Endocrine Abstracts

JOINT2268

Background: Higher levels of cortisol have been observed in persons with cognitive decline and dementia. However, studies investigating cognitive function among healthy people with different cortisol levels are scarce.

Objective and methods: To evaluate neurocognitive function among healthy people with different cortisol levels, 241 healthy people with a morning serum cortisol level <300 umol/l were recruited. Based on serum cortisol level tertiles, voluteers were divided into three groups. All volunteers underwent a battery of validated neuropsychological tests and rest-state function MRI (rs-fMRI).

Results: Adults in high tertiles of serum cortisol displayed a significantly decreased score on MoCA, compared to those in the middle and low tertiles(P < 0. 05). Performance on delayed recall and visuospatial and executive functions domains gradually deteriorated with increases in serum cortisol levels(All P < 0. 05). Among rs-fMRI parameters, no significant difference was observed in voxel-based morphometry (VBM). And meanwhile, mean amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (mALFF) significantly decreased in the middle occipital gyrus, inferior occipital gyrus, angular gyrus and superior parietal gyrus among adults in high tertiles of serum cortisol, compared to the other two groups.

Conclusion: We suggest that cortisol level might be associated with cognition function among healthy people.