Abstract #3348

Dexamethasone Effects on Brain Function in Normal Healthy Subjects: a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Approach

Trina Kok¹, Bernice Oh², Fatima Nasrallah¹, Mary Stephenson¹, Chin-Ian Tay Tony², Edwynn Kean-Hui Chiew², Johnson Fam², and Allen Eng-Juh Yeoh²

¹A*STAR-NUS Clinical Imaging Research Centre, Singapore, Singapore, ²National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore

Dexamethasone (DEX) is commonly used at varying dosages to treat a range of diseases such as altitude sickness and leukemia. Current reports of neuropsychiatric and cognitive effects after DEX administration lack determination of the pathophysiological mechanism of such effects. This work aims to investigate the neurotoxic effects of DEX in healthy subjects by collecting MR structural and 1H spectroscopy data. Analysis showed a significant reduction in brain volume structures and hippocampal GABA/water (p < 0.02) ratio from start to end of DEX administration, which is recovered after a washout period.

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