Antiglucocorticoid Therapy for Cognitive Impairment in Late-life Anxiety Disorders

Summary

This study seeks to develop and test a novel, mechanistic treatment for mitigating cognitive impairment in older adults with anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders are common, severe, and disabling in older adults. One particularly impairing aspect of late-life anxiety disorders is cognitive impairment: impairments in memory and executive function cause disability, impede treatment response to psychotherapy, may lead to dementia, and are not corrected by standard anti-anxiety treatments. This pilot study will test the glucocorticoid antagonist, mifepristone, for cognitive impairment in late-life anxiety disorders. Mifepristone blocks the effects of elevated cortisol levels on glucocorticoid receptors in the brain; it has been studied preliminarily in various neuropsychiatric disorders, such as psychotic depression and bipolar disorder, with well-documented safety and tolerability.

Timeline

Start

2012-09

Primary completion

2013-04

Completion

2013-04

Publications

• Results Lenze EJ, Hershey T, Newcomer JW, Karp JF, Blumberger D, Anger J, Dore P, Dixon D. Antiglucocorticoid therapy for older adults with anxiety and co-occurring cognitive dysfunction: results from a pilot study with mifepristone. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2014 Sep;29(9):962-9. doi: 10.1002/gps.4085. Epub 2014 Mar 14.

Drugs

Indications