Dehydroepiandrosterone impacts working memory by shaping cortico-hippocampal structural covariance during development

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is implicated in brain development and cognitive functions.
• Existing research suggests DHEA may enhance brain plasticity and working memory, but underlying neuroanatomical mechanisms are unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between DHEA levels, cortico-hippocampal structural covariance, and working memory in a pediatric cohort.
• To elucidate the neuroanatomical pathways through which DHEA influences cognitive development.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of 216 participants (ages 6-22) over 4 years.
• Assessed DHEA levels, spatial working memory performance, and parent-reported working memory.
• Utilized structural covariance analysis to examine brain connectivity patterns.

Main Results:

• Elevated DHEA levels correlated with altered insular-hippocampal and occipito-hippocampal structural covariance.
• DHEA-associated insular-hippocampal covariance predicted poorer spatial working memory but better parent-rated overall working memory.

Conclusions:

• DHEA may modulate cortical functions supporting general attention and working memory.
• DHEA might hinder the development of hippocampal-to-cortical connections crucial for spatial memory encoding.