Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Category Archives: Research Summaries

Neuropsychological and Emotional Functioning in Patients with Cushing’s Syndrome

Sabrina Na, Mary A Fernandes, Adriana G Ioachimescu, Suzanne Penna.  Behavioural Neurology.  2020, article id 4064370, https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/4064370

Changes in structure and function of the brain during Cushing’s have been documented, and we patients know from personal experience the cognitive and emotional difficulties faced during active disease and post-op.  Patients treated at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, GA are referred for in-depth testing to the neuropsychology department, and doctors are now able to begin reporting data based on the collective results.  This study compared 18 patients – 11 in active Cushing’s and 7 in remission – on several points including attention, cognitive flexibility, and self-reported depression and anxiety.  The goals of the study were to look at neuropsychological and emotional functioning with emphasis on attention and memory.

The results are complex and go into detail far beyond anything we could accurately summarize here, so if this is a topic of interest to you we enthusiastically suggest that you read the article in depth.  Co-author Dr. Suzanne Penna gave a highly rated presentation on this topic at our patient conference in 2019; you can access that video and all other materials from that meeting at https://csrf.net/patientconference2019/.

View Full Report

Bilateral Adrenalectomy in 21st Century: When to Use it for Hypercortisolism?

The purpose of this study was to examine existing treatments and outcomes for a variety of pituitary, adrenal, and ectopic tumors in comparison to treatment with a bilateral adrenalectomy (BLA).  Two major sources of research and other medical literature from 1950 through 2015 were searched using six related terms.  The results were analyzed with specificContinue Reading

A Quality of Life Comparison Between US & German Patients

On September 3, 2018, Dr. Ilonka Kreitschmann-Andermahr of the University of Duisburg-Essen and her team received news that the manuscript for their first-of-its-kind, patient-reported quality of life research had been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Endocrinology.  The CSRF was happy to participate in this research, with former Director Karen Campbell contributing valuableContinue Reading

Marked Response of Hypermutated ACTH-Secreting Pituitary Carcinoma to Ipilimumab and Nivolumab

In this case, a 40-year-old female with Cushing’s was being treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in NYC for an aggressive ACTH-secreting pituitary carcinoma.  She had tried several treatments including multiple surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy.  It had metastasized to her liver, and the pituitary tumor was producing ACTH at extremely high levels –Continue Reading

Connect


Contact Us