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Published Online: 1 June 2007

Preventive Effect of β-Adrenoceptor Blockade on Glucocorticoid-Induced Memory Retrieval Deficits

Publication: American Journal of Psychiatry

Abstract

Objective: Elevated glucocorticoid levels impair retrieval of emotional information, and animal studies indicate that this effect depends on concurrent emotional arousal-induced increases in noradrenergic transmission within the brain. The authors investigated whether the β-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol blocks glucocorticoid-induced memory retrieval impairments in human subjects. Method: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 42 healthy volunteers were presented a set of words with variable emotionality and asked to learn them for recall. A day later, cortisone (25 mg), propranolol (40 mg), or both drugs were administered orally 1 hour before a free-recall test. Results: Cortisone selectively impaired the recall of emotionally arousing words by 42%. This impairment was blocked by the concurrent administration of propranolol. Propranolol alone did not affect recall of either emotional or neutral words. Conclusions: A pharmacological blockade of β-adrenoceptors prevents glucocorticoid-induced memory retrieval deficits in human subjects. This finding may have important implications for the treatment of memory deficits in hypercortisolemic states, such as stress and depression.

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Go to American Journal of Psychiatry
Go to American Journal of Psychiatry
American Journal of Psychiatry
Pages: 967 - 969
PubMed: 17541058

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Published online: 1 June 2007
Published in print: June, 2007

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Dominique J.-F. de Quervain, M.D.
Benno Roozendaal, Ph.D.

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