HPA AXIS FUNCTION IN DEPRESSION AND DEMENTIA - A REVIEW

This article reviews recent advances in the understanding of hypothala mic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) dysfunction in depression and dementia. Al though the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) has proved disappointi ng as a diagnostic test, more recent tests of HPA axis function have n ot yet been adequately investigated in this regard. There is mounting evidence from both animal and human studies that a complex interrelati onship exists between mood, age, cognitive function, brain structure a nd HPA axis dysfunction. To explore this relationship further, studies combining clinical, neuroimaging and neuroendocrine investigation are required.