammatory Drug and Dementia in Patients with Gout: A Nationwide, Population-Based Nested Case-Control Study
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It is identified that > 90-day corticosteroid administration is a significant dementia risk factor in both female and male patients of all ages, especially in the 50-60-year-old group.
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