Do Corticosteroids Damage the Brain?

Abstract

Corticosteroids are an essential component of the body's homeostatic system. In common with other such systems, this implies that corticosteroid levels in blood and, more importantly, in the tissues remain within an optimal range. It also implies that this range may vary according to circumstance. Lack of corticosteroids, such as untreated Addison's disease, can be fatal in humans. In this review, we are principally concerned with excess or disturbed patterns of circulating corticosteroids in the longer or shorter term, and the effects they have on the brain.

Obstetric and perinatal outcomes among women with blood- and injection phobia during pregnancy

“…Emerging research has also demonstrated that maternal stress during pregnancy can result in changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and elevated levels of stress hormones (particularly cortisol) with premature labor, shortened pregnancy length, low birth weight and impaired fetal brain development as a consequence (Copper et al, 1996;Diego et al, 2006;Field et al, 2006;Gitau et al, 1998;Obel et al, 2005;Sandman et al, 1994;Wadhwa et al, 1993;Weinstock, 2005). In addition to the problems mentioned above, there is evidence that children born with low birth weight have more problems later in life with increased likelihood of corticoid sensitive disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and increased anxiety and exaggerated stress responses (Beltrand and Lévy-Marchal, 2008;Bonamy et al, 2008;Emack et al, 2008;Herbert et al, 2006).…”

Putting the concept of biological embedding in historical perspective

“…Consensus, however, has been slow to reach because of the complexities of studying human diurnal cortisol secretion, the influence of sleep/ wakening, exposure to drugs and medications, and shift work. Although latent, pathway and cumulative effects of adversity on the HPA axis all seem to dysregulate the HPA axis (24,41); dysregulation, in turn, may present as either hypo-or hypersecretion, either of which may have adverse consequences, whereas the midrange may have the most favorable outcomes (42)(43)(44)(45). When this "U-shaped" pattern of association applies, traditional linear statistics will often provide false-negative, or inconsistent, results among studies that unwittingly sample from different parts of the "U."…”

Not fade away: the HPA axis and depression

“…In animal experimental studies there is also evidence that excess cortisol secretion can facilitate neurotoxicity, again particularly in the hippocampus. Structural imaging has revealed that patients with recurrent depression exhibit evidence of hippocampal atrophy, which could be a long-term consequence of excess cortisol secretion (see Herbert et al 2006).…”