A method for treating a patient suffering from disorders and deficits of the central nervous system associated with diabetes, associated with aging and neurodegeneration, comprising attention deficit disorder in general, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment, senile dementia, AIDS dementia, neurodegeneration, depression, and schizophrenia, comprising administering to a patient in need of such treatment an effective amount of a selective inhibitor of the 11-.beta.-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase Type 1 enzyme activity.