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Hummel EM, Piovesan K, Berg F, Herpertz S, Kessler H, Kumsta R, Moser DA. Mitochondrial DNA as a marker for treatment-response in post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 148:105993. [PMID: 36462294 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious mental health condition thought to be mediated by a dysregulated stress response system. Stress, especially chronic stress, affects mitochondrial activity and their efficiency in duplicating their genomes. Human cells contain numerous mitochondria that harbor multiple copies of their own genome, which consist of a mixture of wild type and variant mtDNA - a condition known as mitochondrial heteroplasmy. Number of mitochondrial genomes in a cell and the degree of heteroplasmy may serve as an indicator of mitochondrial allostatic load. Changes in mtDNA copy number and the proportion of variant mtDNA may be related to mental disorders and symptom severity, suggesting an involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction also in PTSD. Therefore, we examined number and composition of mitochondrial DNA before and after six weeks of inpatient psychotherapy treatment in a cohort of 60 female PTSD patients. We extracted DNA from isolated monocytes before and after inpatient treatment and quantified cellular mtDNA using multiplex qPCR. We hypothesized that treatment would lead to changes in cellular mtDNA levels and that change in mtDNA level would be associated with PTSD symptom severity and treatment response. It could be shown that mtDNA copy number and the ratio of variant mtDNA decreased during therapy, however, this change did not correlate with treatment response. Our results suggest that inpatient treatment can reduce signs of mitochondrial allostatic load, which could have beneficial effects on mental health. The quantification of mtDNA and the determination of cellular heteroplasmy could represent valuable biomarkers for the molecular characterization of mental disorders in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Hummel
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
| | - K Piovesan
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - F Berg
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - S Herpertz
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL-University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
| | - H Kessler
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL-University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Fulda Hospital, University Medicine Marburg Campus Fulda, Fulda, Germany
| | - R Kumsta
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany; Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, Laboratory for Stress and Gene-Environment nterplay, University of Luxemburg, Porte des Sciences, L-4366 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxemburg
| | - D A Moser
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
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2
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Parker C, Nelson E, Zhang T. VeVaPy, a Python Platform for Efficient Verification and Validation of Systems Biology Models with Demonstrations Using Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Models. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 24:1747. [PMID: 36554152 PMCID: PMC9777964 DOI: 10.3390/e24121747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In order for mathematical models to make credible contributions, it is essential for them to be verified and validated. Currently, verification and validation (V&V) of these models does not meet the expectations of the system biology and systems pharmacology communities. Partially as a result of this shortfall, systemic V&V of existing models currently requires a lot of time and effort. In order to facilitate systemic V&V of chosen hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis models, we have developed a computational framework named VeVaPy-taking care to follow the recommended best practices regarding the development of mathematical models. VeVaPy includes four functional modules coded in Python, and the source code is publicly available. We demonstrate that VeVaPy can help us efficiently verify and validate the five HPA axis models we have chosen. Supplied with new and independent data, VeVaPy outputs objective V&V benchmarks for each model. We believe that VeVaPy will help future researchers with basic modeling and programming experience to efficiently verify and validate mathematical models from the fields of systems biology and systems pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Parker
- Department of Pharmacology & Systems Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Erik Nelson
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Tongli Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology & Systems Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
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3
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Sartin-Tarm A, Lorenz T. Sexual Trauma Moderates Hormonal Mediators of Women’s Sexual Function. CURRENT SEXUAL HEALTH REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11930-022-00337-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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4
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Bou Khalil R, Risch N, Sleilaty G, Richa S, Seneque M, Lefebvre P, Sultan A, Avignon A, Maimoun L, Renard E, Courtet P, Guillaume S. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) variations in relationship with childhood maltreatment in patients with anorexia nervosa: a retrospective cohort study. Eat Weight Disord 2022; 27:2201-2212. [PMID: 35128621 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-022-01372-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious mental illness. It is frequently accompanied by a history of childhood maltreatment (CM) that may constitute a specific ecophenotype in patients with eating disorders necessitating special assessment and management. This retrospective study tested whether in patients with AN, CM-related chronic stress may manifest through low-grade inflammation reflected by an increase in white blood cell ratios (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, NLR, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio). METHODS Participants (N = 206) were enrolled at an eating disorder daycare unit in Montpellier, France, from March 2013 and January 2020. CM was assessed using the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ). The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the MINI were used to assess AN severity and the other clinical characteristics, respectively. RESULTS NLR was higher in patients with AN and history of CM (p = 0.029) and in patients with AN and history of emotional abuse (p = 0.021), compared with patients with AN without history of CM. In multivariate analysis, emotional abuse (β = 0.17; p = 0.027) contributed significantly to NLR variability. CONCLUSION In patients with AN, NLR is a low-grade inflammation marker that is influenced by various sociodemographic, clinical and biological factors. It is more directly affected by some CM types, especially emotional abuse, than by the presence/absence of CM history. Future studies should focus on mediators between CM and increased inflammation, such as interoceptive awareness, emotional dysregulation, food addiction, and stress sensitization. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III. Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Bou Khalil
- Department of Psychiatry, Saint Joseph University-Hôtel Dieu de France Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon. .,Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France.
| | - N Risch
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France.,Department of Psychiatric Emergency and Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, CHRU, 34295, Montpellier, France
| | - G Sleilaty
- Clinical Research Center and Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery, Saint Joseph University-Hôtel Dieu de France Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - S Richa
- Department of Psychiatry, Saint Joseph University-Hôtel Dieu de France Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - M Seneque
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France.,Department of Psychiatric Emergency and Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, CHRU, 34295, Montpellier, France
| | - P Lefebvre
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition, Montpellier University Hospital, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - A Sultan
- University of Montpellier, PhyMedExp, INSERM, CNRS UMR, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - A Avignon
- Desbrest Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, CHU, Montpellier, France
| | - L Maimoun
- University of Montpellier, PhyMedExp, INSERM, CNRS UMR, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,Département de Médecine Nucléaire, Hôpital Lapeyronie, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - E Renard
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France.,Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - P Courtet
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France.,Department of Psychiatric Emergency and Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, CHRU, 34295, Montpellier, France
| | - S Guillaume
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France.,Department of Psychiatric Emergency and Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, CHRU, 34295, Montpellier, France
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5
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McIntosh R, Lobo JD, Carvalho N, Ironson G. Learning to forget: Hippocampal-amygdala connectivity partially mediates the effect of sexual trauma severity on verbal recall in older women undiagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder. J Trauma Stress 2022; 35:631-643. [PMID: 35156236 PMCID: PMC11021133 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Verbal learning deficits are common among sexually traumatized women who have not been formally diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Aberrant resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the amygdala and hippocampus are implicated in PTSD and verbal memory impairment. We tested rsFC between bilateral dentate gyrus (DG) and both centromedial (CM) and basolateral (BL) nuclei of the amygdala as statistical mediators for the effect of sexual trauma-related symptom severity on delayed verbal recall performance in 63 older women (age: 60-85 years) undiagnosed with PTSD. Participant data were drawn from the NKI-Rockland Study. Individuals completed a 10-min resting-state scan, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), and the Sexual Abuse Trauma Index (SATI) from the Trauma Symptom Checklist. Z-scores indicating rsFC of DG with BL and CM amygdala seeds were evaluated in two separate mediation models. Higher SATI scores were associated with lower RAVLT after controlling for age, β = -.23, 95% CI [.48, .03], p = .039. This effect was negated upon adding a negative path from SATI to rsFC of left DG and right CM, β = -.29, 95% CI [-.52, -.02], p = .022, and a positive path from that seed pair to RAVLT List A recall, β = .28, 95% CI [.03, 0.48], p = .015. Chi-square fit indices supported partial mediation by this seed pair, p = .762. In the absence of PTSD sexual trauma symptoms partially relate to verbal learning deficits as a function of aberrant rsFC between left hippocampus DG and right amygdala CM nuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger McIntosh
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
| | - Judith D Lobo
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
| | - Nicole Carvalho
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
| | - Gail Ironson
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
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6
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Al Yacoub ON, Awwad HO, Zhang Y, Standifer KM. Therapeutic potential of nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide (NOP) receptor modulators for treatment of traumatic brain injury, traumatic stress, and their co-morbidities. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 231:107982. [PMID: 34480968 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.107982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) peptide (NOP) receptor is a member of the opioid receptor superfamily with N/OFQ as its endogenous agonist. Wide expression of the NOP receptor and N/OFQ, both centrally and peripherally, and their ability to modulate several biological functions has led to development of NOP receptor modulators by pharmaceutical companies as therapeutics, based upon their efficacy in preclinical models of pain, anxiety, depression, Parkinson's disease, and substance abuse. Both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are debilitating conditions that significantly affect the quality of life of millions of people around the world. PTSD is often a consequence of TBI, and, especially for those deployed to, working and/or living in a war zone or are first responders, they are comorbid. PTSD and TBI share common symptoms, and negatively influence outcomes as comorbidities of the other. Unfortunately, a lack of effective therapies or therapeutic agents limits the long term quality of life for either TBI or PTSD patients. Ours, and other groups, demonstrated that PTSD and TBI preclinical models elicit changes in the N/OFQ-NOP receptor system, and that administration of NOP receptor ligands alleviated some of the neurobiological and behavioral changes induced by brain injury and/or traumatic stress exposure. Here we review the past and most recent progress on understanding the role of the N/OFQ-NOP receptor system in PTSD and TBI neurological and behavioral sequelae. There is still more to understand about this neuropeptide system in both PTSD and TBI, but current findings warrant further examination of the potential utility of NOP modulators as therapeutics for these disorders and their co-morbidities. We advocate the development of standards for common data elements (CDE) reporting for preclinical PTSD studies, similar to current preclinical TBI CDEs. That would provide for more standardized data collection and reporting to improve reproducibility, interpretation and data sharing across studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar N Al Yacoub
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, OUHSC, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, United States of America
| | - Hibah O Awwad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, OUHSC, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, United States of America
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, OUHSC, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, United States of America
| | - Kelly M Standifer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, OUHSC, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, United States of America.
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7
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Cortisol trajectories measured prospectively across thirty years of female development following exposure to childhood sexual abuse: Moderation by epigenetic age acceleration at midlife. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 136:105606. [PMID: 34896740 PMCID: PMC8724404 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Lasting changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are a potential indication of the biological embedding of early life adversity, yet, prospective and repeatedly collected data are needed to confirm this relation. Likewise, integrating information from multiple biological systems, such as the HPA axis and the epigenome, has the potential to identify individuals with enhanced embedding of early life adversity. The current study reports results from the Female Growth and Development Study, a 30-year prospective cohort study of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Females exposed to substantiated CSA and a demographically-similar comparison condition were enrolled and resting state cortisol concentrations were sampled on seven subsequent occasions across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Differences in participants' cortisol trajectories were examined in relation to prior CSA exposure and DNA methylation-derived epigenetic age acceleration at midlife. Bilinear spline growth models revealed a trajectory where cortisol secretion increased until approximately age twenty and then declined into mid-life, consistent with normative trends. However, cortisol concentrations peaked at a lower level and transitioned to the decline phase at an earlier age for females in the CSA condition with increased epigenetic age acceleration. Robustness tests across three independent measures of epigenetic age acceleration demonstrated similar results for lower peak cortisol levels and earlier ages at transition. Results suggest that CSA is associated with significant changes in HPA-axis activity over extended periods of time with these changes most pronounced in females with accelerated epigenetic aging in mid-life. Implications for biological embedding models of early life adversity and adulthood health are discussed.
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8
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Zhang T, Tyson JJ. Understanding virtual patients efficiently and rigorously by combining machine learning with dynamical modelling. J Pharmacokinet Pharmacodyn 2022; 49:117-131. [PMID: 34985622 PMCID: PMC8837571 DOI: 10.1007/s10928-021-09798-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Individual biological organisms are characterized by daunting heterogeneity, which precludes describing or understanding populations of ‘patients’ with a single mathematical model. Recently, the field of quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) has adopted the notion of virtual patients (VPs) to cope with this challenge. A typical population of VPs represents the behavior of a heterogeneous patient population with a distribution of parameter values over a mathematical model of fixed structure. Though this notion of VPs is a powerful tool to describe patients’ heterogeneity, the analysis and understanding of these VPs present new challenges to systems pharmacologists. Here, using a model of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, we show that an integrated pipeline that combines machine learning (ML) and bifurcation analysis can be used to effectively and efficiently analyse the behaviors observed in populations of VPs. Compared with local sensitivity analyses, ML allows us to capture and analyse the contributions of simultaneous changes of multiple model parameters. Following up with bifurcation analysis, we are able to provide rigorous mechanistic insight regarding the influences of ML-identified parameters on the dynamical system’s behaviors. In this work, we illustrate the utility of this pipeline and suggest that its wider adoption will facilitate the use of VPs in the practice of systems pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongli Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology & Systems Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH, 45219, USA.
| | - John J Tyson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
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9
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Kakehi R, Hori H, Yoshida F, Itoh M, Lin M, Niwa M, Narita M, Ino K, Imai R, Sasayama D, Kamo T, Kunugi H, Kim Y. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in adulthood PTSD and childhood maltreatment history. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:967779. [PMID: 36699501 PMCID: PMC9869036 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.967779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulated evidence shows that psychological trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with dysfunction in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Besides the HPA axis hormones, recent evidence suggests that the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAA) system and genetic factors may be involved in trauma/PTSD as well as in HPA axis regulation. This study attempted to better understand the HPA axis function in relation to PTSD and childhood maltreatment by simultaneously examining RAA system and genetic polymorphisms of candidate genes. Here we studied 69 civilian women with PTSD and 107 healthy control women without DSM-IV-based traumatic experience. Childhood maltreatment history was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. PTSD severity was assessed with the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale. Functional disability was assessed with the Sheehan Disability Scale. HPA axis was examined by measuring blood levels of cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate (DHEA-S). RAA system was examined by measuring blood renin and aldosterone levels. The FKBP5 rs1360780 and CACNA1C rs1006737 polymorphisms were genotyped. No significant differences were seen between patients and controls in any of the five hormone levels. DHEA-S levels were significantly negatively correlated with overall PTSD severity (p = 0.003) and functional disability (p = 0.008). A two-way analysis of variance with diagnostic groups and genotypes as fixed factors revealed that patients with the rs1006737 A-allele had significantly lower DHEA-S levels than patients with the GG genotype (p = 0.002) and controls with the A-allele (p = 0.006). Childhood maltreatment history was not significantly correlated with any of the five hormone levels. These results were generally unchanged after controlling for the potentially confounding effect of age, depression, and anxiety. Our findings suggest that lower DHEA-S levels could indicate more severe subtype of PTSD, the association of which might be partly modified by the CACNA1C polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryoko Kakehi
- Department of Behavioral Medicine, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Medical Science, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.,Department of Nursing, Wayō Women's University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Hori
- Department of Behavioral Medicine, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fuyuko Yoshida
- Department of Behavioral Medicine, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, National Institute of Neuroscience, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mariko Itoh
- Department of Behavioral Medicine, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, Tokyo, Japan.,Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Mingming Lin
- Department of Behavioral Medicine, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Madoka Niwa
- Department of Behavioral Medicine, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Megumi Narita
- Department of Behavioral Medicine, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keiko Ino
- Department of Behavioral Medicine, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry and Cognitive-Behavioral Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Risa Imai
- Risa Irinaka Mental Clinic, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Daimei Sasayama
- Department of Psychiatry, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Nagano, Japan
| | - Toshiko Kamo
- Wakamatsu-cho Mental and Skin Clinic, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kunugi
- Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, National Institute of Neuroscience, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshiharu Kim
- Department of Behavioral Medicine, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, Tokyo, Japan
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10
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Boulet C, Lopez-Castroman J, Mouchabac S, Olié E, Courtet P, Thouvenot E, Abbar M, Conejero I. Stress response in dissociation and conversion disorders: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:957-967. [PMID: 34740754 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Dissociative disorders (DD) and conversion disorders (CD) are frequent in general and psychiatric populations. Some evidence suggest that the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA) and autonomic nervous system (ANS) are dysregulated in both disorders. We carried out a systematic review of the literature to summarize the existing knowledge on the stress response, via HPA and/or ANS, in patients with DD, CD, or dissociative symptoms. We systematically searched Medline and Web of Science using the Medical Subject Headings related to stress axis, CD, DD, and dissociative symptoms following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Results suggest that in participants without psychiatric history, high cortisol secretion is related to high dissociation scores. Conversely the stress system might be blunted in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder who develop dissociative symptoms. Stress response changes seem to be associated with the emergence and persistence of dissociative and conversion disorders. Hence, monitoring the stress response and examining closely the history of stress exposure in DD and CD should be encouraged in future larger studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Boulet
- Department of Psychiatry, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France
| | - Jorge Lopez-Castroman
- Department of Psychiatry, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France; IGF, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Stéphane Mouchabac
- Saint-Antoine Hospital Center APHP, Department of Psychiatry, iCRIN Psychiatry (Infrastructure of Clinical Research in Neurosciences-Psychiatry), Brain and Spine Institute (ICM), Sorbonne University, INSERM, CNRS, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Emilie Olié
- Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital CHU Montpellier, IGF, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Philippe Courtet
- Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital CHU Montpellier, IGF, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Eric Thouvenot
- Department of Neurology, Nîmes University Hospital, University of Montpellier, Nîmes, France
| | - Mocrane Abbar
- Department of Psychiatry, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France
| | - Ismael Conejero
- Department of Psychiatry, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France; IGF, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France; Centre de Biochimie Structurale, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
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11
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Zhang T. A Modeling and Machine Learning Pipeline to Rationally Design Treatments to Restore Neuroendocrine Disorders in Heterogeneous Individuals. Front Genet 2021; 12:656508. [PMID: 34567056 PMCID: PMC8458900 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.656508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneity among individual patients presents a fundamental challenge to effective treatment, since a treatment protocol working for a portion of the population often fails in others. We hypothesize that a computational pipeline integrating mathematical modeling and machine learning could be used to address this fundamental challenge and facilitate the optimization of individualized treatment protocols. We tested our hypothesis with the neuroendocrine systems controlled by the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. With a synergistic combination of mathematical modeling and machine learning (ML), this integrated computational pipeline could indeed efficiently reveal optimal treatment targets that significantly contribute to the effective treatment of heterogeneous individuals. What is more, the integrated pipeline also suggested quantitative information on how these key targets should be perturbed. Based on such ML revealed hints, mathematical modeling could be used to rationally design novel protocols and test their performances. We believe that this integrated computational pipeline, properly applied in combination with other computational, experimental and clinical research tools, can be used to design novel and improved treatment against a broad range of complex diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongli Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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12
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Ploski JE, Vaidya VA. The Neurocircuitry of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depression: Insights Into Overlapping and Distinct Circuit Dysfunction-A Tribute to Ron Duman. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 90:109-117. [PMID: 34052037 PMCID: PMC8383211 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The neurocircuitry that contributes to the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder, psychiatric conditions that exhibit a high degree of comorbidity, likely involves both overlapping and unique structural and functional changes within multiple limbic brain regions. In this review, we discuss neurobiological alterations that are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder and highlight both similarities and differences that may exist between these disorders to argue for the existence of a shared neurobiology. We highlight the key contributions based on preclinical studies, emerging from the late Professor Ronald Duman's research, that have shaped our understanding of the neurocircuitry that contributes to both the etiopathology and treatment of major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan E. Ploski
- Department of Neuroscience and Molecular & Cell Biology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, GR41, 800 W Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
| | - Vidita A. Vaidya
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400005, India
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Juruena MF, Gadelrab R, Cleare AJ, Young AH. Epigenetics: A missing link between early life stress and depression. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 109:110231. [PMID: 33383101 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Research has suggested a relationship between early life stress, and depression in particular longer episodes of depression with treatment resistant outcomes. However, the underlying mechanisms for this association remain poorly understood. Molecular studies indicate that, in general, the hereditary character of psychiatric disorders are polygenic, multifactorial and highly complex, with innumerable low-effect genetic variants interacting with each other. In addition, the importance of the environment and its interaction with genes has pointed to a fundamental role of epigenetic mechanisms in psychiatric disorders, such as methylation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), alterations, histone actions and regulation of gene expression by non-coding ribonucleic acids (RNAs). This article provides an overview of the interplay of epigenetics, the HPA axis, early life stress and the development of depression. Advances in our knowledge of epigenetics in the context of early life stress and depression provide a new understanding of the genetic influence on psychopathology and could lead to the identification of new targets for clinical intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario F Juruena
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM), UK.
| | | | - Anthony J Cleare
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM), UK
| | - Allan H Young
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM), UK
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West GL, Kurdi V, Fouquet C, Schachar R, Boivin M, Hastings P, Robaey P, Bohbot VD. Differential stress response to psychological and physical stressors in children using spatial versus response-dependent navigation strategies. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021; 6:100043. [PMID: 35757366 PMCID: PMC9216353 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous work from our lab has shown that basal cortisol levels are different between healthy young adults who spontaneously use caudate nucleus-dependent response strategies compared to young adults who use hippocampus-dependent spatial navigation strategies. Young adults who use caudate nucleus dependent strategies display lower basal cortisol levels compared to those who use hippocampus-dependent strategies. In the current study, we assessed navigation strategies in children using a virtual navigation task and measured cortisol at baseline as well as cortisol reactivity to both a psychological and to a physical stressor. Replicating what is observed in adults, we found that children who used caudate nucleus-dependent navigation strategies displayed lower cortisol levels at baseline compared to those who used hippocampus-dependent strategies. The psychological stressor, knowledge that a blood draw would be performed by a nurse, caused a significant increase in cortisol uniquely in response learners. The physical stressor, the actual blood draw, produced a significant increase in cortisol amongst spatial learners that was then comparable to levels observed in response learners. Lower baseline cortisol and higher cortisol psychological stress response observed amongst children who used response strategies may therefore reflect early biological changes during development which may have an impact later in life when considering risk for neuropsychiatric disorders. Both adults and children rely of different navigation strategies to learn new environments. Cortisol levels differ between people dependent on spontaneous navigation strategy. We show a differential cortisol stress response in children dependent on navigational strategy.
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The Enigma of the Adrenarche: Identifying the Early Life Mechanisms and Possible Role in Postnatal Brain Development. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094296. [PMID: 33919014 PMCID: PMC8122518 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated metabolite (DHEAS) are dynamically regulated before birth and the onset of puberty. Yet, the origins and purpose of increasing DHEA[S] in postnatal development remain elusive. Here, we draw attention to this pre-pubertal surge from the adrenal gland—the adrenarche—and discuss whether this is the result of intra-adrenal gene expression specifically affecting the zona reticularis (ZR), if the ZR is influenced by the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, and the possible role of spino-sympathetic innervation in prompting increased ZR activity. We also discuss whether neural DHEA[S] synthesis is coordinately regulated with the developing adrenal gland. We propose that DHEA[S] is crucial in the brain maturation of humans prior to and during puberty, and suggest that the function of the adrenarche is to modulate, adapt and rewire the pre-adolescent brain for new and ever-changing social challenges. The etiology of DHEA[S] synthesis, neurodevelopment and recently described 11-keto and 11-oxygenated androgens are difficult to investigate in humans owing to: (i) ethical restrictions on mechanistic studies, (ii) the inability to predict which individuals will develop specific mental characteristics, and (iii) the difficulty of conducting retrospective studies based on perinatal complications. We discuss new opportunities for animal studies to overcome these important issues.
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Bremner JD, Gurel NZ, Jiao Y, Wittbrodt MT, Levantsevych OM, Huang M, Jung H, Shandhi MH, Beckwith J, Herring I, Rapaport MH, Murrah N, Driggers E, Ko YA, Alkhalaf ML, Soudan M, Song J, Ku BS, Shallenberger L, Hankus AN, Nye JA, Park J, Vaccarino V, Shah AJ, Inan OT, Pearce BD. Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation blocks stress-induced activation of Interleukin-6 and interferon-γ in posttraumatic stress disorder: A double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial. Brain Behav Immun Health 2020; 9:100138. [PMID: 34589887 PMCID: PMC8474180 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly disabling condition associated with alterations in multiple neurobiological systems, including increases in inflammatory function. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) decreases inflammation, however few studies have examined the effects of non-invasive VNS on physiology in human subjects, and no studies in patients with PTSD. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of transcutaneous cervical VNS (tcVNS) on inflammatory responses to stress. Thirty subjects with a history of exposure to traumatic stress with (N = 10) and without (N = 20) PTSD underwent exposure to stressful tasks immediately followed by active or sham tcVNS and measurement of multiple biomarkers of inflammation (interleukin-(IL)-6, IL-2, IL-1β, Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFα) and Interferon gamma (IFNγ) over multiple time points. Stressful tasks included exposure to personalized scripts of traumatic events on day 1, and public speech and mental arithmetic (Mental Stress) tasks on days 2 and 3. Traumatic scripts were associated with a pattern of subjective anger measured with Visual Analogue Scales and increased IL-6 and IFNγ in PTSD patients that was blocked by tcVNS (p < .05). Traumatic stress had minimal effects on these biomarkers in non-PTSD subjects and there was no difference between tcVNS or sham. No significant differences were seen between groups in IL-2, IL-1β, or TNFα. These results demonstrate that tcVNS blocks behavioral and inflammatory responses to stress reminders in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Douglas Bremner
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Departments of Radiology, and Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Nil Z. Gurel
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yunshen Jiao
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Matthew T. Wittbrodt
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Minxuan Huang
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hewon Jung
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - MdMobashir H. Shandhi
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joy Beckwith
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Isaias Herring
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mark H. Rapaport
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nancy Murrah
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Emily Driggers
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yi-An Ko
- Departments of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Majd Soudan
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jiawei Song
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Benson S. Ku
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lucy Shallenberger
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Allison N. Hankus
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jonathon A. Nye
- Departments of Radiology, and Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jeanie Park
- Departments of Renal Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Departments of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amit J. Shah
- Departments of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Omer T. Inan
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Coulter Department of Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Bradley D. Pearce
- Departments of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Bremner JD, Gurel NZ, Wittbrodt MT, Shandhi MH, Rapaport MH, Nye JA, Pearce BD, Vaccarino V, Shah AJ, Park J, Bikson M, Inan OT. Application of Noninvasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation to Stress-Related Psychiatric Disorders. J Pers Med 2020; 10:E119. [PMID: 32916852 PMCID: PMC7563188 DOI: 10.3390/jpm10030119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS) has been shown to be efficacious for the treatment of depression, but to date, VNS devices have required surgical implantation, which has limited widespread implementation. METHODS New noninvasive VNS (nVNS) devices have been developed which allow external stimulation of the vagus nerve, and their effects on physiology in patients with stress-related psychiatric disorders can be measured with brain imaging, blood biomarkers, and wearable sensing devices. Advantages in terms of cost and convenience may lead to more widespread implementation in psychiatry, as well as facilitate research of the physiology of the vagus nerve in humans. nVNS has effects on autonomic tone, cardiovascular function, inflammatory responses, and central brain areas involved in modulation of emotion, all of which make it particularly applicable to patients with stress-related psychiatric disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, since dysregulation of these circuits and systems underlies the symptomatology of these disorders. RESULTS This paper reviewed the physiology of the vagus nerve and its relevance to modulating the stress response in the context of application of nVNS to stress-related psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSIONS nVNS has a favorable effect on stress physiology that is measurable using brain imaging, blood biomarkers of inflammation, and wearable sensing devices, and shows promise in the prevention and treatment of stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Douglas Bremner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (M.T.W.); (M.H.R.)
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA 30033, USA; (A.J.S.); (J.P.)
| | - Nil Z. Gurel
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; (N.Z.G.); (M.H.S.); (O.T.I.)
| | - Matthew T. Wittbrodt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (M.T.W.); (M.H.R.)
| | - Mobashir H. Shandhi
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; (N.Z.G.); (M.H.S.); (O.T.I.)
| | - Mark H. Rapaport
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (M.T.W.); (M.H.R.)
| | - Jonathon A. Nye
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
| | - Bradley D. Pearce
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (B.D.P.); (V.V.)
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (B.D.P.); (V.V.)
- Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Amit J. Shah
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA 30033, USA; (A.J.S.); (J.P.)
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (B.D.P.); (V.V.)
- Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jeanie Park
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA 30033, USA; (A.J.S.); (J.P.)
- Department of Medicine, Renal Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Marom Bikson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of New York, New York, NY 10010, USA;
| | - Omer T. Inan
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; (N.Z.G.); (M.H.S.); (O.T.I.)
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the relationship between waist circumference as a measure of abdominal obesity and brain responses to stress among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS Patients with CAD (N = 151) underwent acute mental stress tasks in conjunction with high-resolution positron emission tomography and radiolabeled water imaging of the brain. Brain responses to mental stress were correlated with waist circumference. RESULTS Waist circumference was positively correlated with increased activation in the right and left frontal lobes (β values ranging from 2.81 to 3.75 in the paracentral, medial, and superior gyri), left temporal lobe, left hippocampal, left amygdala, left uncus, and left anterior and posterior cingulate gyri (β values ranging from 2.93 to 3.55). Waist circumference was also negatively associated with the left and right parietal lobes, right superior temporal gyrus, and right insula and precuneus (β values ranging from 2.82 to 5.20). CONCLUSION Increased brain activation in the brain regions involved in the stress response and autonomic regulation of the cardiovascular system during psychological stress may underlie stress-induced overeating and abdominal obesity in patients with CAD.
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Bremner JD, Wittbrodt MT, Shah AJ, Pearce BD, Gurel NZ, Inan OT, Raggi P, Lewis TT, Quyyumi AA, Vaccarino V. Confederates in the Attic: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Cardiovascular Disease, and the Return of Soldier's Heart. J Nerv Ment Dis 2020; 208:171-180. [PMID: 32091470 PMCID: PMC8214871 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000001100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Da Costa originally described Soldier's Heart in the 19th Century as a syndrome that occurred on the battlefield in soldiers of the American Civil War. Soldier's Heart involved symptoms similar to modern day posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as exaggerated cardiovascular reactivity felt to be related to an abnormality of the heart. Interventions were appropriately focused on the cardiovascular system. With the advent of modern psychoanalysis, psychiatric symptoms became divorced from the body and were relegated to the unconscious. Later, the physiology of PTSD and other psychiatric disorders was conceived as solely residing in the brain. More recently, advances in psychosomatic medicine led to the recognition of mind-body relationships and the involvement of multiple physiological systems in the etiology of disorders, including stress, depression PTSD, and cardiovascular disease, has moved to the fore, and has renewed interest in the validity of the original model of the Soldier's Heart syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Douglas Bremner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur
| | - Matthew T. Wittbrodt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta
| | - Amit J. Shah
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University
| | - Bradley D. Pearce
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
| | - Nil Z. Gurel
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Omer T. Inan
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Paolo Raggi
- Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Tené T. Lewis
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
| | - Arshed A. Quyyumi
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
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Weber Ku EB, Hagler MA, Parnes MF, Schwartz SE, Rhodes JE, Erickson LD. Natural mentoring relationships among survivors of caregiver childhood abuse: findings from the Add Health Study. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2020; 1483:50-66. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew A. Hagler
- Department of Psychology University of Massachusetts Boston Boston Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Jean E. Rhodes
- Department of Psychology University of Massachusetts Boston Boston Massachusetts
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Bremner JD, Wittbrodt MT. Stress, the brain, and trauma spectrum disorders. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 152:1-22. [PMID: 32450992 PMCID: PMC8214870 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
This chapter reviews the relationship between stress and brain function in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders, with an emphasis on disorders that have most clearly been linked to traumatic stress exposure. These disorders, which have been described as trauma spectrum disorders, include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a subgroup of major depression, borderline personality disorder (BPD) and dissociative disorders; they share in common a neurobiological footprint, including smaller hippocampal volume, and are distinguished from other disorders that may share symptom similarities, like some of the anxiety disorders, but are not as clearly linked to stress. The relationship between environmental events such as stressors, especially in early childhood, and their effects on brain and neurobiology is important to understand in approaching these disorders as well as the development of therapeutic interventions. Addressing patients with stress-related disorders from multiple developmental (age at onset of trauma) as well as levels of analysis (cognitive, cultural, neurobiological) approaches will provide the most complete picture and result in the most successful treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Douglas Bremner
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States; Atlanta Veterans Administration Medical Center, Decatur, GA, United States.
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Orta OR, Huang T, Kubzansky LD, Terry KL, Coull BA, Williams MA, Tworoger SS. The association between abuse history in childhood and salivary rhythms of cortisol and DHEA in postmenopausal women. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 112:104515. [PMID: 31784054 PMCID: PMC6935398 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
A history of child abuse (CA) is associated with morbidity and mortality in adulthood, and one proposed mechanism is dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Therefore, we evaluated whether a history of physical and sexual CA was associated with daily rhythms of HPA hormones (cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)) among postmenopausal women (mean age: 60.6 years). In 2013, 233 participants from the Nurses' Health Study II provided up to 5-timed saliva samples over the course of a day: immediately upon awakening, 45 min, 4 h, and 10 h after waking, and prior to going to sleep. Among these 233 participants, 217 provided ≥4 timed saliva samples. Assessment of physical and sexual CA history occurred in 2001 using the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale. Cumulative CA history was derived by combining reports of physical and sexual abuse prior to age 18. Piecewise linear mixed models compared diurnal rhythms of cortisol and DHEA between participants with none-to-moderate CA (n = 104, reference group) versus high-to-severe CA (n = 113). Models adjusted for characteristics at each saliva collection, health status, sleep quality, medications, and hormone use. Compared to those with none-to-moderate CA, women with high-to-severe CA had different diurnal rhythms in the early and evening hours, including blunted (less steep) early declines in DHEA (% difference (%D) = 10.7, 95 % Confidence Interval (CI) 4.3, 17.5), and steeper late declines in both cortisol and DHEA (cortisol %D = -2.5, 95 % CI -4.8, -0.1, and DHEA %D= -3.9, 95 % CI -6.0, -1.8). In conclusion, high-to-severe abuse history prior to age 18 was more strongly associated with differences in DHEA rather than cortisol, suggesting that early life abuse may be related to dysregulation of stress-response mechanisms later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia R Orta
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - Tianyi Huang
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women'S Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Laura D Kubzansky
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kathryn L Terry
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Ob/Gyn Epidemiology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women'S Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Brent A Coull
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Michelle A Williams
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Shelley S Tworoger
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Cancer Epidemiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, United States
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Micol VJ, Roberts AG, Taylor-Cavelier SJ, Geiss EG, Lopez-Duran N. Early trauma moderates the link between familial risk for depression and post-stress DHEA/cortisol ratios in adolescents. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 110:104424. [PMID: 31536943 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND One proposed mechanism for familial transmission of depression risk is impaired ability to regulate stress. While much of this work has focused on the stress hormone cortisol, there is evidence that the neuroprotective hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may play a critical role in stress regulation and that the ratios of DHEA to cortisol may provide meaningful information about individual differences in stress processing. In this study, we examined DHEA and DHEA/cortisol ratios among teens at low and high risk for depression. METHODS Participants included 101 youth (12-16-year-old; 50 female) including 53 with a family history of depression (High Risk for depression). Adolescents and their parents completed diagnostic interviews, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Childhood Depression Inventory. Saliva samples were collected at multiple time points before and after adolescents underwent the Trier Social Stress Test. Cortisol and DHEA ratios were examined at baseline and 35 min post-stress initiation. RESULTS High risk (HR) and low risk (LR) participants did not differ on DHEA/cortisol ratios. However, childhood trauma moderated the relationship between risk group and DHEA/cortisol ratios, where at high levels of trauma, HR participants had significantly higher ratios than LR participants. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that higher DHEA/cortisol ratios may not be indicative of greater protection against risk for depression as previously conceptualized. In the context of early trauma, higher DHEA/cortisol ratios may reflect a blunting of the HPA-axis that is not observed when examining cortisol levels alone. This study has implications for our conceptualization of DHEA/cortisol ratios as an indicator of risk for psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie J Micol
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, United States.
| | | | | | - Elisa G Geiss
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, United States
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Douglas KM, Groves S, Porter RJ, Jordan J, Wilson L, Melzer TR, Wise RG, Bisson JI, Bell CJ. Traumatic imagery following glucocorticoid administration in earthquake-related post-traumatic stress disorder: A preliminary functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2019; 53:1167-1178. [PMID: 31146540 DOI: 10.1177/0004867419851860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Post-traumatic stress disorder involves excessive retrieval of traumatic memories. Glucocorticoids impair declarative memory retrieval. This preliminary study examined the effect of acute hydrocortisone administration on brain activation in individuals with earthquake-related post-traumatic stress disorder compared with earthquake-exposed healthy individuals, during retrieval of traumatic memories. METHOD Participants exposed to earthquakes with (n = 11) and without post-traumatic stress disorder (n = 11) underwent two functional magnetic resonance imaging scans, 1-week apart, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, counter-balanced design. On one occasion, they received oral hydrocortisone (20 mg), and on the other, placebo, 1 hour before scanning. Symptom provocation involved script-driven imagery (traumatic and neutral scripts) and measures of self-reported anxiety. RESULTS Arterial spin labelling showed that both post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma-exposed controls had significantly reduced cerebral blood flow in response to retrieval of traumatic versus neutral memories in the right hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, calcarine sulcus, middle and superior temporal gyrus, posterior cingulate, Heschl's gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, angular gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, lingual gyrus and cuneus, and the left prefrontal cortex. Hydrocortisone resulted in non-significant trends of increasing subjective distress and reduced regional cerebral blood flow in the left inferior frontal gyrus, left anterior cingulate gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, cerebellum, postcentral gyrus and right frontal pole, during the trauma script. CONCLUSION Findings do not fit with some aspects of the accepted neurocircuitry model of post-traumatic stress disorder, i.e., failure of the medial prefrontal cortex to quieten hyperresponsive amygdala activity, and the potential therapeutic benefits of hydrocortisone. They do, however, provide further evidence that exposure to earthquake trauma, regardless of whether post-traumatic stress disorder eventuates, impacts brain activity and highlights the importance of inclusion of trauma-exposed comparisons in studies of post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie M Douglas
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Samantha Groves
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand.,New Zealand Brain Research Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand.,Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Richard J Porter
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Jenny Jordan
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Lynere Wilson
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Tracy R Melzer
- New Zealand Brain Research Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand.,Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Richard G Wise
- Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff
| | | | - Caroline J Bell
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand
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25
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Speer KE, Semple S, Naumovski N, D'Cunha NM, McKune AJ. HPA axis function and diurnal cortisol in post-traumatic stress disorder: A systematic review. Neurobiol Stress 2019; 11:100180. [PMID: 31236437 PMCID: PMC6582238 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2019.100180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background There is inconsistency in the literature regarding the nature of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functionality in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Purpose The review aimed to investigate HPA axis functionality via the diurnal profile of cortisol as it relates to PTSD. Methods The authors conducted a systematic review of the literature from June 2017 – March 2019 in accordance with The PRISMA Statement in the following four databases: PubMed, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect and PsycINFO with Full Text. The search strategy was limited to articles in English language, published in peer-reviewed journals within the last decade and human studies. Search terms included “post-traumatic stress disorder” OR “PTSD”, AND “hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis” OR “HPA axis” AND “diurnal cortisol” OR “cortisol”. PTSD sufferers of all trauma types, genders and socioeconomic statuses were included provided there was a “healthy” control group and an inclusion of reporting on inter-group measurements of diurnal cortisol profiles as a portrayal of HPA axis functionality. Results A total of 10 studies met the criteria for inclusion in this review. The association between HPA axis functionality and PTSD was evaluated by the measurement of salivary and/or plasma cortisol concentrations. Only two studies demonstrated an association between PTSD and diurnal cortisol when compared with respective control groups while three studies found no associations. The remaining five studies found partial, mostly negative associations between PTSD and diurnal cortisol. Conclusion Despite some indications of an association between PTSD and dysregulated HPA axis functionality as demonstrated by diurnal cortisol output, the current review has revealed mixed findings. As such, a complete understanding of HPA axis dysregulation as it relates to PTSD remains unestablished. Given the findings, further investigation into the relationship between PTSD trauma-exposed and non-PTSD trauma-exposed individuals and diurnal cortisol is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E Speer
- Discipline of Sport and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.,Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.,Collaborative Research in Bioactives and Biomarkers (CRIBB) Group, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia
| | - Stuart Semple
- Discipline of Sport and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.,Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Nenad Naumovski
- Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.,Collaborative Research in Bioactives and Biomarkers (CRIBB) Group, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia.,University of Canberra Health Research Institute (UC-HRI), Canberra, ACT, 2617, Australia
| | - Nathan M D'Cunha
- Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.,Collaborative Research in Bioactives and Biomarkers (CRIBB) Group, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia
| | - Andrew J McKune
- Discipline of Sport and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.,Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.,Discipline of Biokinetics, Exercise and Leisure Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 4000, South Africa.,Collaborative Research in Bioactives and Biomarkers (CRIBB) Group, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia
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Kim YK, Amidfar M, Won E. A review on inflammatory cytokine-induced alterations of the brain as potential neural biomarkers in post-traumatic stress disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 91:103-112. [PMID: 29932946 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The heterogeneity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms indicates that multiple neurobiological mechanisms underlie the pathophysiology of the condition. However, no generally accepted PTSD biomarkers in clinical practice currently exist. The sequential responses to recurrent and chronic stress by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) system are considered to play a significant role in the onset and progression of PTSD. Decreased activity of the HPA axis and parasympathetic nervous system, along with increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system, have been observed in PTSD, which may lead to increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Such heightened activity of the immune system may cause alterations in the structure and function of brain regions-for example, the amygdala, hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and insula-through changes in levels of serotonin and kynurenine pathway metabolites, and direct neurotoxic effects of cytokines. Although chronic inflammation-induced alterations in brain regions critical in controlling emotional behavior and fear regulation may represent a strong candidate biomarker of PTSD, future studies are necessary to further elucidate inflammation-associated neural biomarkers of PTSD. Continued research on therapeutic methods that involve the normalization of the HPA axis, ANS, and immune system is expected to contribute to the development of novel ways to treat PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Ku Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Meysam Amidfar
- Department of Neuroscience, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Eunsoo Won
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Exploring the mutual regulation between oxytocin and cortisol as a marker of resilience. Arch Psychiatr Nurs 2019; 33:164-173. [PMID: 30927986 PMCID: PMC6442937 DOI: 10.1016/j.apnu.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Early trauma can increase the risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adulthood. Early trauma has also been associated with the dysregulation between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and oxytocin systems and may influence the co-regulation between these two systems. But whether the mutual regulation of the two systems represents a sign of resilience and/or mutual dysregulation could be a sign of vulnerability to PTSD and the dissociative subtype of PTSD (PTSD-D) is unknown. The study aims to synthesize and conduct a preliminary test of a conceptual model of the mutual regulation between these two systems as a marker of resilience. We analyzed a pilot data with 22 pregnant women in 3 groups (PTSD only, PTSD-D, and trauma-exposed resilient controls) and repeated measures of plasma oxytocin and cortisol. Oxytocin and cortisol seemed reciprocal in all three groups, but both levels were relatively high in women with PTSD-D and low in those with PTSD compared with controls. This suggests that both hormones in women with PTSD-D and PTSD only are dysregulated, but not lacking in reciprocity.
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Schindler L, Shaheen M, Saar-Ashkenazy R, Bani Odeh K, Sass SH, Friedman A, Kirschbaum C. Victims of War: Dehydroepiandrosterone Concentrations in Hair and Their Associations with Trauma Sequelae in Palestinian Adolescents Living in the West Bank. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9020020. [PMID: 30678071 PMCID: PMC6406342 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9020020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to its anti-glucocorticoid properties, the steroid hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) might play a role for coping with traumatic stress and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The majority of studies report elevated DHEA secretion and decreased cortisol/DHEA ratio associated with traumatic stress, however, contrasting results have also been published. One reason for this heterogeneity might be that in past studies, DHEA has been measured in plasma or saliva samples reflecting acute hormone levels. In comparison, the current study assessed the hair levels of DHEA and cortisol as long-term markers along with self-reported data on psychopathology and coping in 92 female adolescents aged 11–16 from the West Bank affected by the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Results showed that trauma-exposed individuals had significantly higher DHEA levels (p = 0.013) and lower cortisol/DHEA ratios (p = 0.036) than participants from the non-trauma group. Furthermore, DHEA and cortisol/DHEA ratio emerged as associated with trauma load and timing, but not with coping. By applying the novel method of DHEA analysis from hair samples, this study adds to the growing literature on the interplay of DHEA, cortisol, traumatic stress and coping, and provides valuable starting points for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Schindler
- Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Mohammed Shaheen
- Faculty of Public Health, Al-Quds University, P.O. Box 4006, 90612 Abu Dees, West Bank, Palestine.
| | - Rotem Saar-Ashkenazy
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, 8410501 Beer-Sheva, Israel.
- Faculty of Social Work, Ashkelon Academic College, 7821100 Ashkelon, Israel.
| | - Kifah Bani Odeh
- Faculty of Public Health, Al-Quds University, P.O. Box 4006, 90612 Abu Dees, West Bank, Palestine.
| | - Sophia-Helen Sass
- Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Alon Friedman
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, 8410501 Beer-Sheva, Israel.
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
| | - Clemens Kirschbaum
- Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
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29
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Kellner M, Muhtz C, Weinås Å, Ćurić S, Yassouridis A, Wiedemann K. Impact of physical or sexual childhood abuse on plasma DHEA, DHEA-S and cortisol in a low-dose dexamethasone suppression test and on cardiovascular risk parameters in adult patients with major depression or anxiety disorders. Psychiatry Res 2018; 270:744-748. [PMID: 30551319 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.10.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
While the impact of childhood trauma on basal and dynamic cortisol regulation has widely been studied, the most abundant steroid hormones dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulphated derivative DHEA-S have received little attention in this context. One-hundred in-door patients suffering from major depression or an anxiety disorder filled in the Childhood Trauma Questionaire. A low dose dexamethasone suppression test (DST) measuring DHEA, DHEA-S and cortisol was performed. Furthermore, various cardiovascular risk parameters were measured. Forty-six percent of the patients reported a history of substantial physical or sexual childhood abuse. However, no significant differences in plasma DHEA or DHEA-S emerged in the DST between the traumatised group and the remaining patients. Basal plasma cortisol was significantly lower in the childhood trauma group. No impact of childhood trauma history on cardiovascular risk factor profile was detected. Current limited data about DHEA or DHEA-S in patients with childhood trauma are equivocal. Further study using more sophisticated assessment of trauma history and simultaneously measuring a multitude of putative biomarkers of traumatization are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kellner
- University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hamburg, Germany; Hospital Herford, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, Herford, Germany.
| | - Christoph Muhtz
- University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Åsa Weinås
- University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stjepan Ćurić
- University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Klaus Wiedemann
- University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hamburg, Germany
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30
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Tiwari A, Gonzalez A. Biological alterations affecting risk of adult psychopathology following childhood trauma: A review of sex differences. Clin Psychol Rev 2018; 66:69-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2018.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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31
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Estrogen, progesterone, and the menstrual cycle: A systematic review of fear learning, intrusive memories, and PTSD. Clin Psychol Rev 2018; 66:80-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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32
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Powrie YSL, Smith C. Central intracrine DHEA synthesis in ageing-related neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration: therapeutic potential? J Neuroinflammation 2018; 15:289. [PMID: 30326923 PMCID: PMC6192186 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-018-1324-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
It is a well-known fact that DHEA declines on ageing and that it is linked to ageing-related neurodegeneration, which is characterised by gradual cognitive decline. Although DHEA is also associated with inflammation in the periphery, the link between DHEA and neuroinflammation in this context is less clear. This review drew from different bodies of literature to provide a more comprehensive picture of peripheral vs central endocrine shifts with advanced age—specifically in terms of DHEA. From this, we have formulated the hypothesis that DHEA decline is also linked to neuroinflammation and that increased localised availability of DHEA may have both therapeutic and preventative benefit to limit neurodegeneration. We provide a comprehensive discussion of literature on the potential for extragonadal DHEA synthesis by neuroglial cells and reflect on the feasibility of therapeutic manipulation of localised, central DHEA synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y S L Powrie
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa
| | - C Smith
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa.
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Roberts AL, Liew Z, Lyall K, Ascherio A, Weisskopf MG. Association of Maternal Exposure to Childhood Abuse With Elevated Risk for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Offspring. Am J Epidemiol 2018; 187:1896-1906. [PMID: 29762636 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwy098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Children whose mothers experienced childhood abuse are more likely to suffer various neurodevelopmental deficits. Whether an association exists specifically for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is unknown. We examined the association of maternal experience of childhood abuse with ADHD in offspring, assessed by maternal report of diagnosis and validated with the ADHD Rating Scale-IV in a subsample, in the Nurses' Health Study II (n = 49,497 mothers; n = 7,607 case offspring; n = 102,151 control offspring). We examined whether 10 adverse perinatal circumstances (e.g., prematurity, smoking) or socioeconomic factors accounted for a possible association. Exposure to abuse was associated with greater prevalence of ADHD in offspring (8.7% of offspring of women exposed to severe abuse vs. 5.5% of offspring of women not abused, P = 0.0001) and with greater risk for ADHD when the model was adjusted for demographic factors (male offspring, risk ratio (RR) = 1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3, 1.9; female offspring, RR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.7, 3.0). After adjustment for perinatal factors, the association of maternal childhood abuse with ADHD in offspring was slightly attenuated (male offspring, RR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2, 1.8; female offspring, RR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.6, 2.8). We identified an association between maternal experience of childhood abuse and risk for ADHD in offspring, which was not explained by several important perinatal risk factors or socioeconomic status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L Roberts
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Zeyan Liew
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Kristen Lyall
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Alberto Ascherio
- Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Marc G Weisskopf
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
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Kim LU, D’Orsogna MR, Chou T. Perturbing the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis: A Mathematical Model for Interpreting PTSD Assessment Tests. COMPUTATIONAL PSYCHIATRY (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2018; 2:28-49. [PMID: 30090861 PMCID: PMC6067831 DOI: 10.1162/cpsy_a_00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
We use a dynamical systems model of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to understand the mechanisms underlying clinical protocols used to probe patient stress response. Specifically, we address dexamethasone (DEX) and ACTH challenge tests, which probe pituitary and adrenal gland responses, respectively. We show that some previously observed features and experimental responses can arise from a bistable mathematical model containing two steady-states, rather than relying on specific and permanent parameter changes due to physiological disruption. Moreover, we show that the timing of a perturbation relative to the intrinsic oscillation of the HPA axis can affect challenge test responses. Conventional mechanistic hypotheses supported and refuted by the challenge tests are reexamined by varying parameters in our mathematical model associated with these hypotheses. We show that (a) adrenal hyposensitivity can give rise to the responses seen in ACTH challenge tests and (b) enhanced cortisol-mediated suppression of the pituitary in subjects with PTSD is not necessary to explain the responses observed in DEX stress tests. We propose a new two-stage DEX/external stressor protocol to more clearly distinguish between the conventional hypothesis of enhanced suppression of the pituitary and bistable dynamics hypothesized in our model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lae Un Kim
- Department of Biomathematics, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | | | - Tom Chou
- Department of Biomathematics, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
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Li Y, Seng JS. Child Maltreatment Trauma, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Cortisol Levels in Women: A Literature Review. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc 2018; 24:35-44. [PMID: 28569082 DOI: 10.1177/1078390317710313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies of the relationship between cortisol and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have had inconsistent results. Gender, trauma type, and age at trauma exposure may explain the inconsistencies. OBJECTIVE The objective of the review was to examine cortisol levels in relation to PTSD in women with a history of child maltreatment trauma. DESIGN A review of literature found 13 articles eligible for inclusion. RESULTS Despite limiting focus to the relatively homogeneous population, the patterns of associations between PTSD and cortisol levels were still inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS The reasons for the inconsistencies likely include highly varied methods across studies, small convenience samples, and unmeasured neuroendocrine hormones that may be stronger predictors of PTSD. The review does not point to a clear bio-behavioral target for psychiatric nursing intervention. It is important to continue to address the developmental and clinical stress response aspects of child maltreatment trauma-related PTSD without assuming that these stress responses are hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis driven.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- 1 Yang Li, BS, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Julia S Seng
- 2 Julia S. Seng, PhD, CNM, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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36
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Vries GJD, Mocking R, Assies J, Schene A, Olff M. Plasma lipoproteins in posttraumatic stress disorder patients compared to healthy controls and their associations with the HPA- and HPT-axis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 86:209-217. [PMID: 28987899 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Based on studies among primarily male veteran subjects, lipoproteins are thought to mediate the association of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, recent civilian studies with female samples or samples with both sexes represented provide little evidence for this association. Gender, diet and sex-specific effects of stress hormones on lipoproteins may explain this dissociation in findings. METHOD Cross-sectional analysis of plasma concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglycerides (TG) in a male and female sample of 49 PTSD-patients due to civilian trauma and 45 healthy controls. Second, we related these lipoproteins to several stress hormones (prolactin, cortisol, DHEA(S), TSH, T4). RESULTS Patients showed lower LDL (p=0.033) and LDL:HDL ratio (p=0.038) compared to controls, also when adjusting for diet. Sex influenced the effect of having PTSD on LDL with only male patients having lower values than male controls (p=0.012). All stress hormones were associated with several lipoproteins, mostly in a sex-dependent manner. For LDL, a significant sex-by-cortisol effect (p<0.001), having PTSD-by-sex-by-DHEA (p<0.001), having PTSD-by-sex-by-DHEAS (p=0.016) and having PTSD-by-sex-by-prolactin (p=0.003) was found. CONCLUSION In this male and female civilian sample we found a somewhat more favorable lipoprotein profile in PTSD-patients in contrast to evidence from strictly male veteran samples exhibiting a less favorable lipoprotein profile. Male patients did not exhibit a worse lipoprotein profile than female patients and therefore gender cannot explain the contradiction in evidence. Additionally, we found that PTSD-related stress hormones are associated with lipoproteins levels in patients in a sex-specific manner. Specific configurations of stress hormones may contribute to CVD in male patients or protect in female patients. Further research on these configurations could indicate which PTSD-patients are especially at risk for CVD and which are not. This could guide future precision medicine efforts to prevent and treat the still growing burden of CVD morbidity and mortality in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giel-Jan de Vries
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roel Mocking
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Johanna Assies
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aart Schene
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Miranda Olff
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Arq Psychotrauma Expert group, Diemen, The Netherlands.
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van Zuiden M, Haverkort SQ, Tan Z, Daams J, Lok A, Olff M. DHEA and DHEA-S levels in posttraumatic stress disorder: A meta-analytic review. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 84:76-82. [PMID: 28668711 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Differences in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) functioning between patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and controls are among the most consistent neurobiological findings in PTSD. HPA-axis activation results in the output of various steroid hormones including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which is then converted into dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), with anti-glucocorticoid actions among its pleiotropic effects. To investigate whether there is evidence for consistent differences in basal DHEA and DHEA-s levels between individuals with and without PTSD, we performed random-effect meta-analyses aggregating findings of previously published studies. Nine studies reporting on DHEA levels (486 participants) and 8 studies reporting on DHEA-S levels (501 participants) were included. No significant differences in DHEA or DHEA-S levels between PTSD and control groups were found. Exploratory subgroup analyses were performed to distinguish between effects of PTSD and trauma exposure. A trend for higher DHEA levels was found in PTSD patients compared to non-trauma-exposed controls (NTC) (k=3, SMD=1.12 95% CI -0.03-2.52, Z=1.91, p=0.06). Significantly higher DHEA-S levels were observed in PTSD patients compared to NTC (k=2, SMD=0.76, 95% CI 0.38-1.13, Z=3.94, p<0.001). Additionally, significantly higher DHEA levels were observed in trauma-exposed controls (TC) compared to NTC (k=3, SMD=0.66, 95% CI 0.33-0.99, Z=3.88, p<0.001, I2=86%) this suggests that trauma exposure, irrespective of further PTSD development, might increase basal DHEA and DHEA-S levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam van Zuiden
- Department of Psychiatry Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Sanne Q Haverkort
- Department of Psychiatry Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Zhonglin Tan
- Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Mental Health Center Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China
| | - Joost Daams
- Medical Library Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anja Lok
- Department of Psychiatry Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Miranda Olff
- Department of Psychiatry Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Arq Psychotrauma Expert Center, Diemen, The Netherlands
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by hyperarousal and recurrent stressful memories after an emotionally traumatic event. Extensive research has been conducted to identify the neurobiological determinants that underlie the pathophysiology of PTSD. In this review, we examine evidence regarding the molecular and cellular pathophysiology of PTSD focusing on two primary brain regions: the vmPFC and the amygdala. RECENT FINDINGS This discussion includes a review of the molecular alterations related to PTSD, focusing mainly on changes to glucocorticoid receptor signaling. We also examine postmortem gene expression studies that have been conducted to date and the molecular changes that have been observed in peripheral blood studies of PTSD patients. Causal, mechanistic evidence is difficult to obtain in human studies, so we also review preclinical models of PTSD. Integration of peripheral blood and postmortem studies with preclinical models of PTSD has begun to reveal the molecular changes occurring in patients with PTSD. These findings indicate that the pathophysiology of PTSD includes disruption of glucocorticoid signaling and inflammatory systems and occurs at the level of altered gene expression. We will assess the impact of these findings on the future of PTSD molecular research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Girgenti
- Department of Psychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Center for Genes and Behavior, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Brendan D Hare
- Department of Psychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Center for Genes and Behavior, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Sriparna Ghosal
- Department of Psychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Center for Genes and Behavior, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Ronald S Duman
- Department of Psychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Center for Genes and Behavior, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA.
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Schury K, Koenig AM, Isele D, Hulbert AL, Krause S, Umlauft M, Kolassa S, Ziegenhain U, Karabatsiakis A, Reister F, Guendel H, Fegert JM, Kolassa IT. Alterations of hair cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone in mother-infant-dyads with maternal childhood maltreatment. BMC Psychiatry 2017; 17:213. [PMID: 28587668 PMCID: PMC5461775 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-017-1367-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Child maltreatment (CM) has severe effects on psychological and physical health. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the major stress system of the body, is dysregulated after CM. The analysis of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in scalp hair presents a new and promising methodological approach to assess chronic HPA axis activity. This study investigated the effects of CM on HPA axis activity in the last trimester of pregnancy by measuring the two important signaling molecules, cortisol and DHEA in hair, shortly after parturition. In addition, we explored potential effects of maternal CM on her offspring's endocrine milieu during pregnancy by measuring cortisol and DHEA in newborns' hair. METHODS CM was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Cortisol and DHEA were measured in hair samples of 94 mothers and 30 newborns, collected within six days after delivery. Associations of maternal CM on her own and her newborn's cortisol as well as DHEA concentrations in hair were analyzed with heteroscedastic regression models. RESULTS Higher CM was associated with significantly higher DHEA levels, but not cortisol concentrations in maternal hair. Moreover, maternal CM was positively, but only as a non-significant trend, associated with higher DHEA levels in the newborns' hair. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that the steroid milieu of the mother, at least on the level of DHEA, is altered after CM, possibly leading to non-genomic transgenerational effects on the developing fetus in utero. Indeed, we observed on an explorative level first hints that the endocrine milieu for the developing child might be altered in CM mothers. These results need extension and replication in future studies. The measurement of hair steroids in mothers and their newborns is promising, but more research is needed to better understand the effects of a maternal history of CM on the developing fetus.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Schury
- 0000 0004 1936 9748grid.6582.9Clinical and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany ,grid.410712.1Department of Child and Adolscent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - A. M. Koenig
- 0000 0004 1936 9748grid.6582.9Clinical and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - D. Isele
- 0000 0001 0658 7699grid.9811.1Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz and vivo international, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - A. L. Hulbert
- 0000 0004 1936 9748grid.6582.9Clinical and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany ,grid.410712.1Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - S. Krause
- grid.410712.1Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - M. Umlauft
- 0000 0004 1936 9748grid.6582.9Institute of Statistics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - S. Kolassa
- SAP Switzerland, 8274 Tägerwilen, Switzerland
| | - U. Ziegenhain
- grid.410712.1Department of Child and Adolscent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - A. Karabatsiakis
- 0000 0004 1936 9748grid.6582.9Clinical and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - F. Reister
- grid.410712.1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Ulm, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - H. Guendel
- grid.410712.1Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - J. M. Fegert
- grid.410712.1Department of Child and Adolscent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - I.-T. Kolassa
- 0000 0004 1936 9748grid.6582.9Clinical and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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Dayan J, Rauchs G, Guillery-Girard B. Rhythms dysregulation: A new perspective for understanding PTSD? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 110:453-460. [PMID: 28161453 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphysparis.2017.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex syndrome that may occur after exposure to one or more traumatic events. It associates physiological, emotional, and cognitive changes Brain and hormonal modifications contribute to some impairments in learning, memory, and emotion regulation. Some of these biological dysfunctions may be analyzed in terms of rhythms dysregulation that would be expressed through endocrine rhythmicity, sleep organization, and temporal synchrony in brain activity. In the first part of this article, we report studies on endocrine rhythmicity revealing that some rhythms abnormalities are frequently observed, although not constantly, for both cortisol and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity. The most typical changes are a flattening of the diurnal secretion of cortisol and the hyperactivation of the SNS. These results may explain why cognitive functioning, in particular consolidation of emotional memories, attention, learning, vigilance and arousal, is altered in patients with PTSD. The second part of this article focuses on sleep disturbances, one of the core features of PTSD. Abnormal REM sleep reported in various studies may have a pathophysiological role in PTSD and may exacerbate some symptoms such as emotional regulation and memory. In addition, sleep disorders, such as paradoxical insomnia, increase the risk of developing PTSD. We also discuss the potential impact of sleep disturbances on cognition. Finally, temporal synchrony of brain activity and functional connectivity, explored using electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging, are addressed. Several studies reported abnormalities in alpha, beta and gamma frequency bands that may affect both attentional and memory processes. Other studies confirmed abnormalities in connectivity and recent fMRI data suggest that this could limit top-down control and may be associated with flashback intrusive memories. These data illustrate that a better knowledge of the different patterns of biological rhythms contributes to explain the heterogeneity of PTSD and shed new light on the association with some frequent medical disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques Dayan
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Research University, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, 14000 Caen, France; CHGR Rennes-I, Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Rennes, France.
| | - Géraldine Rauchs
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Research University, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Bérengère Guillery-Girard
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Research University, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, 14000 Caen, France
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Buckwalter JG, Castellani B, McEwen B, Karlamangla AS, Rizzo AA, John B, O'Donnell K, Seeman T. Allostatic Load as a Complex Clinical Construct: A Case-Based Computational Modeling Approach. COMPLEXITY 2016; 21:291-306. [PMID: 28190951 PMCID: PMC5300684 DOI: 10.1002/cplx.21743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Allostatic load (AL) is a complex clinical construct, providing a unique window into the cumulative impact of stress. However, due to its inherent complexity, AL presents two major measurement challenges to conventional statistical modeling (the field's dominant methodology): it is comprised of a complex causal network of bioallostatic systems, represented by an even larger set of dynamic biomarkers; and, it is situated within a web of antecedent socioecological systems, linking AL to differences in health outcomes and disparities. To address these challenges, we employed case-based computational modeling (CBM), which allowed us to make four advances: (1) we developed a multisystem, 7-factor (20 biomarker) model of AL's network of allostatic systems; (2) used it to create a catalog of nine different clinical AL profiles (causal pathways); (3) linked each clinical profile to a typology of 23 health outcomes; and (4) explored our results (post hoc) as a function of gender, a key socioecological factor. In terms of highlights, (a) the Healthy clinical profile had few health risks; (b) the pro-inflammatory profile linked to high blood pressure and diabetes; (c) Low Stress Hormones linked to heart disease, TIA/Stroke, diabetes, and circulation problems; and (d) high stress hormones linked to heart disease and high blood pressure. Post hoc analyses also found that males were overrepresented on the High Blood Pressure (61.2%), Metabolic Syndrome (63.2%), High Stress Hormones (66.4%), and High Blood Sugar (57.1%); while females were overrepresented on the Healthy (81.9%), Low Stress Hormones (66.3%), and Low Stress Antagonists (stress buffers) (95.4%) profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Galen Buckwalter
- Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90094
| | | | - Bruce McEwen
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065
| | - Arun S Karlamangla
- Division of Geriatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Albert A Rizzo
- Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90094
| | - Bruce John
- Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90094
| | - Kyle O'Donnell
- Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90094
| | - Teresa Seeman
- Division of Geriatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Behavioral, emotional and neurobiological determinants of coronary heart disease risk in women. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 74:297-309. [PMID: 27496672 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Revised: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Women have more of the stress-related behavioral profile that has been linked to cardiovascular disease than men. For example, women double the rates of stress-related mental disorders such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than men, and have higher rates of exposure to adversity early in life. This profile may increase women's long-term risk of cardiometabolic conditions linked to stress, especially coronary heart disease (CHD). In addition to having a higher prevalence of psychosocial stressors, women may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of these stressors on CHD, perhaps through altered neurobiological physiology. Emerging data suggest that young women are disproportionally susceptible to the adverse effects of stress on the risk of cardiovascular disease, both in terms of initiating the disease as well as worsening the prognosis in women who have already exhibited symptoms of the disease. Women's potential vulnerability to psychosocial stress could also help explain their higher propensity toward abnormal coronary vasomotion and microvascular disease compared with men.
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New translational perspectives for blood-based biomarkers of PTSD: From glucocorticoid to immune mediators of stress susceptibility. Exp Neurol 2016; 284:133-140. [PMID: 27481726 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Revised: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Although biological systems have evolved to promote stress-resilience, there is variation in stress-responses. Understanding the biological basis of such individual differences has implications for understanding Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) etiology, which is a maladaptive response to trauma occurring only in a subset of vulnerable individuals. PTSD involves failure to reinstate physiological homeostasis after traumatic events and is due to either intrinsic or trauma-related alterations in physiological systems across the body. Master homeostatic regulators that circulate and operate throughout the organism, such as stress hormones (e.g., glucocorticoids) and immune mediators (e.g., cytokines), are at the crossroads of peripheral and central susceptibility pathways and represent promising functional biomarkers of stress-response and target for novel therapeutics.
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Martinson A, Craner J, Sigmon S. Differences in HPA axis reactivity to intimacy in women with and without histories of sexual trauma. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 65:118-26. [PMID: 26765932 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual trauma can lead to longstanding effects on individuals' intimacy functioning. The current study aimed to assess hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis functioning (i.e., cortisol reactivity) prior to (-5min), during (+15, +30, +45min), and following (+60min) an experimental manipulation of emotional closeness in a sample of women survivors of sexual trauma with varying levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology versus controls. METHODS Participants included 50 women, which were divided into 2 groups on the basis of a structured clinical interview: 26 women with a history of sexual trauma with and without PTSD (sexual trauma group), and 24 women without a history of sexual trauma or PTSD (controls). Participants came into the lab and participated in a 45min emotional closeness exercise with a male confederate and completed self-report questionnaires of closeness, state anxiety/depression, and cortisol assays at the aforementioned time points. RESULTS Women with a history of sexual trauma exhibited a blunted cortisol response and greater anxious mood in reaction to the intimacy induction task compared to controls. Results also demonstrated that, unexpectedly, PTSD symptom severity scores among sexual trauma survivors were not associated with differential cortisol responding to the task compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS Adaptive responses to stress are characterized by a relatively rapid cortisol increase followed by a steady decline. The results of this study demonstrated that women with a history of sexual trauma, in contrast, displayed a blunted cortisol response to an intimacy induction task. Both controls and women with a history of sexual trauma reported increased feelings of closeness to the male confederate in response to the intimacy induction task, suggesting that survivors were able to achieve similar adaptive feelings of intimacy when provided with the right conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Martinson
- VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, 500 Foothill Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108, USA.
| | - Julia Craner
- Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA
| | - Sandra Sigmon
- University of Maine, 301 Little Hall, Orono, Maine 04469, USA
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Whitaker AM, Farooq MA, Edwards S, Gilpin NW. Post-traumatic stress avoidance is attenuated by corticosterone and associated with brain levels of steroid receptor co-activator-1 in rats. Stress 2016; 19:69-77. [PMID: 26482332 PMCID: PMC4938251 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2015.1094689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) avoid trauma-related stimuli and exhibit blunted hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation at the time of stress. Our rodent model of stress mimics the avoidance symptom cluster of PTSD. Rats are classified as "Avoiders" or "Non-Avoiders" post-stress based on the avoidance of a predator-odor paired context. Previously, we found Avoiders exhibit an attenuated HPA stress response to predator odor. We hypothesized that corticosterone administration before stress would reduce the magnitude and incidence of stress-paired context avoidance. Furthermore, we also predicted that Avoiders would exhibit altered expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling machinery elements, including steroid receptor co-activator (SRC)-1. Male Wistar rats (n = 16) were pretreated with corticosterone (25 mg/kg) or saline and exposed to predator-odor stress paired with a context and tested for avoidance 24 h later. A second group of corticosterone-naïve rats (n = 24) were stressed (or not), indexed for avoidance 24 h later, and killed 48 h post-odor exposure to measure phosphorylated GR, FKBP51 and SRC-1 levels in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), central amygdala (CeA) and ventral hippocampus (VH), all brain sites that highly express GRs and regulate HPA function. Corticosterone pretreatment reduced the magnitude and incidence of avoidance. In Avoiders, predator-odor exposure led to lower SRC-1 expression in the PVN and CeA, and higher SRC-1 expression in the VH. SRC-1 expression in PVN, CeA and VH was predicted by prior avoidance behavior. Hence, a blunted HPA stress response may contribute to stress-induced neuroadaptations in central SRC-1 levels and behavioral dysfunction in Avoider rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie M Whitaker
- a Department of Physiology , Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center , New Orleans , LA , USA
| | - Muhammad A Farooq
- a Department of Physiology , Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center , New Orleans , LA , USA
| | - Scott Edwards
- a Department of Physiology , Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center , New Orleans , LA , USA
| | - Nicholas W Gilpin
- a Department of Physiology , Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center , New Orleans , LA , USA
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Bachar E, Canetti L, Hadar H, Baruch J, Dor Y, Freedman S. The Role of Narcissistic Vulnerability in Predicting Adult Posttraumatic Symptoms from Childhood Sexual Abuse. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2015; 46:800-9. [PMID: 25410429 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-014-0521-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study is to determine whether narcissistic vulnerability can aid in clarifying the debate regarding the relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and adulthood adjustment to traumatic events. 157 survivors (mean age = 31.1, SD = 10.9) of a traumatic event (war activities and road and work accidents) were assessed 1 week, 1, and 4 months following the event. Of the 157 participants, 15 reported experiencing CSA, and 26 reported experiencing childhood physical abuse (CPA). In the first-week assessment, patients were administered the Narcissistic Vulnerability Scale (NVS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). In the follow-up assessments, subjects were interviewed on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale. Narcissistic vulnerability was found, both in 1- and 4-month follow-ups, to increase the likelihood of participants who experienced CSA to develop PTSD symptoms later in their adult life, when exposed to other additional trauma. Narcissistic vulnerability, in both follow-ups, did not increase the likelihood of participants who experienced CPA to develop PTSD symptoms later in their life when exposed to other additional trauma. The NVS predicted the development of PTSD symptoms in the whole sample, both in the 1- and 4-month follow-ups, above and beyond the prediction of the BDI. In other words, narcissistic vulnerability can add additional information above and beyond general negative emotionality. In conclusion, it is recommended to take into consideration the interplay between CSA and the individual's narcissistic vulnerability when assessing the long term effects of CSA such as acute or chronic PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eytan Bachar
- Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah University Medical Center, POB 12000, Jerusalem, Israel,
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Reijnen A, Geuze E, Vermetten E. The effect of deployment to a combat zone on testosterone levels and the association with the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms: A longitudinal prospective Dutch military cohort study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 51:525-33. [PMID: 25128222 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Revised: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There is limited evidence on the association of the activity of HPG-axis with stress and symptoms of stress-related disorders. The aim of the current study was to assess the effect of deployment to a combat zone on plasma testosterone levels, and the possible association with the development of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS A total of 918 males were included in the study before deployment to a combat zone in Afghanistan. The effect of deployment on testosterone was longitudinally assessed; starting prior to deployment and follow-up assessments were preformed at 1 and 6 months after return. Furthermore, the association with PTSD symptoms reported at 1 and 2 years post-deployment was assessed. RESULTS Plasma testosterone levels were significantly increased after deployment compared with pre-deployment levels. Although no difference was found between individuals reporting high or low levels of PTSD symptoms, pre-deployment testosterone levels predicted the development of PTSD symptoms at 1 and 2 years post-deployment. CONCLUSION This study provides evidence that not the alterations in testosterone levels shortly after deployment, but the pre-deployment testosterone levels are associated with PTSD symptoms, which is of value in the identification of biological vulnerability factors for the development of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alieke Reijnen
- Research Centre-Military Mental Healthcare, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Elbert Geuze
- Research Centre-Military Mental Healthcare, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Eric Vermetten
- Research Centre-Military Mental Healthcare, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Arq, Psychotrauma Expert Group, Diemen, The Netherlands
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Marinova Z, Maercker A. Biological correlates of complex posttraumatic stress disorder-state of research and future directions. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2015; 6:25913. [PMID: 25887894 PMCID: PMC4401823 DOI: 10.3402/ejpt.v6.25913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2014] [Revised: 03/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) presents with clinical features of full or partial PTSD (re-experiencing a traumatic event, avoiding reminders of the event, and a state of hyperarousal) together with symptoms from three additional clusters (problems in emotional regulation, negative self-concept, and problems in interpersonal relations). Complex PTSD is proposed as a new diagnostic entity in ICD-11 and typically occurs after prolonged and complex trauma. Here we shortly review current knowledge regarding the biological correlates of complex PTSD and compare it to the relevant findings in PTSD. Recent studies provide support to the validity of complex PTSD as a separate diagnostic entity; however, data regarding the biological basis of the disorder are still very limited at this time. Further studies focused on complex PTSD biological correlates and replication of the initial findings are needed, including neuroimaging, neurobiochemical, genetic, and epigenetic investigations. Identification of altered biological pathways in complex PTSD may be critical to further understand the pathophysiology and optimize treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoya Marinova
- Department of Psychology, Division of Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,University Clinics for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland;
| | - Andreas Maercker
- Department of Psychology, Division of Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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Jergović M, Bendelja K, Savić Mlakar A, Vojvoda V, Aberle N, Jovanovic T, Rabatić S, Sabioncello A, Vidović A. Circulating levels of hormones, lipids, and immune mediators in post-traumatic stress disorder - a 3-month follow-up study. Front Psychiatry 2015; 6:49. [PMID: 25926799 PMCID: PMC4396135 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
A number of peripheral blood analytes have been proposed as potential biomarkers of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Few studies have investigated whether observed changes in biomarkers persist over time. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of combat-related chronic PTSD with a wide array of putative PTSD biomarkers and to determine reliability of the measurements, i.e., correlations over time. Croatian combat veterans with chronic PTSD (n = 69) and age-matched healthy controls (n = 32), all men, were assessed at two time points separated by 3 months. Serum levels of lipids, cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), prolactin, and C-reactive protein were determined. Multiplex assay was used for the simultaneous assessment of 13 analytes in sera: cytokines [interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, TNF-α], adhesion molecules (sPECAM-1, sICAM-1), chemokines (IL-8 and MIP-1α), sCD40L, nerve growth factor, and leptin. Group differences and changes over time were tested by parametric or non-parametric tests, including repeated measures analysis of covariance. Reliability estimates [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and kappa] were also calculated. Robust associations of PTSD with higher levels of DHEA-S [F(1,75) = 8.14, p = 0.006)] and lower levels of prolactin [F(1,75) = 5.40, p = 0.023] were found. Measurements showed good to excellent reproducibility (DHEA-S, ICC = 0.50; prolactin, ICC = 0.79). Serum lipids did not differ between groups but significant increase of LDL-C after 3 months was observed in the PTSD group (t = 6.87, p < 0.001). IL-8 was lower in the PTSD group (t = 4.37, p < 0.001) but assessments showed poor reproducibility (ICC = -0.08). Stable DHEA-S and prolactin changes highlight their potential to be reliable markers of PTSD. Change in lipid profiles after 3 months suggests that PTSD patients may be more prone to hyperlipidemia. High intra-individual variability in some variables emphasizes the importance of longitudinal studies in investigations of PTSD biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mladen Jergović
- Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, University of Zagreb , Zagreb , Croatia ; Department for Cellular Immunology, Institute of Immunology , Zagreb , Croatia
| | - Krešo Bendelja
- Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, University of Zagreb , Zagreb , Croatia
| | - Ana Savić Mlakar
- Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, University of Zagreb , Zagreb , Croatia
| | - Valerija Vojvoda
- Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, University of Zagreb , Zagreb , Croatia
| | - Neda Aberle
- General Hospital "Dr. Josip Benčević" , Slavonski Brod , Croatia
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Sabina Rabatić
- Department for Cellular Immunology, Institute of Immunology , Zagreb , Croatia
| | - Ante Sabioncello
- Department for Cellular Immunology, Institute of Immunology , Zagreb , Croatia
| | - Anđelko Vidović
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Dubrava , Zagreb , Croatia
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50
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Jacobson L. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis: neuropsychiatric aspects. Compr Physiol 2014; 4:715-38. [PMID: 24715565 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c130036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Evidence of aberrant hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) activity in many psychiatric disorders, although not universal, has sparked long-standing interest in HPA hormones as biomarkers of disease or treatment response. HPA activity may be chronically elevated in melancholic depression, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia. The HPA axis may be more reactive to stress in social anxiety disorder and autism spectrum disorders. In contrast, HPA activity is more likely to be low in PTSD and atypical depression. Antidepressants are widely considered to inhibit HPA activity, although inhibition is not unanimously reported in the literature. There is evidence, also uneven, that the mood stabilizers lithium and carbamazepine have the potential to augment HPA measures, while benzodiazepines, atypical antipsychotics, and to some extent, typical antipsychotics have the potential to inhibit HPA activity. Currently, the most reliable use of HPA measures in most disorders is to predict the likelihood of relapse, although changes in HPA activity have also been proposed to play a role in the clinical benefits of psychiatric treatments. Greater attention to patient heterogeneity and more consistent approaches to assessing treatment effects on HPA function may solidify the value of HPA measures in predicting treatment response or developing novel strategies to manage psychiatric disease.
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