Related Psychiatric Disorders Research Articles

Bipolar disorder in children and adolescents: diagnostic inpatient rates from 2000 to 2013 in Germany.

BackgroundDespite growing consensus on nosology and epidemiology of bipolar disorder (BD) in minors, differences remain. We contribute to this discussion by measuring long-term trends in the inpatient discharge rates of BD in minors.MethodsNationwide German inpatient discharge diagnoses of BD and other related psychiatric disorders were mapped between 2008 and 2013 using registry data from the German Federal Health Monitoring System. This was compared with previously published data, 2000–2007, to assess long-term trends in diagnosis of BD at discharge. Long-term trends (2000–2013) were also computed.ResultsDischarge diagnosis of BD increased by 18% (2.02–2.46 per 100,000) in minors. There was a significant increase of 24.1% in adolescents 15–19 years old (6.56–8.14 per 100,000). BD, at discharge, as a proportion of all psychiatric disorders, increased from 0.26% in 2008 to 0.27% in 2013. When analysing long-term trends (2000–2013), the rates for BD increased significantly as did trends for all mental disorders, except for psychotic disorders, which fell by almost 14%. Between 2000 and 2013, the rate for depression in minors increased by 730%.LimitationsThe dataset consisted of cross-sectional administrative data points with diagnoses based on clinical criteria.ConclusionsThe rate of BD as a discharge diagnosis in German minors has increased significantly, consistently exceeding the general trend for a rise in rates for mental disorders. Overall, the rate of discharge diagnosis of BD from inpatient units in Germany remains a small proportion of all psychiatric diagnoses.

Female infertility, infertility-associated diagnoses, and comorbidities: a review.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate existing literature for possible associations between female infertility, infertility-associated diagnoses, and the following areas of disease: psychiatric disorders, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic dysfunction. The design of the study is a literature review. The patients were women included in 26 selected studies due to a diagnosis of infertility or a reproductive disorder associated with infertility. This study has no interventions, and the main outcome measure is the association between female infertility or a related diagnosis and psychiatric disorders, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic dysfunction. Female infertility and related reproductive disorders may have ramifications for women beyond reproductive health. An analysis of publications shows that women with infertility had higher rates of psychiatric disorders and endometrial cancer than the general population [1-10]. Data is conflicting about whether infertile women are at increased risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer [7, 8, 10-20]. A generalized diagnosis of infertility was not clearly associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease or metabolic dysfunction, but women with infertility related to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) do appear more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders such as diabetes than the general population [16, 21-26]. Female infertility and associated diagnoses have overall health implications. Beyond treatment of patients' immediate reproductive needs, healthcare professionals must be aware of the broader health impact of specific causes of infertility in order to provide accurate counseling regarding long-term risk.

Histone Lysine Demethylases of JMJD2 or KDM4 Family are Important Epigenetic Regulators in Reward Circuitry in the Etiopathology of Depression.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is debilitating mental illness and is one of the leading contributors to global burden of disease, but unfortunately newer and better drugs are not forthcoming. The reason is lack of complete understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying the development of this disorder. Recent research shows dysregulation in epigenetic regulatory mechanisms, particularly the transcriptionally repressive di- and tri-methylation of histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9me2/me3) in nucleus accumbens (NAc), a critical region of the reward pathway involved in the development of anhedonia, the hallmark of depression. However, the role of histone lysine demethylases, which can remove methylation from H3K9, in particular Jumonji domain containing demethylases 2 or Jmjd2 family, has not been studied. Using social defeat stress-induced mouse model of depression, this study uncovered that transcripts of most of the Jmjd2 members were unchanged after 5 days of defeat during the onset of depression, but were downregulated after 10 days of defeat in full-blown depression. Blocking the Jumonji domain containing demethylases by chronic administration of inhibitors dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) and ML324 resulted in depression-like phenotype even in absence of stress exposure, which was associated with an increase in transcriptionally repressive epigenetic marks H3K9me2/me3 in NAc, causing altered neuroplastic changes as reported in NAc in depression models. Thus, we report for the first time that Jmjd2 class demethylases are critical epigenetic regulators involved in etiopathology of depression and related disorders and activation of these demethylases can be a good strategy in the treatment of MDD and related psychiatric disorders.

Experimental treatment of antipsychotic-induced movement disorders.

Antipsychotic drugs are extensively prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia and other related psychiatric disorders. These drugs produced their action by blocking dopamine (DA) receptors, and these receptors are widely present throughout the brain. Therefore, extended antipsychotic use also leads to severe extrapyramidal side effects. The short-term effects include parkinsonism and the later appearing tardive dyskinesia. Currently available treatments for these disorders are mostly symptomatic and insufficient, and are often linked with a number of detrimental side effects. Antipsychotic-drug-induced tardive dyskinesia prompted researchers to explore novel drugs with fewer undesirable extrapyramidal side effects. Preclinical studies suggest a role of 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin)-1A and 2A/2C receptors in the modulation of dopaminergic neurotransmission and motivating a search for better therapeutic strategies for schizophrenia and related disorders. In addition, adjunctive treatment with antioxidants such as vitamin E, red rice bran oil, and curcumin in the early phases of illness may prevent additional oxidative injury, and thus improve and prevent further possible worsening of related neurological and behavioral deficits in schizophrenia. This review explains the role of serotonergic receptors and oxidative stress, with the aim of providing principles for prospect development of compounds to improve therapeutic effects of antischizophrenic drugs.

The role of the ITIH3 rs2535629 variant in antipsychotic response

IntroductionThere is mounting evidence that schizophrenia risk variants influence response to antipsychotic medication. Common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in or near the inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H3 (ITIH3) gene have been repeatedly associated with schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders in genome-wide association studies. Here, we provide the first study to assess the relevance of the ITIH3 rs2535629 SNP in response to antipsychotic medication. MethodsThe rs2535629 SNP was genotyped in N=256 patients receiving various antipsychotics for up to 26weeks. Treatment response was assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) including its positive and negative subscales. Follow-up analyses were performed after stratifying for ethnicity and medication. ResultsWe found significant association of rs2535629 with improvement of negative symptoms in patients of European ancestry after six months of clozapine treatment (F1,87=8.8, pcorr=0.032). Patients homozygous for the minor A-allele showed the best improvement of negative BPRS scores. However, we observed no association between rs2535629 and changes in total BPRS score in the entire sample or the clozapine-treated subgroup. DiscussionAlthough there was no association of genotype with overall changes in BPRS scores, the greater improvement of negative symptoms in minor allele carriers indicates that rs2535629 may help to identify a subset of schizophrenia patients with better treatment response to clozapine. Therefore, our findings provide the first suggestive evidence that rs2535629 is relevant in antipsychotic response.

Early life stress predicts thalamic hyperconnectivity: A transdiagnostic study of global connectivity

Early life stress (ELS) is an established risk factor for psychiatric illness and is associated with altered functional connectivity within- and between intrinsic neural networks. The widespread nature of these disruptions suggests that broad imaging measures of neural connectivity, such as global based connectivity (GBC), may be particularly appropriate for studies of this population. GBC is designed to identify brain regions having maximal functional connectedness with the rest of the brain, and alterations in GBC may reflect a restriction or broadening of network synchronization. We evaluated whether ELS severity predicted GBC in a sample (N = 46) with a spectrum of ELS exposure. Participants included healthy controls without ELS, those with at least moderate ELS but without psychiatric disorders, and a group of patients with ELS- related psychiatric disorders. The spatial distribution of GBC peaked in regions of the salience and default mode networks, and ELS severity predicted increased GBC of the left thalamus (corrected p < 0.005, r = 0.498). Thalamic connectivity was subsequently evaluated and revealed reduced connectivity with the salience network, particularly the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (corrected p < 0.005), only in the patient group. These findings support a model of disrupted thalamic connectivity in ELS and trauma-related negative affect states, and underscore the importance of a transdiagnostic, dimensional neuroimaging approach to understanding the sequelae of trauma exposure.

Early interventions in risk groups for schizophrenia: what are we waiting for?

Intervention strategies in adolescents at ultra high-risk (UHR) for psychosis are promising for reducing conversion to overt illness, but have only limited impact on functional outcome. Recent studies suggest that cognition does not further decline during the UHR stage. As social and cognitive impairments typically develop before the first psychotic episode and even years before the UHR stage, prevention should also start much earlier in the groups at risk for schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. Early intervention strategies could aim to improve stress resilience, optimize brain maturation, and prevent or alleviate adverse environmental circumstances. These strategies should urgently be tested for efficacy: the prevalence of ~1% implies that yearly ~22 in every 100,000 people develop overt symptoms of this illness, despite the fact that for many of them—e.g., children with an affected first-degree family member or carriers of specific genetic variants—increased risk was already identifiable early in life. Our current ability to recognize several risk groups at an early age not only provides an opportunity, but also implies a clinical imperative to act. Time is pressing to investigate preventive interventions in high-risk children to mitigate or prevent the development of schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders.

Association of comorbid psychopathology with the duration of cannabis use disorders.

Risk factors for the development of cannabis use disorders (CUDs) have been well-researched. Comparatively little is known, however, about factors associated with the persistence of CUDs over time. This research explored whether the temporal sequencing of comorbid psychiatric disorders in relation to the onset of the index CUD episode were associated with the length of this episode. Four comprehensive diagnostic assessments were conducted between ages 16 and 30 with a large and regionally representative community sample (n = 816), among which 173 persons were diagnosed with a lifetime CUD. In separate unadjusted analyses, any internalizing disorder and any mood disorder with onset prior to that of the index CUD episode were each significantly and negatively associated with CUD duration. These effects, however, were reduced to trend level in adjusted analyses that controlled for putative confounders. Following the onset of the index CUD episode, the subsequent occurrence of any Axis I disorder, internalizing disorder, externalizing disorder, or other substance use disorder during the index CUD episode was significantly and positively associated with the duration of that episode in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses. These findings collectively suggest that the presence of internalizing-spectrum disorders prior to the onset of the index CUD episode affords some modest protection against protracted episodes, whereas the emergence of broad-spectrum psychopathology within the index CUD episode, most notably noncannabis substance use disorders, is associated with greater disorder persistence. The relevance of these findings for various motivational models of cannabis addiction is discussed.

Subcortical neuromorphometry in schizophrenia spectrum and bipolar disorders.

BackgroundDisorders within the schizophrenia spectrum genetically overlap with bipolar disorder, yet questions remain about shared biological phenotypes. Investigation of brain structure in disease has been enhanced by developments in shape analysis methods that can identify subtle regional surface deformations. Our study aimed to identify brain structure surface deformations that were common across related psychiatric disorders, and characterize differences.MethodsUsing the automated FreeSurfer-initiated Large Deformation Diffeomorphic Metric Mapping, we examined volumes and shapes of seven brain structures: hippocampus, amygdala, caudate, nucleus accumbens, putamen, globus pallidus and thalamus. We compared findings in controls (CON; n = 40), and those with schizophrenia (SCZ; n = 52), schizotypal personality disorder (STP; n = 12), psychotic bipolar disorder (P-BP; n = 49) and nonpsychotic bipolar disorder (N-BP; n = 24), aged 15–35. Relationships between morphometric measures and positive, disorganized and negative symptoms were also investigated.ResultsInward deformation was present in the posterior thalamus in SCZ, P-BP and N-BP; and in the subiculum of the hippocampus in SCZ and STP. Most brain structures however showed unique shape deformations across groups. Correcting for intracranial size resulted in volumetric group differences for caudate (p < 0.001), putamen (p < 0.01) and globus pallidus (p < 0.001). Shape analysis showed dispersed patterns of expansion on the basal ganglia in SCZ. Significant clinical relationships with hippocampal, amygdalar and thalamic volumes were observed.ConclusionsFew similarities in surface deformation patterns were seen across groups, which may reflect differing neuropathologies. Posterior thalamic contraction in SCZ and BP suggest common genetic or environmental antecedents. Surface deformities in SCZ basal ganglia may have been due to antipsychotic drug effects.

Anxiolytic potential of astaxanthin on experimental animal model

Background: Astaxanthin is a naturally occurring carotenoid found in nature primarily in marine organisms. Carotenoids are well known for their therapeutic benefits in the aging process and various diseases, because of their antioxidant properties. Additionally, astaxanthin has well-documented anti-inflammatory and immune-stimulating effects. It is a known fact that oxidative stress is associated with depression, anxiety, and related psychiatric disorders. Astaxanthin may also reduce oxidative stress in the nervous system, reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Although astaxanthin has the ability to cross the blood–brain barrier and has a beneficial effect on the CNS, the effects of astaxanthin on anxiety and depression have not been reported. Methods: In this study, to investigate the effects of astaxanthin on anxiety, we performed some behavioural tests including elevated plus maze test, hole-board test, light/dark exploration test. Results: In elevated plus maze test the time spent in the closed arm by astaxanthin treated rats was significantly (P <0.05) decreased as compared to control. The number of readings in both the arms was significantly (P <0.05) increased in astaxanthin treated rats as compared to control. In hole board apparatus, it showed anxiolytic response by significantly reduced the number of head poking. Increased number of entries in the bright side and decrease of time spent by the animal in dark side were observed in the light/dark exploration test. Conclusions: The present study indicates that Astaxanthin produces anxiolytic response at the dose of 3 mg/kg on experimental animal model.

Conduct Disorder Related to Poly Substance Abuse in Adolescence

Background: In adolescents psychiatric disorders bring forth by substances are moving forward. Objective: To inspect the substance related psychiatric disorder in adolescence. Results: The current study describes the connection of substance abuse and psychiatric disorders in teenagers. Discussion: This study illuminates that addictive substances and drugs such as benzodiazepines, cannabis and opioids may induce severe psychiatric disorders such as conduct disorder in adolescents. Therefore, these findings might add new data to the literature. Conclusions: It could be concluded that opioids, cannabis and benzodiazepines might induce severe psychiatric disorders in the youths.

Validity of Beck′s depression inventory and alcohol use disorders identification test in Nigeria′s Niger Delta region

Background: The Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) and Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) have been validated for use in the study of alcohol related psychiatric disorders in the developed world as well as in Western Nigeria, but not in the Niger Delta Region. Aim: To ascertain the psychometric properties of BDI and AUDIT for use in this part of the world using psychiatric out-patients at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Methods: Four hundred and seventy (470) subjects were enlisted into the study using systematic sampling technique. The BDI and AUDIT were administered to each of them. One hundred and eighty five (185) subjects met the criteria for the second stage viz; a score of 18 and above on the BDI and/or a score of 5 and above on the AUDIT. Diagnoses of Depression and Alcohol Use Disorder were made using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). The data were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 16.0 Results: The sensitivity and specificity of the BDI were 96.3% and 58.8% respectively. The positive and negative predictive values of BDI were 86% and 85.7% respectively. Also, the sensitivity and specificity of the AUDIT were 100% and 92.1%. Furthermore, the positive and negative predictive values of the AUDIT were 85.5% and 100% respectively. Conclusion: The BDI and AUDIT have excellent psychometric properties; hence they are valid for carrying out studies on alcohol related psychiatric disorders.

Demographic and clinical features of patients with substance-induced mental disorders admitted to the psychiatric hospital in Kermanshah, Iran

Background: Evaluating the prevalence and clinical features of substance induced mental disorders leading hospitalization is important in programming for better management of these disorders. There is a lack of studies investigated the pattern of drugs leading admission in mental hospitals.Objectives: To evaluate demographic and clinical features of patients with substance induced mental disorders admitted to Farabi psychiatric hospital in Kermanshah, Iran.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in 2013. 359 patients whom admitted with substance related psychiatric disorders were evaluated using demographic questionnaire, clinical and paraclinical exams. patients diagnosed with primary mental disorders, and mental disorders due to other medical condition were excluded.Results: The participant's mean age was 31.44 years. The most of the patients were unemployed males with low education living in urban areas. Amphetamines in 289 (80.5%), opioids in 57 (15.8%), cannabis in 11(3.1%), and benzodiazepines in 2 (0.6%) patients were the main drugs leading admission. Amphetamine induced psychotic disorder with hallucination (40.4%) were the most common diagnosis among the study subjects.Discussion: Amphetamines was the most problematic drug in our setting and amphetamine induced mental disorders were the most prevalent causes of hospitalization. Opioids induced psychiatric disorders were in the second rank.

Addictive behaviors and personality traits in adolescents.

Behavioral addictions refer to repeated dysfunctional behaviors that do not involve the ingestion of addictive substances. Studies on the association between behavioral addictions and personality traits have noted in individuals with problematic behaviors a high proclivity toward impulsivity and sensation-seeking and a low predisposition to harm avoidance. The majority of these studies have focused on adults, while far fewer have involved adolescents. The study population was 109 high school students (age range 15-18 years) in Turin, Italy. Participants completed an assessment that comprised a demographic questionnaire and 3 self-report questionnaires: the Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire (SPQ), the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), and the Multidimensional Questionnaire for Adolescents (QMA). A gender-related difference in the risk of developing an addictive behavior was observed, with a significantly higher percentage of risk seen for several addiction tendencies among the males. Statistically significant correlations emerged between some personality determinants and certain addictive behaviors. The study pinpoints epidemiological indicators for the extent of this growing problem among adolescents. The findings have implications for identifying protection factors and risk factors for addictive behaviors and related psychiatric disorders, and the development of primary prevention strategies derived from such factors.

Toward a Deeper Understanding of the Genetics of Bipolar Disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a common, complex psychiatric disorder characterized by mania and depression. The disease aggregates in families, but despite much effort, it has been difficult to delineate the basic genetic model or identify specific genetic risk factors. Not only single gene Mendelian transmission and common variant hypotheses but also multivariate threshold models and oligogenic quasi-Mendelian modes of inheritance have dominated the discussion at times. Almost complete sequence information of the human genome and falling sequencing costs now offer the opportunity to test these models in families in which the disorder is transmitted over several generations. Exome-wide sequencing studies have revealed an astonishing number of rare and potentially damaging mutations in brain-expressed genes that could have contributed to the disease manifestation. However, the statistical analysis of these data has been challenging, because genetic risk factors displayed a high degree of dissimilarity across families. This scenario is not unique to bipolar disorder, but similar results have also been found in schizophrenia, a potentially related psychiatric disorder. Recently, our group has published data which supported an oligogenic genetic model of transmission in a family with bipolar disorder. In this family, three affected siblings shared rare, damaging mutations in multiple genes, which were linked to stress response pathways. These pathways are also the target for drugs frequently used to treat bipolar disorder. This article discusses these findings in the context of previously proclaimed disease models and suggests future research directions, including biological confirmation and phenotype stratification as an approach to disease heterogeneity.

Risky Business: Behavioral Profiles of Sexually-Impulsive Adults in the United States

The goal of the present study is to clarify the heterogeneity of risky behav- iors (such as substance use, gambling, and crime) and psychiatric disorders among a large sample of 5304 nationally representative adults who acknowledge engaging in sexually-impulsive behaviors. Participants were selected from more than 43,000 re- spondents of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups of sexually-impulsive individuals and then multinomial regression was used to identify the relative risk for comorbidity with related impulsive behaviors or psychiatric disorders. Results showed that a four class solution provided the best fit and revealed higher odds of experiencing specific comorbid risky behaviors or psychiatric disorders based on class membership. Results challenge the widely held notion that self-regulatory behaviors are impacted globally, and instead suggest that certain self-regulatory behaviors are more likely to be impacted when other underlying conditions are present in sexually-impulsive individ- uals. Implications of this heterogeneity and recommendations for health care providers are discussed.

Association of Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR) rs53576 Polymorphism with Sociality: A Meta-Analysis

A common variant in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), rs53576, has been broadly linked to socially related personality traits and behaviors. However, the pattern of published results is inconsistent. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate the association. The literature was searched for relevant studies and effect sizes between individuals homozygous for the G allele (GG) and individuals with A allele carriers (AA/AG). Specifically, two indices of sociality were evaluated independently: i) general sociality (24 samples, n = 4955), i.e., how an individual responds to other people in general; and ii) close relationships (15 samples, n = 5262), i.e., how an individual responds to individuals with closed connections (parent-child or romantic relationship). We found positive association between the rs53576 polymorphism and general sociality (Cohen’s d = 0.11, p = .02); G allele homozygotes had higher general sociality than the A allele carriers. However, the meta-analyses did not detect significant genetic association between rs53576 and close relationships (Cohen’s d = 0.01, p = .64). In conclusion, genetic variation in the rs53576 influences general sociality, which further implies that it is worthy to systematically examine whether the rs53576 is a valid genetic marker for socially related psychiatric disorders.

The cortical surface area of the insula mediates the effect of DBH rs7040170 on novelty seeking

Novelty seeking (NS) is a personality trait important for adaptive functioning, but an excessive level of NS has been linked to psychiatric disorders such as ADHD and substance abuse. Previous research has investigated separately the neural and genetic bases of the NS trait, but results were mixed and neural and genetic bases have yet to be examined within the same study. In this study, we examined the interrelationships among the dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) gene, brain structure, and the NS trait in 359 healthy Han Chinese subjects. We focused on the DBH gene because it encodes a key enzyme for dopamine metabolism, NS is believed to be related to the dopaminergic system and has been reported associated with DBH variation. Results showed a significant positive association between the cortical surface area of the left insula and NS score. Furthermore, the DBH genetic polymorphism at the SNP rs7040170 was strongly associated with both the surface area of the left insula and NS score, with G carriers having a larger left insula surface area and a higher NS score than AA homozygotes. Subsequent path analysis suggested that the insula partially mediated the association between the DBH gene and the NS trait. Our data provided the first evidence for the involvement of the insula in the dopamine–NS relationship. Future studies of molecular mechanisms underlying the NS personality trait and related psychiatric disorders should consider the mediation effect of the neural structure.

The predictive power of family history measures of alcohol and drug problems and internalizing disorders in a college population.

A family history (FH) of psychiatric and substance use problems is a potent risk factor for common internalizing and externalizing disorders. In a large web-based assessment of mental health in college students, we developed a brief set of screening questions for a FH of alcohol problems (AP), drug problems (DP) and depression-anxiety in four classes of relatives (father, mother, aunts/uncles/grandparents, and siblings) as reported by the student. Positive reports of a history of AP, DP, and depression-anxiety were substantially correlated within relatives. These FH measures predicted in the student, in an expected pattern, dimensions of personality and impulsivity, alcohol consumption and problems, smoking and nicotine dependence, use of illicit drugs, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Using the mean score from the four classes of relatives was more predictive than using a familial/sporadic dichotomy. Interactions were seen between the FH of AP, DP, and depression-anxiety and peer deviance in predicting symptoms of alcohol and tobacco dependence. As the students aged, the FH of AP became a stronger predictor of alcohol problems. While we cannot directly assess the validity of these FH reports, the pattern of findings suggest that our brief screening items were able to assess, with some accuracy, the FH of substance misuse and internalizing psychiatric disorders in relatives. If correct, these measures can play an important role in the creation of developmental etiologic models for substance and internalizing psychiatric disorders which constitute one of the central goals of the overall project.

Prenatal glucocorticoid exposure in rats: programming effects on stress reactivity and cognition in adult offspring

Human epidemiological studies have provided compelling evidence that prenatal exposure to stress is associated with significantly increased risks of developing psychiatric disorders in adulthood. Exposure to excessive maternal glucocorticoids may underlie this fetal programming effect. In the current study, we assessed how prenatal dexamethasone administration during the last week of gestation affects stress reactivity and cognition in adult offspring. Stress reactivity was assessed by evaluating anxiety-like behavior on an elevated plus maze and in an open field. In addition, to characterize the long-term cognitive outcomes of prenatal exposure to glucocorticoids, animals were assessed on two cognitive tasks, a spatial reference memory task with reversal learning and a delayed matching to position (DMTP) task. Our results suggest that prenatal exposure to dexamethasone had no observable effect on anxiety-like behavior, but affected cognition in the adult offspring. Prenatally dexamethasone-exposed animals showed a transient deficit in the spatial reference memory task and a trend to faster acquisition during the reversal-learning phase. Furthermore, prenatally dexamethasone-treated animals also showed faster learning of new platform positions in the DMTP task. These results suggest that fetal overexposure to glucocorticoids programs a phenotype characterized by cognitive flexibility and adaptability to frequent changes in environmental circumstances. This can be viewed as an attempt to increase the fitness of survival in a potentially hazardous postnatal environment, as predicted by intrauterine adversity. Collectively, our data suggest that prenatal exposure to dexamethasone in rats could be used as an animal model for studying some cognitive components of related psychiatric disorders.