Scientists from the University of Bristol have found that long-term steroid use can impair memory. Findings published in the journal PNAS.
Glucocorticoids, also known as steroids, are the most commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs for a number of conditions, including allergies, asthma, arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. However, they often have adverse effects on mood, sleep, and memory, and many patients prescribed steroids report cognitive decline and memory impairment.
In experiments on rodents, scientists found that even a relatively short course of steroids – methylprednisolone for five days – caused memory impairment in animals.
Analysis of the rodent brain showed that the hippocampus (an important area of the brain for memory and learning) changed significantly as a result of treatment. That’s what caused the memory deficit.
Scientists have also found that long-term steroid therapy can contribute to the brain fog many people experience while taking these drugs.
The scientists’ discovery could aid the development of drugs to treat memory disorders while taking steroids.