Plasma Corticosteroids: Changes in Concentration after Stimulation of Hippocampus and Amygdala

Plasma 17-OH corticosteroid levels were determined before stimulation and at various intervals after stimulation in these limbic sites in patients in whom implanted electrodes had been placed during evaluation for surgical treatment of psychomotor epilepsy. Stimulation of the amygdala was followed by an elevation of plasma 17-hydroxycorticosteroids. Hippocampal stimulation resulted in a decreased corticosteroid level, followed in two instances by a secondary elevation.