Why the study?
Does chronic heavy drinking result in hypercortisolism and subsequent hippocampal volume loss?
Does chronic heavy drinking result in hypercortisolism and subsequent hippocampal volume loss?
Early data suggest chronic heavy drinking is associated with high salivary cortisol, but its direct role in hippocampal volume loss requires further investigation in larger cohorts.
Chronic heavy drinking may elevate salivary cortisol; leaves open any direct role in hippocampal atrophy pending longitudinal data.
These early data in a small sample support the view that chronic heavy drinking results in high salivary cortisol concentrations. What remains unclear is whether hypercortisolism exerts a selectively injurious effect that results in observed hippocampus volume loss. Further research in larger groups using more frequent, monitored sampling must address the following: (1) whether this finding can be replicated and (2) if replicated, whether the lack of an association between low hippocampal volumes and high cortisol levels may indicate an extent of injury beyond which a normal association of the two may be lost.
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Beresford et al. (2006) studied this question.
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