Table 1 Summary of reports linking DHEA to neurodegenerative diseases and neurocognitive disorders

Alzheimer’s disease

Significant decrease in serum DHEA and DHEAS levels when compared to aged-matched control patients

[165,166,167,168,169,170,171,171]

Schizophrenia

Data on both sides of the spectrum associate both abnormally elevated and declining levels of DHEA/DHEAS with the disease. This opposing data could be related to the heterogeneity of the disease itself, as well as other comorbid aetiological factors, which adds complexity to interpretation of this data.

[172,173,174,175,176,177,178]

Multiple Sclerosis

Significantly higher CSF DHEA concentrations in relapsed patients relative to control patients with stable neurological disease

[179]

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Increased plasma DHEA and DHEAS levels when compared to unaffected control patients

[180,181,182,183,184,185,186]