An overview and commentary are presented on the role of stress and glucocorticoids in the pathogeny of age-related psychiatric and neurologic disorders, first of all depressive illness and Alzheimer's disease. The connections of these disorders with senescence-induced changes in bioregulation of hypothamo-pituitary-adrenal axis activity are discussed, focusing attention on biphasic glucocorticoid effects, gender differences, adverse effects of exogenous corticosteroids and the importance of

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... ss and glucocorticoid effects on developing brain, as related to programming/imprinting and embedding phenomena. In addition, the interactions of neuropsychiatric disorders with diabetes mellitus and other chronic diseases, as well as of glucocorticoids with proinflammatory cytokines are briefly considered in relation to postnatal ontogeny and aging.