LACK OF ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CORTISOL HYPERSECRETION AND NONSUPPRESSION ON THE DST IN PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

Among 23 patients with Alzheimer's disease, 11 (48%) exhibited cortiso l hypersecretion (greater than or equal to 11.8 mu g/dl) and nine (39% ) displayed cortisol nonsuppression on the dexamethasone suppression t est. Only four patients exhibited both neuroendocrine abnormalities, d emonstrating a lack of association between these two neuroendocrine di sturbances of over 50%. Twenty-two of the 23 patients were studied for 4 1/2 years, and 14 died during that period. Six of the eight survivi ng patients exhibited cortisol hypersecretion without cortisol nonsupp ression.