| Reference code: | PT/FB/BL-2006-036.13 |
| Location: | Arquivo PCA - Pasta 18/2006
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Title:
| Stress and the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis activity in first episode psychosis
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| Publication year: | 2009
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URL:
| Visitante: / http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2651108/pdf/sbn173.pdf
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| Abstract/Results: | ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the main biological system involved in the stress response. The aim of our study was to evaluate objective and subjective stress together with HPA axis activity in first-episode psychosis patients and healthy controls.
METHODS:
We recruited 40 first-episode psychosis patients (mean +/- SEM age: 29.4 +/-1.2 yrs; gender: 35% females) and 30 controls (mean age: 27.4 +/- 1.0 yrs; gender: 23.3% females) as part of the large Genetic And Psychosis (GAP) study, carried out in South London. Information about childhood trauma, recent stressful events and perceived stress were collected using validated schedules. Salivary cortisol was obtained at awakening, at 15, 30, and 60 minutes after awakening, and at 12 pm, and 8 pm. We calculated the Areas Under the Curve to investigate the cortisol levels during the day and the cortisol response to awakening. An independent t-test and was used to analyze differences in the stress variables and cortisol secretion. Correlation analyses were run to investigate the association between stress variables and cortisol secretion.
RESULTS:
First-episode psychosis patients reported more childhood trauma, recent stressful events, and higher perceived stress compared with controls (P < .001). Patients showed no significant difference in cortisol levels during the day compared with controls (P = .2). However, patients showed a significantly lower cortisol awakening response than controls (P = .034). A positive correlation was found between number of recent stressors or perceived stress and cortisol during the day in controls (r = .377, P = .04 and r = .321, P = .08). In contrast, a negative correlation between number of recent stressors or perceived stress and cortisol during the day was found in patients (r = -.413, P = .01 and r = -.356, P = .04).
CONCLUSIONS:
Our data show that first episode psychosis patients have higher number of stressful events but similar cortisol levels during the day when compared with healthy controls. First episode psychosis patients have an impaired HPA axis response to stress as shown by the blunted cortisol response to awakening and by the negative correlation between measures of recent stress and cortisol secretion during the day.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
This research is funded by NARSAD Mental Health Research Association, British Academy, and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Institute of Psychiatry (Kings’ College London).
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| Accessibility: | Document does not exist in file
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Language:
| eng
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Author:
| Mondelli, V.
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Secondary author(s):
| Aas, M., D'Albenzio, A., Di Forti, M., Di Nicola, M., Handley, R., Hepgul, N., Marques, T. R., Taylor, H., David, A. S., Dazzan, P., Murray, R., Pariante, C.
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Document type:
| Abstract
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Number of reproductions:
| 1
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Reference:
| Mondelli, V., Aas, M., D’Albenzio, A., Di Forti, M., Di Nicola, M., Handley, R., . . . Pariante, C. (2009). Stress and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in first episode psychosis. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 35(Suppl. 1), 149-149. |
| Indexed document: | Yes
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| Keywords: | Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis / Stress / First-episode psychosis / Childhood trauma
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Stress and the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis activity in first episode psychosis |