What can be done to improve concentration and memory problems with Cushings?
Resolution or control of cortisol issues may help normalize these functions. Treatment of depression may also help. Stimulant medications, like Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, Metadate, methylphenidate, dextroamphetamine, have demonstrated benefits on concentration, attention, and organization. They may help with memory if memory impairment is affected by loss of concentration. Caution should be used with patients who have high blood pressure. Are the memory and concentration impairments caused by Cushing’s reversible? The brain does not function normally in any respect in a high-cortisol state. Research done by Monica Starkman et al at the University of Michigan demonstrated actual decreased brain volume in certain areas of the brain associated with elevated cortisol levels, stress, or both. One area of the brain most affected is the hippocampus, an area critical in memory. Normalization of cortisol levels does produce some reversal of this low-volume state, and some who have had Cushing
