Table 3.
Summary of cortisol changes detected in Huntington’s disease and other functional tests of HPA-axis regulation.
| Condition | Measurable | Directionality of change | Clinical/preclinical | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD | Cortisol levels | Basal serum/plasma | Increased | Clinical | (40, 399, 400, 407) |
| Preclinical | 6-week R6/2 transgenic line: (402) | ||||
| Unchanged | Clinical | Single cohort of female patients: (383) | |||
| Preclinical | 12-week R6/1 transgenic line: (412) | ||||
| Decreased | Clinical | Specific to non-depressed patients: (403) | |||
| CSF | No data available | ||||
| Dexamethasone suppression test | Suppression | Clinical | (399, 410) | ||
| Preclinical | (412) | ||||
| Non-suppression | – | ||||
| CRH challenge | Clinical | Greater cortisol peak: (399) | |||
| Preclinical | Normative corticosterone peak in DEX-CRH challenge: (412) | ||||
| ACTH challenge | Clinical | No clinical data available | |||
| Preclinical | Elevated corticosterone peak in DEX-ACTH challenge: (412) | ||||
Note the absence of preclinical evidence from other rodent models of HD besides R6 transgenic mouse lines.