ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020; 105(8):dgaa340.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32497228/Here, the authors investigated whether prenatal treatment with dexamethasone (DEX) in the first trimester is associated with alterations of brain morphology on MRI scans. Observed MRI alterations were not linked to any alterations in cognitive function or mood, but were associated with DNA methylation in ...

To read the full abstract: Cereb Cortex. 2020; 30(5): 2777–2788. PMID: 31819952.Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), most commonly caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency, is an autosomal recessively inherited life-threatening impairment in cortisol and, in the severe salt wasting form, aldosterone synthesis. The implementation of neonatal screening programs for CAH and the continuous imp...

Brief summary: This study investigated the brain structure in young adult patients with autoimmune Addison’s disease (AAD). It found that patients with AAD had a 4.3% smaller total brain volume but no major differences in subcortical structures compared to healthy controls.Both short- and long-term disruptions in cortisol concentrations and rhythmicity affect brain structure development. Animal studies have shown that both pre- and postnatal disturb...