Endocrine Abstracts

Cognitive decline with ageing is highly variable, with some individuals showing minimal change, and others developing dementias. Clinically significant cognitive impairment is among the most important unmet medical needs worldwide: currently there are virtually no generally accepted effective prevention strategies or treatments.Ageing is associated with multiple changes in hormone levels and target tissue sensitivity. There is a rapidly growing evidence ...

Elevated cortisol in Cushing's syndrome or ageing is associated with cognitive dysfunction. 11beta-HSD1 is expressed in rodent hippocampus and frontal cortex, regions important for cognition. In cultured rat hippocampal neurons, 11beta-HSD1 regenerates corticosterone from inert 11-dehydrocorticosterone and its inhibition by carbenoxolone is neuroprotective. 11beta-HSD1 knockout mice are protected against age-related cognitive dysfunction. We hypothesised that in elderly humans...

(This poster is based on OC41)...