Corticosteroid hormonal influence on cranial computerized tomography: observations in the Rhesus monkey

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Endocrinology
• Primate Research

Background:

• Corticosteroids are potent hormones with widespread physiological effects.
• The impact of prolonged corticosteroid exposure on brain structure, particularly in non-human primates, requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of chronic dexamethasone administration on brain morphology and organ weights in Rhesus monkeys.
• To determine if corticosteroid hormones alone can induce cortical atrophy detectable by CT.

Main Methods:

• Postmortem examination and cranial computerized tomography (CT) were performed on Rhesus monkeys treated with dexamethasone and weight-matched controls.
• Measurements included cortical atrophy (perisulcal atrophy, ventricular dilatation), adrenal, brain, and body weights.

Main Results:

• Fifty percent of both dexamethasone-treated and control monkeys exhibited signs of cortical atrophy.
• Marked cortical atrophy changes were observed exclusively in the dexamethasone-treated group.
• Dexamethasone-treated monkeys showed significantly lower adrenal, brain, and body weights compared to controls (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Chronic corticosteroid exposure, such as dexamethasone, may induce CT-detectable cortical atrophy.
• The observed changes suggest that corticosteroid hormones alone can cause cortical atrophy.
• The inconsistency of these changes highlights the probable role of individual susceptibility to corticosteroid effects.