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Shirtcliff EA, Hanson JL, Ruttle PL, Smith B, Pollak SD. Cortisol's diurnal rhythm indexes the neurobiological impact of child adversity in adolescence. Biol Psychol 2024; 187:108766. [PMID: 38428723 PMCID: PMC11031307 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Adverse early life experiences, such as child maltreatment, shapes hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity. The impact of social context is often probed through laboratory stress reactivity, yet child maltreatment is a severe form of chronic stress that recalibrates even stable or relatively inflexible stress systems such as cortisol's diurnal rhythm. This study was designed to determine how different social contexts, which place divergent demands on children, shape cortisol's diurnal rhythm. Participants include 120 adolescents (9-14 years), including 42 youth with substantiated child physical abuse. Up to 32 saliva samples were obtained in the laboratory, on days youth stayed home, and on school days. A 3-level hierarchical linear model examined cortisol within each day and extracted the diurnal rhythm at level 1; across days at level 2; and between-individual differences in cortisol and its rhythm at level 3. While cortisol's diurnal rhythm was flattened when youth were in the novel laboratory context, the impact of maltreatment was observed within the home context such that maltreated children had persistently flattened diurnal rhythms. The effect of maltreatment overlapped with current chronic interpersonal family stress. Results are consistent with the idea that maltreatment exerts a robust, detrimental impact on the HPA axis and are interpreted in the context of less flexibility and rhythmicity. The HPA axis adapts by encoding signifiers of relevant harsh or unpredictable environments, and the extreme stress of physical abuse in the family setting may be one of these environments which calibrates the developing child's stress responsive system, even throughout a developmental stage in which the family takes on diminishing importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Shirtcliff
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 415 Lewis Integrative Sciences Building, Eugene, OR 97401, USA.
| | - Jamie L Hanson
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychology, 3420 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Paula L Ruttle
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 415 Lewis Integrative Sciences Building, Eugene, OR 97401, USA
| | - Brandon Smith
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 415 Lewis Integrative Sciences Building, Eugene, OR 97401, USA
| | - Seth D Pollak
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA
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2
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Hantsoo L, Jagodnik KM, Novick AM, Baweja R, di Scalea TL, Ozerdem A, McGlade EC, Simeonova DI, Dekel S, Kornfield SL, Nazareth M, Weiss SJ. The role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in depression across the female reproductive lifecycle: current knowledge and future directions. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1295261. [PMID: 38149098 PMCID: PMC10750128 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1295261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this narrative review is to consolidate knowledge on the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in depression pathophysiology at different reproductive stages across the female lifespan. Despite growing evidence about the impact of gonadal hormones on mood disorders, no previous review has examined the interaction between such hormonal changes and the HPA axis within the context of depressive disorders in women. We will focus on HPA axis function in depressive disorders at different reproductive stages including the menstrual cycle (e.g., premenstrual dysphoric disorder [PMDD]), perinatally (e.g., postpartum depression), and in perimenopausal depression. Each of these reproductive stages is characterized by vast physiological changes and presents major neuroendocrine reorganization. The HPA axis is one of the main targets of such functional alterations, and with its key role in stress response, it is an etiological factor in vulnerable windows for depression across the female lifespan. We begin with an overview of the HPA axis and a brief summary of techniques for measuring HPA axis parameters. We then describe the hormonal milieu of each of these key reproductive stages, and integrate information about HPA axis function in depression across these reproductive stages, describing similarities and differences. The role of a history of stress and trauma exposure as a contributor to female depression in the context of HPA axis involvement across the reproductive stages is also presented. This review advances the pursuit of understanding common biological mechanisms across depressive disorders among women. Our overarching goal is to identify unmet needs in characterizing stress-related markers of depression in women in the context of hormonal changes across the lifespan, and to support future research in women's mental health as it pertains to pathophysiology, early diagnosis, and treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa Hantsoo
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kathleen M. Jagodnik
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Andrew M. Novick
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Ritika Baweja
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State Health, Hershey, PA, United States
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Penn State Health, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Teresa Lanza di Scalea
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Department of Women’s Health, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Aysegul Ozerdem
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Erin C. McGlade
- Department of Psychiatry, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake, UT, United States
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Salt Lake, UT, United States
| | - Diana I. Simeonova
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Brain Health Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Goizueta Business School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Sharon Dekel
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sara L. Kornfield
- Center for Women’s Behavioral Wellness, Psychiatry Department, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michelle Nazareth
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Sandra J. Weiss
- Department of Community Health Systems, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Howland MA. Recalibration of the stress response system over adult development: Is there a perinatal recalibration period? Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:2315-2337. [PMID: 37641984 PMCID: PMC10901284 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423000998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
During early life-sensitive periods (i.e., fetal, infancy), the developing stress response system adaptively calibrates to match environmental conditions, whether harsh or supportive. Recent evidence suggests that puberty is another window when the stress system is open to recalibration if environmental conditions have shifted significantly. Whether additional periods of recalibration exist in adulthood remains to be established. The present paper draws parallels between childhood (re)calibration periods and the perinatal period to hypothesize that this phase may be an additional window of stress recalibration in adult life. Specifically, the perinatal period (defined here to include pregnancy, lactation, and early parenthood) is also a developmental switch point characterized by heightened neural plasticity and marked changes in stress system function. After discussing these similarities, lines of empirical evidence needed to substantiate the perinatal stress recalibration hypothesis are proposed, and existing research support is reviewed. Complexities and challenges related to delineating the boundaries of perinatal stress recalibration and empirically testing this hypothesis are discussed, as well as possibilities for future multidisciplinary research. In the theme of this special issue, perinatal stress recalibration may be a mechanism of multilevel, multisystem risk, and resilience, both intra-individually and intergenerationally, with implications for optimizing interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariann A Howland
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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4
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Panisch LS, Murphy HR, Wu Q, Brunner JL, Duberstein ZT, Arnold MS, Best M, Barrett ES, Miller RK, Qiu X, O’Connor TG. Adverse Childhood Experiences Predict Diurnal Cortisol Throughout Gestation. Psychosom Med 2023; 85:507-516. [PMID: 37199406 PMCID: PMC10524578 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with negative prenatal and perinatal health outcomes and may, via these pathways, have intergenerational effects on child health and development. We examine the impact of ACEs on maternal salivary cortisol, a key measure of prenatal biology previously linked with pregnancy-related health outcomes. METHODS Leveraging assessments across three trimesters, we used linear mixed-effects models to analyze the influence of ACEs on maternal prenatal diurnal cortisol patterns in a diverse cohort of pregnant women (analytic sample, n = 207). Covariates included comorbid prenatal depression, psychiatric medications, and sociodemographic factors. RESULTS Maternal ACEs were significantly associated with flatter diurnal cortisol slopes (i.e., less steep decline), after adjusting for covariates, with effects consistent across gestation (estimate = 0.15, standard error = 0.06, p = .008). CONCLUSIONS ACEs experienced before pregnancy may have a robust and lasting influence on maternal prenatal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity throughout gestation, a key biological marker associated with perinatal and child health outcomes. The findings suggest one route of intergenerational transmission of early adverse experiences and underscore the potential value of assessing prepregnancy adverse experiences for promoting perinatal and maternal and child health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa S. Panisch
- Wayne State University School of Social Work, 5447 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Hannah R. Murphy
- Translational Biomedical Science, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, New York, 14642, USA
- Wynne Center for Family Research, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, New York, 14642, USA
| | - Qiuyi Wu
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Saunders Research Building, 265 Crittenden Blvd., Box 630, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Jessica L. Brunner
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, New York, 14642, USA
| | - Zoe T. Duberstein
- Wynne Center for Family Research, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, New York, 14642, USA
- Psychology, University of Rochester, Meliora Hall, P.O. Box 270266, Rochester, New York, 14627, USA
| | - Molly S. Arnold
- Wynne Center for Family Research, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, New York, 14642, USA
- Psychology, University of Rochester, Meliora Hall, P.O. Box 270266, Rochester, New York, 14627, USA
| | - Meghan Best
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, New York, 14642, USA
| | - Emily S. Barrett
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, New York, 14642, USA
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, 683 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, 170 Frelinghuysen Rd., Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA
| | - Richard K. Miller
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, New York, 14642, USA
| | - Xing Qiu
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Saunders Research Building, 265 Crittenden Blvd., Box 630, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Thomas G. O’Connor
- Wynne Center for Family Research, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, New York, 14642, USA
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, New York, 14642, USA
- Psychology, University of Rochester, Meliora Hall, P.O. Box 270266, Rochester, New York, 14627, USA
- Neuroscience, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 603, KMRB G.9602, Rochester, New York, 14642, USA
- Psychiatry, University of Rochester, 300 Crittenden Blvd., Rochester, New York, 14642, USA
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5
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Rinne GR, Hartstein J, Guardino CM, Dunkel Schetter C. Stress before conception and during pregnancy and maternal cortisol during pregnancy: A scoping review. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 153:106115. [PMID: 37119659 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress before conception and during pregnancy is associated with less favorable maternal and child health. Alterations in prenatal cortisol levels may serve as a central biological pathway linking stress to adverse maternal and child health. Research examining associations between maternal stress from childhood through pregnancy and prenatal cortisol has not been comprehensively reviewed. METHOD The current scoping review of 48 papers synthesizes studies reporting on associations between stress before conception and during pregnancy with maternal cortisol in pregnancy. Eligible studies measured childhood, the proximal preconception period, pregnancy, or lifetime stress based on stress exposures or appraisals and measured cortisol in saliva or hair during pregnancy. RESULTS Higher maternal childhood stress was associated with higher cortisol awakening responses and alterations in typical pregnancy-specific changes in diurnal cortisol patterns across studies. In contrast, most studies of preconception and prenatal stress reported null associations with cortisol and those reporting significant effects were inconsistent in direction. A few studies found that the associations between stress and cortisol during pregnancy varied as a function of several moderators including social support and environmental pollution. CONCLUSIONS Although many studies have evaluated effects of maternal stress on prenatal cortisol, this scoping review is the first to synthesize existing literature on this topic. The association between stress before conception and during pregnancy and prenatal cortisol may depend on the developmental timing of stress and several moderators. Maternal childhood stress was more consistently associated with prenatal cortisol than proximal preconception or pregnancy stress. We discuss methodological and analytic factors that may contribute to mixed findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle R Rinne
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Jenna Hartstein
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Bublitz M, Kelsey K, Butler R, Bourjeily G. Maternal history of childhood maltreatment is associated with diurnal cortisol and DNA methylation of placental 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2. Obstet Med 2023; 16:12-16. [PMID: 37139510 PMCID: PMC10150305 DOI: 10.1177/1753495x221087168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Accumulating evidence indicates that maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity over pregnancy differs according to maternal history of childhood maltreatment. DNA methylation of the placental 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (BHSD) type 2 enzyme regulates fetal exposure to maternal cortisol, yet the association between maternal history of childhood maltreatment and methylation of placental 11BHSD type 2 has not been previously studied. Methods We examined if maternal cortisol production at 11 and 32 weeks' gestation (n = 89) and placental methylation of the 11BHSD type 2 gene (n = 19) differed among pregnant women with and without histories of childhood maltreatment. Twenty-nine percent of participants reported a history of childhood maltreatment (physical/sexual abuse). Results Women with histories of childhood maltreatment displayed lower cortisol in early gestation, hypo-methylation of placental 11BHSD type 2, and lower levels of cord blood cortisol. Conclusion Preliminary results suggest alterations in cortisol regulation over pregnancy according to maternal history of childhood maltreatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Bublitz
- Women’s Medicine Collaborative, Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Brown University Warren Alpert Medical
School, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Karl Kelsey
- Departments of Epidemiology and
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown
University, Providence, RI, USA
- Center for Environmental Health and
Technology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Rondi Butler
- Center for Environmental Health and
Technology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Ghada Bourjeily
- Women’s Medicine Collaborative, Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown
University, Providence, RI, USA
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7
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Wang S, Zhang C, Sun M, Zhang D, Luo Y, Liang K, Xu T, Pan X, Zheng R, Shangguan F, Wang J. Effectiveness of mindfulness training on pregnancy stress and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in women in China: A multicenter randomized controlled trial. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1073494. [PMID: 36935954 PMCID: PMC10018028 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1073494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction In the past two decades, mindfulness-based intervention programs have gradually become popular.Many studies have confirmed that these programs can effectively alleviate prenatal stress and negative emotion.The mindfulness-based stress-buffering hypothesis suggests that mindfulness training can induce changes in the levels of the cortisol secreted by the HPA axis, thereby reducing stress susceptibility. However, to date, only a few high-quality evidence-based medical studies have analyzed the effect of the mindfulness-based intervention in a maternal population.Thus, this study investigated the effects of a mindfulness-based psychosomatic intervention on pregnancy stress and the HYPERLINK "javascript:;" hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of pregnant Chinese women. Methods Women experiencing first-time pregnancy (n = 117) were randomly allocated to the intervention group or parallel active control group, and data were collected at baseline and post-intervention periods. The participants completed questionnaires regarding mindfulness and pregnancy stress. Saliva samples was collected at the time of waking up, and 30, 45, and 60 min after waking up for analyzing the salivary cortisol levels. We analyzed differences between the two groups and changes within the same group before and after the intervention. Results and discussion A total of 95 participants completed the trial. Compared with the parallel active control group, the intervention group exhibited lower levels of stress after the intervention (P = 0.047). For HPA-axis-related indicators after the intervention, Delta value (P = 0.01) and AUCM value (P = 0.031) of the intervention group were significantly higher than that of the control group. Mindfulness-based interventions effectively reduced the level of pregnancy stress and adjusted the HPA axis function in pregnant women in China. Clinical Trial Registration https://www.chictr.org.cn, identifier ChiCTR 2000033149.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shulei Wang
- National Center for Women and Children’s Health, China CDC, Beijing, China
- Yantai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Fengtai Mental Health Center, Beijing, China
- School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengyun Sun
- National Center for Women and Children’s Health, China CDC, Beijing, China
| | - Daming Zhang
- Shanxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Ying Luo
- Shandong Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Kairu Liang
- Sichuan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Tao Xu
- National Center for Women and Children’s Health, China CDC, Beijing, China
| | - XiaoPing Pan
- National Center for Women and Children’s Health, China CDC, Beijing, China
| | - Ruimin Zheng
- National Center for Women and Children’s Health, China CDC, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Ruimin Zheng,
| | - Fangfang Shangguan
- School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
- Fangfang Shangguan,
| | - Jia Wang
- Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Jia Wang,
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8
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Associations between childhood maltreatment, poor sleep, and prenatal distress in pregnant adolescents. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:764-773. [PMID: 33551015 PMCID: PMC8349382 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420002163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a known risk factor for adolescent pregnancy. Sleep disturbances and psychological distress, both common negative sequelae of CM, often co-occur during pregnancy, although directionality remains unclear. Furthermore, little is known about how CM affects sleep-distress associations during pregnancy. In pregnant adolescents, we examined: (a) whether there are significant predictive associations from CM to sleep quality and distress and (b) bidirectional influences of distress and sleep quality. Healthy pregnant adolescents (n = 204) were recruited before or during the 2nd trimester. CM was assessed at enrollment; sleep quality and distress were assessed in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Hypotheses were tested using path analysis. Findings revealed that CM was associated with worse 2nd trimester sleep quality and distress (β = .19, p < .05 for sleep; β = .30, p < .001 for distress). Higher levels of 2nd trimester distress were associated with lower 3rd trimester sleep quality (β = .19, p < .05). Findings provide novel information about (a) associations from CM to prenatal mood and sleep in pregnant adolescents, and (b) sleep-distress directionality over the course of pregnancy. These results have implications for better understanding the ways in which CM potentially exerts influences later in life, and for targeting interventions to address physical and mental health during pregnancy.
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Lesmana CBJ, Suryani LK, Tiliopoulos N. The biobehavioural effectiveness of spiritual-hypnosis-assisted therapy in PTSD with childhood trauma. THE EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROSURGERY 2022. [DOI: 10.1186/s41983-022-00475-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious psychological trauma disorder. Treatment of psychological trauma tends to focus on patients' memory. Clinical Spiritual-Hypnosis Assisted Therapy is a culturally sensitive treatment that combines elements of psychodynamic hypnosis, cognitive–behavioral and humanistic therapies.
Methods
The current interventional single-blind randomized control study assessed the biobehavioural effectiveness of spiritual-hypnosis on cortisol and PTSD symptomatology in adults with childhood trauma. Participants were divided into spiritual hypnosis (n = 15) and a control group (n = 14) that received fluoxetine. This study used PCL-C & CTQ to screen the presence and severity of PTSD symptoms.
Results
Spiritual hypnosis was significantly better than fluoxetine at reducing PTSD symptoms, while both treatments had similar effects on cortisol modification.
Conclusions
Spiritual-Hypnosis Assisted Therapy for PTSD patients with childhood trauma appears to have a noteworthy effect in reducing PTSD clinical symptoms and results in a comparable to the pharmacological treatment modification of the HPA axis cortisol markers.
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10
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Allen MC, Moog NK, Buss C, Yen E, Gustafsson HC, Sullivan EL, Graham AM. Co-occurrence of preconception maternal childhood adversity and opioid use during pregnancy: Implications for offspring brain development. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2021; 88:107033. [PMID: 34601061 PMCID: PMC8578395 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2021.107033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Understanding of the effects of in utero opioid exposure on neurodevelopment is a priority given the recent dramatic increase in opioid use among pregnant individuals. However, opioid abuse does not occur in isolation-pregnant individuals abusing opioids often have a significant history of adverse experiences in childhood, among other co-occurring factors. Understanding the specific pathways in which these frequently co-occurring factors may interact and cumulatively influence offspring brain development in utero represents a priority for future research in this area. We highlight maternal history of childhood adversity (CA) as one such co-occurring factor that is more prevalent among individuals using opioids during pregnancy and which is increasingly shown to affect offspring neurodevelopment through mechanisms beginning in utero. Despite the high incidence of CA history in pregnant individuals using opioids, we understand very little about the effects of comorbid prenatal opioid exposure and maternal CA history on fetal brain development. Here, we first provide an overview of current knowledge regarding effects of opioid exposure and maternal CA on offspring neurodevelopment that may occur during gestation. We then outline potential mechanistic pathways through which these factors might have interactive and cumulative influences on offspring neurodevelopment as a foundation for future research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine C Allen
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Nora K Moog
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Psychology, Luisenstrasse 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Buss
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Psychology, Luisenstrasse 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, 837 Health Sciences Drive, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Elizabeth Yen
- Department of Pediatrics, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, United States
| | - Hanna C Gustafsson
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Elinor L Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States; Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, 505 NW 185(th) Ave., Beaverton, OR 97006, United States; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Alice M Graham
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States.
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11
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Epstein CM, Houfek JF, Rice MJ, Weiss SJ. Integrative Review of Early Life Adversity and Cortisol Regulation in Pregnancy. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 2021; 50:242-255. [PMID: 33524324 DOI: 10.1016/j.jogn.2020.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To synthesize published findings on the relationship between early life adversity and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis cortisol parameters in pregnant women. DATA SOURCES We searched PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases using variants and combinations of the keywords early life adversity, pregnancy, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and cortisol. STUDY SELECTION We selected articles that included pregnant participants, included measures of cortisol and early life adversity, were published in English in a peer-reviewed journal, and were of sufficient methodologic quality. Date of publication was unrestricted through May 2020. DATA EXTRACTION Twenty-five articles met the inclusion criteria and were evaluated for quality and risk of bias. Sources of cortisol included saliva, hair, plasma, and amniotic fluid. DATA SYNTHESIS We categorized findings according to four physiologically distinct cortisol output parameters: diurnal (daily pattern), phasic (in response to an acute stressor), tonic (baseline level), and pregnancy-related change. Preliminary evidence suggests that early adversity may be associated with elevated cortisol awakening response (diurnal) and blunted response to acute stressors (phasic), irrespective of other psychosocial symptoms or current stress. For women with high levels of current stress or psychological symptoms, early adversity was associated with higher baseline (tonic) cortisol levels. CONCLUSION Early life adversity in women is linked with alterations in cortisol regulation that are apparent during pregnancy. Researchers should examine how variations in each cortisol parameter differentially predict pregnancy health risk behaviors, maternal mental health, and neonatal health outcomes.
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12
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Conde A, Costa R, Figueiredo B. Anxiety and depressive symptoms effects on cortisol trajectories from pregnancy to postpartum: Differences and similarities between women and men. Horm Behav 2021; 128:104917. [PMID: 33387466 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety and depressive symptoms may influence cortisol trajectories in women and men during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Using a multilevel approach, anxiety and depressive symptoms effects on 24-hour urinary free cortisol trajectories from the 2nd trimester to 3-months postpartum were examined in a sample of 66 women and 65 men with no known psychosocial or medical risk (N = 131; 33 (50%) of them were couples that participated in the same assessment waves). Results showed that both anxiety and depressive symptoms influence women's and men's cortisol trajectories from mid-pregnancy to 3-months postpartum. Women with high depressive symptoms and men with high anxiety or high depressive symptoms exhibited less accentuated variations in the 24-hour urinary free cortisol trajectories compared with women with low depressive symptoms and men with low anxiety or depressive symptoms, respectively. These effects were significant for women's cortisol trajectories from the 2nd to the 3rd pregnancy trimester and for men's cortisol trajectories throughout the entire period. The effect of anxiety and depressive symptoms on HPA axis functioning and cortisol production during pregnancy and postpartum, seems to be sex-specific. Reproductive-related alterations (associated with gestation, parturition and lactation) in women's HPA axis functioning may explain these sex-specific effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Conde
- INPP - Portucalense Institute for Human Development, Portucalense University, Porto, Portugal; Psychology Research Center, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
| | - Raquel Costa
- Universidade Europeia, Lisboa, Portugal; EPIUnit, ISPUP - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Figueiredo
- Psychology Research Center, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
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13
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to study the association between maternal history of childhood adversity and blood pressure in pregnancy. METHODS A total of 127 pregnant women completed measures of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and prenatal stress between June 2015 and April 2019. At 11 weeks' gestation (range, 6-17 weeks), we measured 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure. All women were considered to be at risk for pregnancy complications due to elevated body mass index and self-reporting snoring in pregnancy. RESULTS Women were, on average, 30 years old (range, 19-40 years), and average (standard deviation) body mass index in this sample was 34 (7) kg/m (range, 27-55 kg/m). Higher ACE scores were associated with higher nighttime blood pressure (systolic blood pressure: β = 0.23, p = .013; diastolic blood pressure: β = 0.22, p = .028). There were no significant associations between the ACE score and daytime blood pressure. Women with four or more ACEs were more likely to display nocturnal blood pressure nondipping (odds ratio = 3.97, 95% confidence interval = 1.38-11.40). Associations between ACE and nocturnal blood pressure remained significant after adjusting for symptoms of prenatal stress. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that experiences of childhood adversity are associated with elevated nocturnal blood pressure and loss of a typical decline in blood pressure between day and night.
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14
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Nazzari S, Fearon P, Rice F, Ciceri F, Molteni M, Frigerio A. The biological underpinnings of perinatal depressive symptoms: A multi-systems approach. J Affect Disord 2020; 274:1004-1012. [PMID: 32663926 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Well-established evidence exists of an association between depressive symptoms and alterations in the stress and inflammatory response systems; however, the picture is far less coherent during the perinatal period. This study combines the assessment of multiple stress and inflammatory biomarkers in late pregnancy and after delivery in order to investigate cross-sectional and prospective associations with perinatal depressive symptoms. METHODS One-hundred-ten healthy women were assessed in late pregnancy (mean gestational age=34.76; SD=1.12) and 89 were re-evaluated after delivery (mean hours after delivery=52.36; SD=19.70) for depressive and anxiety symptoms through the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Serum Interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and diurnal salivary cortisol levels were measured on both occasions, while diurnal salivary alpha amylase (sAA) levels were assessed in late pregnancy. RESULTS Using Hierarchical Linear Models, higher depressive symptoms were found to be associated with higher IL-6 levels, lower morning cortisol levels and a flatter cortisol diurnal slope during pregnancy, while adjusting for potential confounders. No significant associations were found after delivery or with change in biomarker levels from pre- to post-partum. Furthermore, preliminary evidence of a positive association between inflammation and stress markers in women with higher antenatal depressive symptoms was found. LIMITATIONS The sample was relatively small and highly selected, thus limiting generalizability of the findings. CONCLUSIONS Results emphasize the need for an integrated multi-systems approach to the understanding of the biological underpinnings of perinatal depression and suggest that the stress-immune interactions represent a promising avenue for future endeavor.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Nazzari
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Child Psychopathology Unit, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
| | - P Fearon
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - F Rice
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
| | - F Ciceri
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Child Psychopathology Unit, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - M Molteni
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Child Psychopathology Unit, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - A Frigerio
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Child Psychopathology Unit, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
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15
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Jairaj C, O'Leary N, Doolin K, Farrell C, McCarthy A, McAuliffe FM, O'Grady-Walshe A, Sheehan J, O'Keane V. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in the perinatal period: Its relationship with major depressive disorder and early life adversity. World J Biol Psychiatry 2020; 21:552-563. [PMID: 32216569 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2020.1740318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: Effects of major depressive disorder and early life adversity (ELA) on the maternal HPA axis in the perinatal period were examined.Methods: Four groups of women (n = 127) were recruited, with the perinatal groups being compared during pregnancy (Preg) and at two months postpartum (PP) - [1] Depressed during pregnancy (Depressed-Preg/PP), [2] Prior history of depression but euthymic during pregnancy (History-Preg/PP), [3] Healthy pregnant women (Control-Preg/PP), and [4] Healthy non-pregnant women (Non-pregnant Control). Serial saliva samples were collected over the course of a day and waking and evening cortisol, total cortisol output and the cortisol awakening response were examined.Results: There were no HPA axis differences among the three groups during pregnancy. A history of ELA, regardless of comorbid depression, was associated with higher evening cortisol levels during pregnancy (p = 0.015). Women in the Depressed-PP group had had higher evening cortisol levels compared to the History-PP group (p < 0.017).Conclusions: Evening cortisol measures are a potential marker for both ELA and depression, with higher levels during pregnancy being associated with ELA and higher levels postpartum being associated with antenatal depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaitra Jairaj
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Niamh O'Leary
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Kelly Doolin
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Chloe Farrell
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Anthony McCarthy
- Perinatal Mental Health Service, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Fionnuala M McAuliffe
- UCD Perinatal Research Centre, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ann O'Grady-Walshe
- Perinatal Mental Health Service, Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - John Sheehan
- Perinatal Mental Health Service, Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Veronica O'Keane
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Tallaght Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
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16
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Rothe N, Steffen J, Penz M, Kirschbaum C, Walther A. Examination of peripheral basal and reactive cortisol levels in major depressive disorder and the burnout syndrome: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 114:232-270. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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17
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Stephens JE, Kessler CL, Buss C, Miller GE, Grobman WA, Keenan-Devlin L, Borders AE, Adam EK. Early and current life adversity: Past and present influences on maternal diurnal cortisol rhythms during pregnancy. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:305-319. [PMID: 32572946 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Stress during pregnancy affects maternal health and well-being, as well as the health and well-being of the next generation, in part through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Although most studies have focused solely on proximal experiences (i.e., during the pregnancy) as sources of prenatal stress, there has been a recent surge in studies that examine maternal early life adversity as a source of stress system dysregulation during pregnancy. The current study of 178 pregnant women examined the association of economic and life stress experienced during two time periods (i.e., childhood and pregnancy) with maternal HPA axis activity during the third trimester of pregnancy. Findings indicated that a current annual income of less than $15,000 and greater childhood disadvantage were associated with a flatter diurnal cortisol slope. Childhood maltreatment, particularly sexual abuse, was associated with a higher cortisol awakening response (CAR), even when controlling for recent adversity. We found some evidence that past adversity moderates the relationship between current adversity and diurnal cortisol, specifically for economic adversity and waking cortisol. Overall, our findings indicate that early life stressors play an important and underappreciated role in shaping stress biology during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacquelyn E Stephens
- School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Courtenay L Kessler
- School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Claudia Buss
- University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gregory E Miller
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - William A Grobman
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Ann E Borders
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.,NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Emma K Adam
- School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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18
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Epstein CM, Houfek JF, Rice MJ, Weiss SJ, French JA, Kupzyk KA, Hammer SJ, Pullen CH. Early life adversity and depressive symptoms predict cortisol in pregnancy. Arch Womens Ment Health 2020; 23:379-389. [PMID: 31289940 PMCID: PMC7913604 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-019-00983-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that exposure to early life adversity (ELA) programs the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to influence responses to later adversity and predisposes women to depression. However, few studies have examined whether ELA moderates the HPA cortisol response to adulthood adversity and depressive symptoms in pregnant women. The aims of this study were to determine (a) whether ELA, adulthood adversity, and depressive symptoms differentially predict patterns of cortisol and (b) whether ELA moderates the relationship of adulthood adversity or depressive symptoms to cortisol. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study of pregnant women (N = 58, mean = 26.5 weeks gestation). Participants completed the Stress and Adversity Inventory and Edinburgh Depression Scale and collected salivary cortisol five times per day for 3 days to assess cortisol awakening response (CAR), diurnal cortisol slope, and cortisol area under the curve (AUC). ELA predicted a larger CAR, while depressive symptoms predicted a blunted CAR and higher cortisol AUC. Adulthood adversity predicted a blunted CAR and steeper diurnal slope, but only in women with high ELA. ELA also moderated the effect of depressive symptoms on diurnal slope. Early adversity and depressive symptoms appear to have significant effects on the HPA axis during pregnancy, with early adversity also moderating effects of depressive symptoms and adulthood adversity on cortisol regulation. Early adversity may be an important factor in identifying unique HPA phenotypes and risk for HPA axis dysregulation in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal Modde Epstein
- UCSF School of Nursing, 2 Koret Way, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA. .,UNMC College of Nursing, 985330 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5330, USA.
| | - Julia F Houfek
- UNMC College of Nursing, 985330 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5330, USA
| | - Michael J Rice
- College of Nursing, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 13120 East 19th Ave, Ed 2 North Bldg, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Sandra J Weiss
- UCSF School of Nursing, 2 Koret Way, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Jeffrey A French
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 6001 Dodge St Allwine Hall 419, Omaha, NE, 68182, USA
| | - Kevin A Kupzyk
- UNMC College of Nursing, 985330 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5330, USA
| | - Sharon J Hammer
- UNMC College of Medicine, S 42nd St & Emile St, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Carol H Pullen
- UNMC College of Nursing, 985330 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5330, USA
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19
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Humphreys KL, LeMoult J, Wear JG, Piersiak HA, Lee A, Gotlib IH. Child maltreatment and depression: A meta-analysis of studies using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2020; 102:104361. [PMID: 32062423 PMCID: PMC7081433 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Researchers have documented that child maltreatment is associated with adverse long-term consequences for mental health, including increased risk for depression. Attempts to conduct meta-analyses of the association between different forms of child maltreatment and depressive symptomatology in adulthood, however, have been limited by the wide range of definitions of child maltreatment in the literature. OBJECTIVE We sought to meta-analyze a single, widely-used dimensional measure of child maltreatment, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, with respect to depression diagnosis and symptom scores. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING 192 unique samples consisting of 68,830 individuals. METHODS We explored the association between total scores and scores from specific forms of child maltreatment (i.e., emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect) and depression using a random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS We found that higher child maltreatment scores were associated with a diagnosis of depression (g = 1.07; 95 % CI, 0.95-1.19) and with higher depression symptom scores (Z = .35; 95 % CI, .32-.38). Moreover, although each type of child maltreatment was positively associated with depression diagnosis and scores, there was variability in the size of the effects, with emotional abuse and emotional neglect demonstrating the strongest associations. CONCLUSIONS These analyses provide important evidence of the link between child maltreatment and depression, and highlight the particularly larger association with emotional maltreatment in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John G Wear
- Western University of Health Sciences, United States
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20
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The role of HPA-axis function during pregnancy in the intergenerational transmission of maternal adverse childhood experiences to child behavior problems. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 33:284-300. [PMID: 32124709 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579419001767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The current study aimed to understand the mediating and/or moderating role of prenatal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in the association between maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and child internalizing and externalizing behavior problems at age 4. The influence of timing and child sex were also explored. Participants were 248 mother-child dyads enrolled in a prospective longitudinal cohort study (the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition Study). Maternal ACEs were retrospectively assessed while maternal self-reported depression and diurnal salivary cortisol were assessed prospectively at 6-26 weeks gestation (T1) and 27-37 weeks gestation (T2). Maternal report of child internalizing and externalizing problems was assessed at 4 years (T3). Results revealed that there was a negative indirect association between maternal ACEs and child internalizing behavior via a higher maternal cortisol awakening response (CAR). Maternal diurnal cortisol slope moderated the association between maternal ACEs and child behavior problems. Some of these effects were dependent on child sex, such that higher ACEs and a flatter diurnal slope at T1 was associated with more internalizing behavior in female children and more externalizing behavior in male children. There were timing effects such that the mediating and moderating effects were strongest at T1.
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21
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The relationship between childhood trauma, dopamine release and dexamphetamine-induced positive psychotic symptoms: a [ 11C]-(+)-PHNO PET study. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:287. [PMID: 31712556 PMCID: PMC6848217 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0627-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood trauma is a risk factor for psychosis. Amphetamine increases synaptic striatal dopamine levels and can induce positive psychotic symptoms in healthy individuals and patients with schizophrenia. Socio-developmental hypotheses of psychosis propose that childhood trauma and other environmental risk factors sensitize the dopamine system to increase the risk of psychotic symptoms, but this remains to be tested in humans. We used [11C]-(+)-PHNO positron emission tomography to measure striatal dopamine-2/3 receptor (D2/3R) availability and ventral striatal dexamphetamine-induced dopamine release in healthy participants (n = 24). The relationships between dexamphetamine-induced dopamine release, dexamphetamine-induced positive psychotic symptoms using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and childhood trauma using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) were assessed using linear regression and mediation analyses, with childhood trauma as the independent variable, dexamphetamine-induced dopamine release as the mediator variable, and dexamphetamine-induced symptoms as the dependent variable. There was a significant interaction between childhood trauma and ventral striatal dopamine release in predicting dexamphetamine-induced positive psychotic symptoms (standardized β = 1.83, p = 0.003), but a mediation analysis was not significant (standardized β = -0.18, p = 0.158). There were no significant effects of dopamine release and childhood trauma on change in negative (p = 0.280) or general PANSS symptoms (p = 0.061), and there was no relationship between ventral striatal baseline D2/3R availability and positive symptoms (p = 0.368). This indicates childhood trauma and dopamine release interact to influence the induction of positive psychotic symptoms. This is not consistent with a simple sensitization hypothesis, but suggests that childhood trauma moderates the cognitive response to dopamine release to make psychotic experiences more likely.
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22
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Dahoun T, Calcia MA, Veronese M, Bloomfield P, Reis Marques T, Turkheimer F, Howes OD. The association of psychosocial risk factors for mental health with a brain marker altered by inflammation: A translocator protein (TSPO) PET imaging study. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 80:742-750. [PMID: 31112791 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders associated with psychosocial risk factors, including depression and psychosis, have been shown to demonstrate increased microglia activity. Whilst preclinical studies indicate that psychosocial stress leads to increased levels of microglia in the frontal cortex, no study has yet been performed in humans. This study aimed at investigating whether psychosocial risk factors for depression and/or psychosis would be associated with alterations in a brain marker expressed by microglia, the translocator specific protein (TSPO) in humans. We used [11C]-PBR28 Positron Emission Tomography on healthy subjects exposed to childhood and adulthood psychosocial risk factors (high-risk group, N = 12) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls not exposed to childhood and adulthood psychosocial risk factors (low-risk group, N = 12). The [11C]-PBR28 volume of distribution (VT) and Distribution Volume Ratio (DVR) were measured in the total gray matter, and frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital lobes. Levels of childhood trauma, anxiety and depression were measured using respectively the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, State-anxiety questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory. Compared to the low-risk group, the high-risk group did not exhibit significant differences in the mean [11C]-PBR28 VT (F(1,20) = 1.619, p = 0.218) or DVR (F(1,22) = 0.952, p = 0.340) on any region. There were no significant correlations between the [11C]-PBR28 VT and DVRs in total gray matter and frontal lobe and measures of childhood trauma, anxiety and depression. Psychosocial risk factors for depression and/or psychosis are unlikely to be associated with alterations in [11C]-PBR28 binding, indicating that alterations in TSPO expression reported in these disorders is unlikely to be caused by psychosocial risk factors alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarik Dahoun
- Psychiatric Imaging Group MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK; Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX37 JX, UK
| | - Marilia A Calcia
- Institute of Psychiatry, Neurology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Mattia Veronese
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Neurology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Peter Bloomfield
- Psychiatric Imaging Group MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK; Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Tiago Reis Marques
- Psychiatric Imaging Group MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK; Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK; Institute of Psychiatry, Neurology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Federico Turkheimer
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Neurology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Oliver D Howes
- Psychiatric Imaging Group MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK; Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK; Institute of Psychiatry, Neurology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK.
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23
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Li J, Tang S, Liu M, Liu W, Cheng C, Li Y, Sun M, Qin C. The relationship between salivary cortisol and perinatal depression in women undergoing termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly: A prospective cohort study. Midwifery 2019; 75:103-109. [PMID: 31071585 DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2019.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 02/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis plays a crucial role in the neurobiological pathways for depression. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between salivary cortisol and depression in women before and after termination of pregnancy due to fetal anomaly. STUDY DESIGN A prospective cohort study was conducted. One-way ANOVA and linear correlation were conducted to analyse the relationship between salivary cortisol and depression before and after termination of pregnancy. RESULTS No significant difference in morning and evening cortisol levels between women underwent TOP for fetal anomaly without depression and those with depression, but the women underwent TOP for fetal anomaly had significantly higher levels of morning and evening cortisol than women with healthy pregnancy. Cortisol awakening response was lower in women underwent termination of pregnancy, than in women with normal pregnancy; lower in women underwent termination of pregnancy with depression than in those women without depression. Cortisol awakening response also had a negative correlation with depression, and the correlation coefficients for cortisol awakening response and depression after TOP (R = 0.461) were higher than the correlation coefficients for cortisol awakening response and depression before TOP(R = 0.238). CONCLUSIONS Our results were not only useful to support the hypothesis that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning would turn hypoactive, with depression progressing to increase in severity, but also helpful with insights into the predictive effects of cortisol awakening response in depression after TOP. We suggest that further research should be conducted on the relationship between salivary cortisol and depression before and after TOP for fetal anomaly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxiu Li
- Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Siyuan Tang
- Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Minhui Liu
- Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Wei Liu
- Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chunxia Cheng
- Obstetrics Department of the Third Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ying Li
- Pediatric Department of the Third Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Mei Sun
- Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chunxiang Qin
- Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Obstetrics Department of the Third Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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24
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Parade SH, Newland RP, Bublitz MH, Stroud LR. Maternal witness to intimate partner violence during childhood and prenatal family functioning alter newborn cortisol reactivity. Stress 2019; 22:190-199. [PMID: 30676172 PMCID: PMC6685200 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2018.1501019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Witnessing intimate partner violence (IPV) during childhood is a risk factor for mental health problems across the lifespan. Less is known about the intergenerational consequences of witnessing IPV, and if the current family climate buffers intergenerational effects of witnessing violence. The mother's experience of witnessing IPV against her own mother during childhood, prenatal family dysfunction, and prenatal perceived stress were examined as predictors of offspring cortisol in the first month of life (N = 218 mother-infant dyads). Mothers reported on witnessing IPV in their childhoods, prenatal family dysfunction, and prenatal perceived stress in pregnancy. At 2 days and again at 1 month postpartum, infants engaged in a neurobehavioral exam to assess infant cortisol reactivity. Infants whose mothers witnessed IPV in childhood exhibited alterations in their baseline cortisol and their cortisol reactivity at 1 month of age, whereas family dysfunction during pregnancy was associated with baseline cortisol and cortisol reactivity at 2 days of age. Prenatal perceived stress was not associated with infant cortisol at 2 days or 1 month. Prenatal family dysfunction and perceived stress did not moderate effects of the mother's experience of witnessing IPV. Results support the view that maternal experiences in childhood and during pregnancy exert intergenerational effects on the HPA stress response system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie H. Parade
- Bradley Research Center, E.P. Bradley Hospital, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, Brown University
| | - Rebecca P. Newland
- Bradley Research Center, E.P. Bradley Hospital, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, Brown University
| | - Margaret H. Bublitz
- Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, Brown University
| | - Laura R. Stroud
- Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, Brown University
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Hantsoo L, Jašarević E, Criniti S, McGeehan B, Tanes C, Sammel MD, Elovitz MA, Compher C, Wu G, Epperson CN. Childhood adversity impact on gut microbiota and inflammatory response to stress during pregnancy. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 75:240-250. [PMID: 30399404 PMCID: PMC6349044 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as abuse or chronic stress, program an exaggerated adult inflammatory response to stress. Emerging rodent research suggests that the gut microbiome may be a key mediator in the association between early life stress and dysregulated glucocorticoid-immune response. However, ACE impact on inflammatory response to stress, or on the gut microbiome, have not been studied in human pregnancy, when inflammation increases risk of poor outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships among ACE, the gut microbiome, and cytokine response to stress in pregnant women. METHODS Physically and psychiatrically healthy adult pregnant women completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q) and gave a single stool sample between 20 and 26 weeks gestation. Stool DNA was isolated and 16S sequencing was performed. Three 24-hour food recalls were administered to assess dietary nutrient intake. A subset of women completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) at 22-34 weeks gestation; plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and cortisol were measured at four timepoints pre and post stressor, and area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. RESULTS Forty-eight women completed the ACE-Q and provided stool; 19 women completed the TSST. Women reporting 2 or more ACEs (high ACE) had greater differential abundance of gut Prevotella than low ACE participants (q = 5.7 × 10^-13). Abundance of several gut taxa were significantly associated with cortisol, IL-6, TNF-α and CRP AUCs regardless of ACE status. IL-6 response to stress was buffered among high ACE women with high intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (p = 0.03) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (p = 0.05). DISCUSSION Our findings suggest that multiple childhood adversities are associated with changes in gut microbiota composition during pregnancy, and such changes may contribute to altered inflammatory and glucocorticoid response to stress. While preliminary, this is the first study to demonstrate an association between gut microbiota and acute glucocorticoid-immune response to stress in a clinical sample. Finally, exploratory analyses suggested that high ACE women with high dietary intake of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) had a dampened inflammatory response to acute stress, suggesting potentially protective effects of ω-3s in this high-risk population. Given the adverse effects of inflammation on pregnancy and the developing fetus, mechanisms by which childhood adversity influence the gut-brain axis and potential protective factors such as diet should be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa Hantsoo
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3535 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States.
| | - Eldin Jašarević
- Department of Pharmacology, Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 670 W Baltimore St. HSF3, 9-173, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Stephanie Criniti
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3535 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Brendan McGeehan
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3535 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Ceylan Tanes
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
| | - Mary D. Sammel
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 423 Guardian Drive, 605 Blockley Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Michal A. Elovitz
- Maternal and Child Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 421 Curie Blvd., 1354 BRB II/III Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Charlene Compher
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, 137 Claire Fagin Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Gary Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 915 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - C. Neill Epperson
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3535 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Osborne S, Biaggi A, Chua TE, Du Preez A, Hazelgrove K, Nikkheslat N, Previti G, Zunszain PA, Conroy S, Pariante CM. Antenatal depression programs cortisol stress reactivity in offspring through increased maternal inflammation and cortisol in pregnancy: The Psychiatry Research and Motherhood - Depression (PRAM-D) Study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 98:211-221. [PMID: 30033161 PMCID: PMC6215770 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Antenatal depression is associated with a broad range of suboptimal outcomes in offspring, although the underlying mechanisms are not yet understood. Animal studies propose inflammation and glucocorticoids as mediators of the developmental programming effect of prenatal stress on offspring stress responses, but studies in humans are not yet at this stage. Indeed, to date no single study has examined the effects of a rigorously defined, clinically significant Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in pregnancy on maternal antenatal inflammatory biomarkers and hypothalamic-pituitary (HPA) axis, as well as on offspring HPA axis, behavior and developmental outcomes in the first postnatal year. METHODS A prospective longitudinal design was used in 106 women (49 cases vs. 57 healthy controls) to study the effect of MDD in pregnancy and associated antenatal biology (inflammatory and cortisol biomarkers), on offspring stress response (cortisol response to immunization, at 8 weeks and 12 months), early neurobehavior (Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, NBAS, at day 6), and cognitive, language and motor development (Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development at 12 months). RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, women with MDD in pregnancy had raised interleukin (IL) IL-6 (effect size (δ) = 0.53, p = 0.031), IL-10 (δ = 0.53, p = 0.043), tumor necrosis factor alpha (δ = 0.90, p = 0.003) and vascular endothelial growth factor (δ = 0.56, p = 0.008), together with raised diurnal cortisol secretion (δ = 0.89, p = 0.006), raised evening cortisol (δ = 0.64, p = 0.004), and blunted cortisol awakening response (δ = 0.70, p = 0.020), and an 8-day shorter length of gestation (δ = 0.70, p = 0.005). Furthermore, they had neonates with suboptimal neurobehavioral function in four out of five NBAS clusters measured (range of δ = 0.45-1.22 and p = 0.049-<0.001) and increased cortisol response to stress at one year of age (δ = 0.87, p < 0.001). Lastly, maternal inflammatory biomarkers and cortisol levels were correlated with infant stress response, suggesting a mechanistic link. CONCLUSION This study confirms and extends the notion that depression in pregnancy is associated with altered offspring behavior and biological stress response, and demonstrates that changes in maternal antenatal stress-related biology are associated with these infant outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Osborne
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Perinatal Psychiatry & Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, UK.
| | - A Biaggi
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Perinatal Psychiatry & Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, UK; King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Psychosis Studies, London, SE5 9AF, UK
| | - T E Chua
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Perinatal Psychiatry & Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, UK; Department of Psychological Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, 100 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 229899, Singapore
| | - A Du Preez
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Perinatal Psychiatry & Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, UK; King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, UK
| | - K Hazelgrove
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Perinatal Psychiatry & Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, UK; King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Psychosis Studies, London, SE5 9AF, UK
| | - N Nikkheslat
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Perinatal Psychiatry & Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, UK
| | - G Previti
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Perinatal Psychiatry & Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, UK; Department of Mental Health and Addiction, Via Risorgimento 57 42123, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - P A Zunszain
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Perinatal Psychiatry & Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, UK
| | - S Conroy
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Perinatal Psychiatry & Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, UK
| | - C M Pariante
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Perinatal Psychiatry & Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, UK
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Slopen N, Roberts AL, LeWinn KZ, Bush NR, Rovnaghi CR, Tylavsky F, Anand KJS. Maternal experiences of trauma and hair cortisol in early childhood in a prospective cohort. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 98:168-176. [PMID: 30170311 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Maternal trauma can have intergenerational consequences but little is known about whether maternal traumas affect key biological domains associated with mental health in their offspring. The objective of this study was to examine maternal lifetime history of traumatic events through mid-gestation in relation to offspring cortisol production in early childhood. METHODS The sample was comprised of 660 children (49.9% Black, 44.4% White) from a longitudinal study of mother-offspring dyads in Shelby County, Tennessee, followed from mid-gestation to child age 4 years (enrolled 2006-2011). Maternal lifetime history of traumatic life events were assessed mid-gestation using the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire. Total cortisol output among offspring was measured using hair cortisol concentrations at ages 1 to 4 years. RESULTS Associations of maternal trauma history with child hair cortisol varied by child's age. No association was observed at age 1 or 2. In adjusted regression models, at ages 3 and 4, offspring of mothers in the third (β = 0.99, P < .01), fourth (β=0.72, P < .05), and fifth (β=0.83, P < .01) quintiles of trauma exposure history had elevated (natural log) hair cortisol concentrations, relative to mothers in the lowest quintile (P-trend = 0.003). The associations were not attenuated after adjustment for theorized pathways, including premature birth, maternal postpartum depression, and maternal parenting stress. CONCLUSIONS Maternal lifetime trauma exposures are associated with offspring hair cortisol concentrations. Future research is needed to determine intermediary mechanisms and functional significance of elevated hair cortisol concentration in young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Slopen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MA, United States.
| | - Andrea L Roberts
- Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kaja Z LeWinn
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Nicole R Bush
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Cynthia R Rovnaghi
- Pain/Stress Neurobiology Lab, Child Health Research Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Frances Tylavsky
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Kanwaljeet J S Anand
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
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28
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Finy MS, Christian LM. Pathways linking childhood abuse history and current socioeconomic status to inflammation during pregnancy. Brain Behav Immun 2018; 74:231-240. [PMID: 30217532 PMCID: PMC6289854 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Women who have experienced significant adversities during childhood and adulthood are at risk for excessive inflammation during pregnancy, but the mechanisms are unclear. Using structural equation modeling, we examined pathways from childhood abuse history and current socioeconomic status (SES) to inflammatory markers through indicators of health risk, recent stressors, and psychological distress in 214 women assessed at mid-pregnancy (5-31 weeks gestation). Self-reported data on socioeconomic indicators, childhood trauma history, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), smoking, sleep quality, interpersonal conflict, recent life events, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms were collected, and serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin (IL)-6 were determined. In separate models, pre-pregnancy BMI, sleep quality, and interpersonal conflict statistically explained the relationship between adversity and inflammation. These three intermediate variables were then entered into a multiple mediation analysis to examine unique effects. Childhood abuse history and current SES both demonstrated significant indirect effects on CRP through pre-pregnancy BMI, and current SES showed a significant indirect effect on IL-6 through all intermediate variables. When examining each indirect pathway individually, pre-pregnancy BMI and interpersonal conflict emerged as parallel pathways by which low current SES leads to elevated IL-6; the indirect pathway through sleep quality was no longer significant. Pre-pregnancy BMI and interpersonal conflict are two independent mechanisms by which adversity is associated with increased inflammation during pregnancy. Women who have been exposed to significant adversity may be at particular risk for obesity, sleep disruption, and interpersonal conflict, with implications for immune dysregulation during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Sima Finy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210,Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Lisa M. Christian
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210,Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210,Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210
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29
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Social buffering of the maternal and infant HPA axes: Mediation and moderation in the intergenerational transmission of adverse childhood experiences. Dev Psychopathol 2018; 30:921-939. [PMID: 30068422 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579418000512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Supportive social relationships can reduce both psychological and physiological responses to stressful experiences. Recently, studies have also assessed the potential for social relationships to buffer the intergenerational transmission of stress. The majority of these studies, however, have focussed on social learning as a mechanism responsible for the intergenerational transmission of stress. Evidence of biological mechanisms is lacking. The objective of the current study was, therefore, to determine whether the association between maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and infant hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function is mediated by maternal HPA axis function during pregnancy and moderated by social support. Data were from 243 mother-infant dyads enrolled in a prospective longitudinal cohort (the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition Study). Maternal history of ACEs was retrospectively assessed while maternal perceived social support and salivary cortisol were assessed prospectively at 6-22 weeks gestation (Time 1) and 27-37 weeks gestation (Time 2), and infant cortisol reactivity to a laboratory stressor and maternal perceived social support were assessed at 5-10 months postnatal (Time 3). Results revealed that maternal HPA axis function during pregnancy mediated the effects of maternal ACEs on infant HPA axis reactivity, suggesting that the maternal HPA axis is a mechanism by which maternal early life stress is transmitted to offspring. Furthermore, social support in the prenatal and postnatal periods moderated the cascade from maternal ACEs to infant HPA axis reactivity. Specifically, prenatal social support moderated the association between ACEs and maternal HPA axis function during pregnancy, and postnatal social support moderated the association between maternal HPA axis function and infant cortisol reactivity. These findings highlight the social sensitivity of the HPA axis and suggest the utility of social relationships as an intervention target to reduce the effects of maternal early life stress on infant outcomes.
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30
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Swales DA, Stout-Oswald SA, Glynn LM, Sandman C, Wing DA, Davis EP. Exposure to traumatic events in childhood predicts cortisol production among high risk pregnant women. Biol Psychol 2018; 139:186-192. [PMID: 30359722 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2017] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Childhood exposure to traumatic events has a profound and disruptive impact on mental and physical health, including stress physiology. In the current study, we evaluate 90 pregnant women at risk for preterm delivery and assess the association between history of exposure to traumatic events and hair cortisol concentrations, an integrated measure of cortisol production. Exposure to more traumatic events in childhood and in adulthood independently predicted elevated hair cortisol concentrations in pregnancy. Notably, the impact of childhood exposure to traumatic events remained after accounting for more proximal traumatic events in adulthood. Further, there was a significant interaction between childhood and adult exposures. Traumatic experiences in adulthood were more strongly associated with hair cortisol concentrations among mothers with a history of greater childhood trauma. Findings suggest that not only do proximal adult exposures impact HPA-axis functioning during pregnancy, but that childhood traumatic experiences have persisting consequences for HPA-axis functioning during pregnancy. Maternal HPA-axis dysregulation in pregnancy has consequences for both maternal health and for fetal development. Therefore, we consider prenatal maternal HPA-axis functioning as a potential biological pathway underlying intergenerational consequences of childhood trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Laura M Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Curt Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Deborah A Wing
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver CO, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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31
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Riazanova OV, Alexandrovich YS, Ioscovich AM. The relationship between labor pain management, cortisol level and risk of postpartum depression development: a prospective nonrandomized observational monocentric trial. Rom J Anaesth Intensive Care 2018; 25:123-130. [PMID: 30393769 DOI: 10.21454/rjaic.7518.252.rzn] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Postpartum depression (PPD) is the main psychological status disorder and women suffering from postpartum depression often need long-term psychological and socio-economic rehabilitation. The study is dedicated to the evaluation of the role of labor pain management using epidural analgesia in natural delivery on stress level in labor and frequency of postnatal depression. Materials and methods 210 women were investigated and divided into two groups. In the first group for labor pain management in natural delivery, patient-controlled epidural analgesia was used (bolus - 10.0 - 0.08% ropivacaine hydrochloride, lockout - 30 min, limit - 120 ml/6 h) with a background of continuous-flow infusion of local anesthetic 0.08% ropivacaine hydrocluoride solution. Patients in the second group had no pain relief in delivery. The stress level was evaluated using blood plasma cortisol level in the early stages of labor, 6 hours and 3 days after delivery. The assessment of depression development was carried out step-by-step: Before the delivery, 6 hours after, 3 days and 6 weeks after the delivery. Results The baby blues frequency 6 hours after the delivery in the group where the pain relief was conducted was 29.91%, with cortisol level below and equal to 2310.91 nmol/l. In the group with no pain relief 6 hours after delivery, baby blues was found in 15.53% of puerperas (p < 0.05) and the cortisol level was 2673.82 nmol/l (p < 0.05). Six weeks after the birth, postpartum depression was diagnosed in 4.67% of women who received epidural analgesia during delivery, in comparison to 6.79% with no pain relief during delivery. However, the difference was not statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions The use of epidural analgesia leads to a significant reduction of pain syndrome and stress response during natural delivery, increases the risk of baby blues in the early postnatal period, but slightly influences the frequency of postpartum depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oksana V Riazanova
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Saint-Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Yurii S Alexandrovich
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Saint-Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexander M Ioscovich
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine and Pain Treatment, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
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32
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van den Heuvel MI, van Assen MALM, Glover V, Claes S, Van den Bergh BRH. Associations between maternal psychological distress and salivary cortisol during pregnancy: A mixed-models approach. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 96:52-60. [PMID: 29902667 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal psychological distress during pregnancy is related to adverse child behavioral and emotional outcomes later in life, such as ADHD and anxiety/depression. The underlying mechanisms for this, however, are still largely unknown. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis, with its most important effector hormone cortisol, has been proposed as a mechanism, but results have been inconsistent. The current study investigated the association between maternal psychological distress (i.e. anxiety and depressive symptoms) and maternal cortisol levels during pregnancy using a mixed models approach. METHOD During three pregnancy trimesters, mothers (N = 170) collected four salivary samples for two consecutive days. Mothers reported symptoms of anxiety and depression three times during pregnancy (at 13.3 ± 1.1, 20.2 ± 1.5, and 33.8 ± 1.5 weeks of pregnancy, respectively) using the anxiety subscale of the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), the Spielberger State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Specific fears and worries during pregnancy were measured with the short version of the Pregnancy Related Anxiety Questionnaire (PRAQ-R). RESULTS We found a significant effect of SCL-90 anxiety subscale on cortisol levels at awakening (p = .008), indicating that mothers with higher anxiety showed lower cortisol at awakening. Maternal psychological variables explained 10.5% of the variance at the person level in awakening cortisol level, but none in the overall diurnal cortisol model. CONCLUSION More research is necessary to unravel the underlying mechanisms of the association between maternal psychological distress and cortisol and the search for mechanisms other than the HPA-axis should be continued and extended.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcel A L M van Assen
- Department of Methodology and Statistics, Tilburg University, The Netherlands; Department of Sociology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Vivette Glover
- Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Stephan Claes
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bea R H Van den Bergh
- Health Psychology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium; Department of Welfare, Public Health and Family, Flemish Government, Brussels, Belgium.
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33
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Christie H, Talmon A, Schäfer SK, de Haan A, Vang ML, Haag K, Gilbar O, Alisic E, Brown E. The transition to parenthood following a history of childhood maltreatment: a review of the literature on prospective and new parents' experiences. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2018; 8:1492834. [PMID: 33488997 PMCID: PMC7803084 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2018.1492834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Becoming a parent is viewed as one of the most important transitions in one's life. However, a history of childhood maltreatment may affect the adjustment to parenthood. Objective: The objective of this review was to synthesize the current evidence base to further our understanding of prospective and new parents' experiences in the transition to parenthood (pregnancy to 2 years post-birth), in the context of having a childhood maltreatment history. Method: A scoping review of the literature was conducted using the following online databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycNET, and Published International Literature of Traumatic Stress. Results: The findings were synthesized into a four-component theoretical framework, which included mental health of the parent, physical changes, parental view of the child, and view of the self as a parent. A total of 69 papers, including 181,537 participants (of whom 30,482 mothers and 235 fathers had maltreatment histories), investigated the transition to parenthood. The majority of the studies showed that parents with a maltreatment history may suffer from a range of mental health problems during the transition to parenthood, experience more negative physical changes, and have more negative views of their child (or children). However, they reported both positive and negative experiences regarding their identity as a parent. Conclusions: The findings suggest that maltreatment is a risk factor for a more challenging transition to parenthood. Experiences of fathers with maltreatment histories merit more attention, as do those of parents in low- and middle-income countries. Future directions should include predictors of positive experiences and the development of early interventions to improve outcomes for this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hope Christie
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Anat Talmon
- The Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Sarah Katharina Schäfer
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Anke de Haan
- Department of Psychology - Child and Adolescent Health Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Ohad Gilbar
- School of Social Work, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Eva Alisic
- Accident Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Erin Brown
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
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34
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Thomas JC, Magel C, Tomfohr-Madsen L, Madigan S, Letourneau N, Campbell TS, Giesbrecht GF. Adverse childhood experiences and HPA axis function in pregnant women. Horm Behav 2018; 102:10-22. [PMID: 29630895 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jenna C Thomas
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Chantelle Magel
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Sheri Madigan
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Nicole Letourneau
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Faculty of Nursing, & Cumming School of Medicine (Pediatrics, Psychiatry & Community Health Sciences), University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Tavis S Campbell
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Gerald F Giesbrecht
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
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Li Y, Rosemberg MAS, Seng JS. Allostatic load: A theoretical model for understanding the relationship between maternal posttraumatic stress disorder and adverse birth outcomes. Midwifery 2018; 62:205-213. [PMID: 29709774 DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth and low birth weight are significant public health concerns and contribute to neonatal morbidity and mortality. Studies have increasingly been exploring the predictive effects of maternal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on adverse birth outcomes. However, the biological mechanisms by which maternal PTSD affects birth outcomes are not well understood. Allostatic load refers to the cumulative dysregulations of the multiple physiological systems as a response to multiple social-ecological levels of chronic stress. Allostatic load has been well documented in relation to both chronic stress and adverse health outcomes in non-pregnant populations. However, the mediating role of allostatic load is less understood when it comes to maternal PTSD and adverse birth outcomes. OBJECTIVE To propose a theoretical model that depicts how allostatic load could mediate the impact of maternal PTSD on birth outcomes. METHOD We followed the procedures for theory synthesis approach described by Walker and Avant (2011), including specifying focal concepts, identifying related factors and relationships, and constructing an integrated representation. We first present a theoretical overview of the allostatic load theory and the other 4 relevant theoretical models. Then we provide a brief narrative review of literature that empirically supports the propositions of the integrated model. Finally, we describe our theoretical model. FINDINGS/CONCLUSIONS The theoretical model synthesized has the potential to advance perinatal research by delineating multiple biomarkers to be used in future. After it is well validated, it could be utilized as the theoretical basis for health care professionals to identify high-risk women by evaluating their experiences of psychosocial and traumatic stress and to develop and evaluate service delivery and clinical interventions that might modify maternal perceptions or experiences of stress and eliminate their impacts on adverse birth outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing, USA
| | - Marie-Anne Sanon Rosemberg
- Department of Systems, Populations and Leadership, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, 400 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Julia S Seng
- Department of Systems, Populations and Leadership, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, 400 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA.
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Cortisol, cortisone, and BDNF in amniotic fluid in the second trimester of pregnancy: Effect of early life and current maternal stress and socioeconomic status. Dev Psychopathol 2018; 30:971-980. [PMID: 29576035 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579418000147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The prenatal environment shapes the offspring's phenotype; moreover, transgenerational stress and stress during pregnancy may play a role. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glucocorticoids influence neurodevelopment during pregnancy, and there is evidence that BDNF in amniotic fluid is mainly of fetal origin, while the source of glucocorticoids is maternal. We tested the hypothesis that maternal early life stress, psychiatric diagnoses, anxiety, perceived stress, and socioeconomic status influence BDNF and glucocorticoid concentrations in amniotic fluid in the second trimester. We studied 79 pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis in the early second trimester and analyzed BDNF, cortisol, and cortisone concentrations in amniotic fluid. The endocrine data were related to maternal early life adversities (Childhood Trauma Questionaire), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), anxiety, socioeconomic status (family income), and the presence of psychiatric diseases. We found BDNF in amniotic fluid to be positively related to maternal early adversity (Childhood Trauma Questionaire). Low family income (socioeconomic status) was related to high amniotic fluid glucocorticoid concentrations. Neither glucocorticoid concentrations nor hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase (HSD2) activity could be related to BDNF concentrations in amniotic fluid. Early maternal adverse events may be reflected in the fetal BDNF regulation, and it should be tested whether this relates to differences in neurodevelopment.
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Orta OR, Gelaye B, Bain PA, Williams MA. The association between maternal cortisol and depression during pregnancy, a systematic review. Arch Womens Ment Health 2018; 21:43-53. [PMID: 28942465 PMCID: PMC5764810 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-017-0777-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Timing of cortisol collection during pregnancy is an important factor within studies reporting on the association between maternal cortisol and depression during pregnancy. Our objective was to further examine the extent to which reported associations differed across studies according to time of maternal cortisol collection during pregnancy. On December 15, 2016, records were identified using PubMed/MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine), EMBASE (Elsevier; 1974-), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL, EBSCO), PsycINFO (EBSCO), and Web of Science Core Collection (Thomson Reuters). Unique abstracts were screened using the following inclusion criteria: (1) maternal cortisol assessed during pregnancy; (2) antepartum depression assessed during pregnancy using a screening instrument; (3) reports on the association between maternal cortisol and antepartum depression; (4) provides information on timing of cortisol assessment during pregnancy, including time of day and gestation; and (5) not a review article or a case study. One thousand three hundred seventy-five records were identified, resulting in 826 unique abstracts. Twenty-nine articles met all inclusion criteria. On balance, most studies reported no association between maternal cortisol and antepartum depression (N = 17), and saliva and blood were the most common reported matrices. Morning and second and third trimesters were the most common times of collection during pregnancy. Among studies reporting an association (N = 12), second-trimester and third-trimester cortisol assessments more consistently reported an association and elevated cortisol concentrations were observed in expected recovery periods. Our review adds to the existing literature on the topic, highlighting gaps and strategic next steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia R. Orta
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts,Corresponding author:
| | - Bizu Gelaye
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Paul A. Bain
- Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Michelle A. Williams
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
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38
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Fogelman N, Canli T. Early life stress and cortisol: A meta-analysis. Horm Behav 2018; 98:63-76. [PMID: 29289660 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Given the high prevalence of early life stress (ELS) and the potential physiological dysregulation such experiences can lead to, this meta-analysis tested the relationship between ELS and cortisol. Search terms related to ELS and cortisol were entered in to PsycINFO and PubMed. Effect sizes were extracted for four outcomes variables: cortisol awakening response (CAR), baseline cortisol (cortisol at one time point), non-stressed cortisol over time (cortisol captured at two or more time points), and cortisol reactivity to an acute stressor. The articles were additionally coded for potential confounding variables, population-related, ELS-related and cortisol-related moderators. There was no significant relationship between ELS and the CAR (g=0.19, p=0.268), ELS and baseline cortisol (g=-0.072, p=0.328), ELS and non-stressed cortisol over time (g=0.09, p=0.292) or ELS and cortisol reactivity (g=-0.089, p=0.363). However, there was a significant amount of heterogeneity amongst relationships. Within the ELS-CAR relationship, in those who had experienced ELS that was sexually, physically or emotionally abusive, the CAR was heightened. Within the ELS-Baseline relationship, if blood samples were collected the ELS was associated with a blunting effect of cortisol. The non-significant main effects challenge the commonly held belief in the literature that ELS affects cortisol later in life. However, the high degree of heterogeneity uncovered by this analysis and significant moderators suggest that the literature may benefit from consistent operationalizations of ELS and standardized methods of how cortisol is measured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nia Fogelman
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
| | - Turhan Canli
- Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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39
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Mitchell AM, Porter K, Christian LM. Examination of the role of obesity in the association between childhood trauma and inflammation during pregnancy. Health Psychol 2017; 37:114-124. [PMID: 28967771 DOI: 10.1037/hea0000559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Childhood trauma is associated with negative perinatal health outcomes including mood disorders and shorter gestation. However, effects of early life exposures on maternal biology are poorly delineated. This study examined associations between childhood trauma and inflammation, as well as the mediating role of obesity in this relationship. METHOD This study examined a racially diverse sample of 77 pregnant women assessed in early, mid, and late pregnancy. Assessments included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, serum CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α, and prepregnancy BMI. RESULTS Per linear mixed models, while no direct relationships were observed between childhood trauma with IL-6 or TNF-α, physical (95% CI: 0.007, 0.080) and emotional (95% CI: 0.005, 0.046) abuse as well as emotional neglect (95% CI: 0.010, 0.051) predicted elevated CRP. Effects remained after adjustment for race, income, education, smoking status, medical conditions, and depressive symptoms. PROCESS analyses showed BMI mediated the relationship between physical abuse and both serum CRP (95% CI: 0.014, 0.062) and IL-6 (95% CI: 0.009, 0.034). CONCLUSIONS Exposure to childhood trauma, particularly emotional abuse, physical abuse, and emotional neglect, is associated with inflammation in pregnant women. Obesity served as 1 pathway by which physical abuse contributed to elevations in serum CRP and IL-6. Interventions targeting maternal obesity prior to pregnancy may help mitigate the effects of childhood trauma on perinatal health. These findings have relevance for understanding biological and behavioral pathways by which early life exposures contribute to maternal health. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Mitchell
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
| | - Kyle Porter
- Center for Biostatistics, The Ohio State University
| | - Lisa M Christian
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
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40
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Moog NK, Heim CM, Entringer S, Kathmann N, Wadhwa PD, Buss C. Childhood maltreatment is associated with increased risk of subclinical hypothyroidism in pregnancy. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 84:190-196. [PMID: 28755549 PMCID: PMC5572821 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.07.482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The critical importance of thyroid hormones for fetal development is well established. The developing fetus is dependent on the mother for adequate thyroid hormone supply, and maternal thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy may result in suboptimal fetal development. Because exposure to childhood maltreatment (CM) has been associated with thyroid dysfunction in the non-pregnant state, we sought to test the hypothesis that exposure to CM may represent a risk factor for the development of maternal hypothyroidism in pregnancy. The study was conducted in a healthy cohort of 102 pregnant mothers who were followed across the entire course of pregnancy. At each trimester thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) were measured in maternal serum. Experience of CM was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. After adjusting for potentially confounding variables, CM exposure was associated with increased TSH concentrations across pregnancy (F1,94.6=11.52, p=0.001) and with a 4- to 7-fold increased risk of TSH levels above the trimester-specific clinical cut-off values. Women with clinically elevated TSH concentrations did not differ in fT4 concentrations from women with normal TSH concentrations (p>0.1), suggesting subclinical hypothyroidism. Our findings suggest that there is a substantial and clinically relevant increased risk for thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy among women exposed to abuse or neglect in their childhood. This could potentially have adverse consequences for fetal brain development. Thus, these findings highlight the critical importance of considering CM exposure as a potential risk factor for (subclinical) hypothyroidism in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora K. Moog
- Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Department of Medical Psychology, Luisenstrasse 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Luisenstrasse 56, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Institute of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Rudower Chaussee 18, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christine M. Heim
- Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Department of Medical Psychology, Luisenstrasse 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Luisenstrasse 56, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, College of Health and Human Development, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Sonja Entringer
- Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Department of Medical Psychology, Luisenstrasse 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany,University of California, Irvine, Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, 333 The City Drive West, Suite 1200, Orange, CA 92868, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 505 S. Main St., Suite 525, Orange, CA 92868, USA
| | - Norbert Kathmann
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Luisenstrasse 56, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Institute of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Rudower Chaussee 18, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Pathik D. Wadhwa
- University of California, Irvine, Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, 333 The City Drive West, Suite 1200, Orange, CA 92868, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 505 S. Main St., Suite 525, Orange, CA 92868, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 101 The City Drive South, Building 3, Route 88, Orange, CA 92697, USA,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 200 S. Manchester Ave, Suite 600, Orange, CA 92868, USA,Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 224 Irvine Hall, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Claudia Buss
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health; University of California, Irvine, Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, 333 The City Drive West, Suite 1200, Orange, CA, 92868, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 505 S. Main St., Suite 525, Orange, CA, 92868, USA.
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41
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Thompson LA, Morgan G, Unger CA, Covey LA. Prenatal maternal cortisol measures predict learning and short-term memory performance in 3- but not 5-month-old infants. Dev Psychobiol 2017; 59:723-737. [PMID: 28691735 PMCID: PMC5561452 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about relations between maternal prenatal stress and specific cognitive processes-learning and memory-in infants. A modified crib-mobile task was employed in a longitudinal design to test relations between maternal prenatal cortisol, prenatal subjective stress and anxiety, psychosocial variables, and learning and memory in 3- and 5-month-old infants. Results revealed that maternal prenatal cortisol was affected by particular psychosocial variables (e.g., maternal age, whether or not the infant's grandmother provided childcare, financial status), but was unrelated to measures of maternal depression, anxiety, and stress. Although maternal prenatal cortisol was not predictive of learning or memory performance in 5-month-old infants, higher levels of basal maternal cortisol and reduced prenatal cortisol response was predictive of some learning and short-term memory measures in 3-month-old infants. These results suggest an influence of maternal neuroendocrine functioning on fetal neurological development, and the importance of separate examination of subjective and biological measures of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gin Morgan
- New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico
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42
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Bernard K, Frost A, Bennett CB, Lindhiem O. Maltreatment and diurnal cortisol regulation: A meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 78:57-67. [PMID: 28167370 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment leads to a host of negative physical and mental health outcomes, with cortisol dysregulation implicated as a possible mechanism. Given inconsistencies across in the literature regarding the direction and magnitude of the association between maltreatment and diurnal cortisol regulation, the current meta-analysis of 27 studies aimed to examine the association between maltreatment and at least one of 3 indicators of diurnal cortisol regulation: wake-up cortisol levels, the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and/or the diurnal cortisol slope. Effect sizes were calculated using Hedges' g formula and were pooled using a random effects model. For the association between maltreatment and wake-up cortisol level, the aggregate effect size was g=0.08, p=0.26. Notably, effect sizes between maltreatment and wake-up cortisol were significantly larger (Qbetween=5.18, p=0.02) for studies of agency-referred samples, g=0.24, p=0.006, than studies for which maltreatment status was based on self-report, g=0.00, p=0.97, with maltreatment associated with reduced wake-up cortisol levels. For the association between maltreatment and the CAR and diurnal cortisol slope, the aggregate effect sizes were non-significant and none of the moderator variables were significant. Although results did not indicate a large and robust association between maltreatment and various indicators of diurnal cortisol, studies with more rigorous designs (i.e., agency-referred samples) showed a small, significant association between maltreatment and blunted wake-up cortisol levels, suggesting a pattern of hypocortisolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Bernard
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, United States.
| | - Allison Frost
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, United States
| | | | - Oliver Lindhiem
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, United States
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Miller KF, Margolin G, Shapiro LS, Timmons AC. Adolescent Life Stress and the Cortisol Awakening Response: The Moderating Roles of Attachment and Sex. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2017; 27:34-48. [PMID: 28498534 PMCID: PMC8063215 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This longitudinal study investigated how past versus current life stresses relate to adolescents' cortisol awakening response (CAR), an index of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity. Ninety-nine adolescents reported previous year life stress at ages 12 and 18. At the second assessment, participants also provided self-reports of parent and peer attachment and 3 days of cortisol samples. Current stress was associated with heightened CAR for both males and females, whereas past stress was associated with attenuated CAR for males. Attachment to peers buffered the relationship between past stress and attenuated CAR for all adolescents; attachment to parents was a buffer for male adolescents only. Results demonstrate the protective roles of adolescent relationships and highlight sex differences in biopsychosocial development across adolescence.
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44
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Choi KW, Sikkema KJ. Childhood Maltreatment and Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review. TRAUMA, VIOLENCE & ABUSE 2016; 17:427-453. [PMID: 25985988 DOI: 10.1177/1524838015584369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) compromise maternal and child well-being and may be influenced by traumatic experiences across the life course. A potent and common form of trauma is childhood maltreatment, but its specific impact on PMADs is not well understood. A systematic review was undertaken to synthesize empirical literature on the relationship between maternal histories of childhood maltreatment and PMADs. Of the 876 citations retrieved, 35 reports from a total of 26,239 participants met inclusion criteria, documenting substantial rates of childhood maltreatment and PMADs. Robust trends of association were observed between childhood maltreatment and perinatal depression, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder, but findings for anxiety were less consistent. Examining multivariate results suggested that childhood maltreatment predicts PMADs above and beyond sociodemographic, psychiatric, perinatal, and psychosocial factors, but may also be partially mediated by variables such as later victimization and moderated by protective early relationships. Future research should test mediating and moderating pathways using prospective cohorts, expanding to cross-cultural settings and other disorder outcomes. Treatment and prevention of childhood maltreatment and its sequelae may help mitigate risk for perinatal psychopathology and its impact on maternal and child outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karmel W Choi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kathleen J Sikkema
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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45
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Deligiannidis KM, Kroll-Desrosiers AR, Svenson A, Jaitly N, Barton BA, Hall JE, Rothschild AJ. Cortisol response to the Trier Social Stress Test in pregnant women at risk for postpartum depression. Arch Womens Ment Health 2016; 19:789-97. [PMID: 26951216 PMCID: PMC5014732 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-016-0615-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Antepartum depression and anxiety are risk factors for postpartum depression (PPD). Postpartum abnormalities in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) reactivity are associated with PPD. It is not known if antepartum HPA abnormalities exist in women at risk for PPD (AR-PPD). We measured salivary cortisol response to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in 44 (24 AR-PPD, 20 healthy comparison) pregnant women. Depression and anxiety were measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State (STAI-S). We analyzed longitudinal changes in cortisol using generalized estimating equation methods to control for the correlation within subjects at the six TSST time points. Group differences in area under the curve (AUC) were examined. A majority (70.8 %) of the AR-PPD had prior depression. EPDS total score was higher in AR-PPD vs. comparison women (mean EPDS = 9.8 ± 4.9 vs. mean EPDS = 2.4 ± 2.0 respectively, p < 0.001). Mean STAI-S total score was higher in AR-PPD vs. comparison women at all TSST time points and over time (z = 2.71, df = 1, p = 0.007). There was no significant difference in cortisol concentration over time between groups. We observed no detectable difference in cortisol response to psychosocial stress induced by the TSST despite clinically significant between-group differences in current/past depression and current symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina M Deligiannidis
- Center for Psychopharmacologic Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
- Women's Mental Health Program, Departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, UMass Memorial Medical Center, 55 Lake Avenue, North, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
| | - Aimee R Kroll-Desrosiers
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Abby Svenson
- Center for Psychopharmacologic Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Nina Jaitly
- Center for Psychopharmacologic Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709-2233, USA
| | - Bruce A Barton
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Janet E Hall
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709-2233, USA
- Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114-2696, USA
| | - Anthony J Rothschild
- Center for Psychopharmacologic Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
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46
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Simon CD, Adam EK, Holl JL, Wolfe KA, Grobman WA, Borders AEB. Prenatal Stress and the Cortisol Awakening Response in African-American and Caucasian Women in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy. Matern Child Health J 2016; 20:2142-9. [DOI: 10.1007/s10995-016-2060-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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47
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Moog NK, Buss C, Entringer S, Shahbaba B, Gillen DL, Hobel CJ, Wadhwa PD. Maternal Exposure to Childhood Trauma Is Associated During Pregnancy With Placental-Fetal Stress Physiology. Biol Psychiatry 2016; 79:831-839. [PMID: 26444076 PMCID: PMC4777678 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2015] [Revised: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/15/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effects of exposure to childhood trauma (CT) may be transmitted across generations; however, the time period(s) and mechanism(s) have yet to be clarified. We address the hypothesis that intergenerational transmission may begin during intrauterine life via the effect of maternal CT exposure on placental-fetal stress physiology, specifically placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH). METHODS The study was conducted in a sociodemographically diverse cohort of 295 pregnant women. CT exposure was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Placental CRH concentrations were quantified in maternal blood collected serially over the course of gestation. Linear mixed effects and Bayesian piece-wise linear models were employed to test hypothesized relationships. RESULTS Maternal CT exposure (CT+) was significantly associated with pCRH production. Compared with nonexposed women, CT+ was associated with an almost 25% increase in pCRH toward the end of gestation, and the pCRH trajectory of CT+ women exhibited an approximately twofold steeper increase after the pCRH inflection point at 19 weeks gestation. CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, this finding represents the first report linking maternal CT exposure with placental-fetal stress physiology, thus identifying a potential novel biological pathway of intergenerational transmission that may operate as early as during intrauterine life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora K. Moog
- University of California, Irvine, Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, 333 The City Drive West, Suite 1200, Orange, CA 92868, USA,Department of Medical Psychology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Luisenstrasse 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Buss
- University of California, Irvine, Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, 333 The City Drive West, Suite 1200, Orange, CA 92868, USA,Department of Medical Psychology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Luisenstrasse 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 505 S. Main St., Suite 525, Orange, CA 92868, USA
| | - Sonja Entringer
- University of California, Irvine, Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, 333 The City Drive West, Suite 1200, Orange, CA 92868, USA,Department of Medical Psychology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Luisenstrasse 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 505 S. Main St., Suite 525, Orange, CA 92868, USA
| | - Babak Shahbaba
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, Bren Hall 2019, Irvine, CA 92697-1250, USA
| | - Daniel L. Gillen
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, Bren Hall 2019, Irvine, CA 92697-1250, USA
| | - Calvin J. Hobel
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Pathik D. Wadhwa
- University of California, Irvine, Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, 333 The City Drive West, Suite 1200, Orange, CA 92868, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 505 S. Main St., Suite 525, Orange, CA 92868, USA,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 101 The City Drive South, Building 3, Route 88, Orange, CA 92697, USA,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 200 S. Manchester Ave, Suite 600, Orange, CA 92868, USA,Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 224 Irvine Hall, Irvine, CA 92697, USA,Corresponding Author: Pathik D. Wadhwa, MD, PhD., Professor of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Epidemiology, Director, UC Irvine Development, Health and Disease Research Program, 3117 Gillespie Neuroscience Research Facility (GNRF), 837 Health Sciences Road, Irvine, CA 92697-4260, Phone: (949) 824-8238,
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Schreier HMC, Enlow MB, Ritz T, Coull BA, Gennings C, Wright RO, Wright RJ. Lifetime exposure to traumatic and other stressful life events and hair cortisol in a multi-racial/ethnic sample of pregnant women. Stress 2016; 19:45-52. [PMID: 26551892 PMCID: PMC4766015 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2015.1117447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We examined whether lifetime exposure to stressful and traumatic events alters hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning, as indexed by hair cortisol, regardless of associated psychopathology, among pregnant women of different racial/ethnic backgrounds. 180 women provided hair samples for measurement of integrated cortisol levels throughout pregnancy and information regarding their lifetime exposure to stressful and traumatic life events. Results indicate that increased lifetime exposure to traumatic events was associated with significantly greater hair cortisol over the course of pregnancy. Similarly, greater lifetime exposure to stressful and traumatic events weighted by reported negative impact (over the previous 12 months) was associated with significantly greater hair cortisol during pregnancy. All analyses controlled for maternal age, education, body mass index (BMI), use of inhaled corticosteroids, race/ethnicity, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms. Following stratification by race/ethnicity, associations between stressful and traumatic life events and hair cortisol were found among Black women only. This is the first study to consider associations between lifetime stress exposures and hair cortisol in a sociodemographically diverse sample of pregnant women. Increased exposure to stressful and traumatic events, independent of PTSD and depressive symptoms, was associated with higher cortisol production, particularly in Black women. Future research should investigate the influence of such increased cortisol exposure on developmental outcomes among offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M. C. Schreier
- Kravis Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY (at time of manuscript preparation)
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA 16802. . Phone: +1 (814) 863 5767
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas Ritz
- Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Brent A. Coull
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Chris Gennings
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert O. Wright
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Mindich Child Health & Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rosalind J. Wright
- Kravis Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY (at time of manuscript preparation)
- Mindich Child Health & Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Agrati D, Browne D, Jonas W, Meaney M, Atkinson L, Steiner M, Fleming AS. Maternal anxiety from pregnancy to 2 years postpartum: transactional patterns of maternal early adversity and child temperament. Arch Womens Ment Health 2015; 18:693-705. [PMID: 25627018 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-014-0491-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The aims of this study were to examine the anxiety trajectories of women from pregnancy to 2 years postpartum and to assess the influence of their early life experiences and the temperament of the child on these trajectories. We evaluated state anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) at pregnancy and 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postpartum and determined its course as a function of self-reported early adverse experiences (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire) and the temperament of the child at 18 months (Early Child Behavior Questionnaire). Based on growth curve modeling, we found that anxiety followed a general U-shape pattern from gestation to 2 years postpartum, which was modified by early life experience of women. Greater early adversity was associated with higher gestational anxiety, followed by a marked decrease once the baby was born, and subsequent increase during the later postpartum period. The temperament of the child also modulated anxiety trajectories. Thus, mothers of children high in negative affectivity and who also experienced greater early adversity had elevated and flat anxiety trajectories, while child extraversion was associated with increasing anxiety courses approaching 2 years postpartum. These results show that maternal anxiety dynamically changes through the postpartum period with a course that is affected by previous and current experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniella Agrati
- Physiology & Nutrition Department, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Igua 4225, Montevideo, ZC 11400, Uruguay,
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Iliadis SI, Comasco E, Sylvén S, Hellgren C, Sundström Poromaa I, Skalkidou A. Prenatal and Postpartum Evening Salivary Cortisol Levels in Association with Peripartum Depressive Symptoms. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135471. [PMID: 26322643 PMCID: PMC4556108 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 07/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The biology of peripartum depression remains unclear, with altered stress and the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis response having been implicated in its pathophysiology. METHODS The current study was undertaken as a part of the BASIC project (Biology, Affect, Stress, Imaging, Cognition), a population-based longitudinal study of psychological wellbeing during pregnancy and the postpartum period in Uppsala County, Sweden, in order to assess the association between evening salivary cortisol levels and depressive symptoms in the peripartum period. Three hundred and sixty-five pregnant women from the BASIC cohort were recruited at pregnancy week 18 and instructed to complete a Swedish validated version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at the 36th week of pregnancy as well as the sixth week after delivery. At both times, they were also asked to provide evening salivary samples for cortisol analysis. A comprehensive review of the relevant literature is also provided. RESULTS Women with postpartum EPDS score ≥ 10 had higher salivary evening cortisol at six weeks postpartum compared to healthy controls (median cortisol 1.19 vs 0.89 nmol/L). A logistic regression model showed a positive association between cortisol levels and depressive symptoms postpartum (OR = 4.1; 95% CI 1.7-9.7). This association remained significant even after controlling for history of depression, use of tobacco, partner support, breastfeeding, stressful life events, and sleep problems, as possible confounders (aOR = 4.5; 95% CI 1.5-14.1). Additionally, women with postpartum depressive symptoms had higher postpartum cortisol levels compared to both women with depressive symptoms antenatally and controls (p = 0.019 and p = 0.004, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Women with depressive symptoms postpartum had higher postpartum cortisol levels, indicating an altered response of the HPA-axis in postpartum depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stavros I. Iliadis
- Dept. of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, 751 85, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Erika Comasco
- Dept. of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, 751 85, Uppsala, Sweden
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sara Sylvén
- Dept. of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, 751 85, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Charlotte Hellgren
- Dept. of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, 751 85, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Alkistis Skalkidou
- Dept. of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, 751 85, Uppsala, Sweden
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