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Berger É, Larose MP, Capuano F, Letarte MJ, Geoffroy MC, Lupien S, Brendgen M, Boivin M, Vitaro F, Tremblay R, Masse B, Côté S, Ouellet-Morin I. Hair steroid before and after COVID-19 in preschoolers: the moderation of family characteristics. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 166:107072. [PMID: 38733756 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Frequent or prolonged exposure to stressors may jeopardize young children's health. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with disruptions in daily routines and social isolation resulting from public health preventive measures, have raised concerns about its potential impact on children' experienced stress, particularly for young children and vulnerable families. However, whether the pandemic was accompanied by changes in physiological stress remains unknown as perceived stress is not a good proxy of physiological stress. This study examined if preschoolers showed increasing hair steroid concentrations following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and whether family characteristics may have exacerbated or buffered these changes. METHODS 136 preschoolers (2-4 years) provided hair for steroid measurement (cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), cortisone, cortisol-to-DHEA ratio, cortisol-to-cortisone ratio) in October-November 2019 (T0) and in July-August 2020 (T1). A 2-centimeter hair segment was analyzed, reflecting steroid production over the two months leading up to collection. Family income, conflict resolution and lack of cohesion, as well as parents' COVID-19 stress were reported by parents. Linear mixed models for repeated measures and Bayes factors were used. RESULTS No significant changes were noted from before to after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic for most hair steroids. However, a moderating role of family conflict resolution was noted. Children living with parents with a better ability to resolve conflicts had lower levels of DHEA compared to those who had more difficulty managing conflicts. Additionally, lower levels of family cohesion and income were linked to some steroids, especially DHEA, suggesting that these factors may relate to children's physiological stress. Finally, boys had higher DHEA levels than girls. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that stress biomarkers were comparable from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic. This observation holds true despite the pandemic being perceived by many as a novel, unpredictable, and potentially threatening event. Findings further suggest that family characteristics are associated with hair steroid, especially DHEA, which deserves further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Éloise Berger
- School of Criminology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada; Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada
| | - Marie-Pier Larose
- INVEST Flagship Research Center/Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - France Capuano
- Department of Education and Specialized Training, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Marie-Claude Geoffroy
- Department of Psychiatry McGill University, Montreal, Canada; McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, Montreal, Canada
| | - Sonia Lupien
- Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada; Centre for Studies on Human Stress, Department Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Mara Brendgen
- Department of Psychology, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal, Canada; Ste Justine Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - Michel Boivin
- School of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Frank Vitaro
- School of Psychoeducation, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada; Research Group on Child Maladjustment, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Richard Tremblay
- Department of Pediatrics and Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Benoît Masse
- School of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Sylvana Côté
- Research Group on Child Maladjustment, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; School of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Isabelle Ouellet-Morin
- School of Criminology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada; Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada.
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Peltier MR, Verplaetse TL, Altemus M, Zakiniaeiz Y, Ralevski EA, Mineur YS, Gueorguieva R, Picciotto MR, Cosgrove KP, Petrakis I, McKee SA. The role of neurosteroids in posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder: A review of 10 years of clinical literature and treatment implications. Front Neuroendocrinol 2024; 73:101119. [PMID: 38184208 PMCID: PMC11185997 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Rates of alcohol use disorder (AUD) are increasing in men and women and there are high rates of concurrent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and AUD. AUD and PTSD synergistically increase symptomatology and negatively affect treatment outcomes; however, there are very limited pharmacological treatments for PTSD/AUD. Neurosteroids have been implicated in the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of both PTSD and AUD and may be a target for treatment development. This review details the past ten years of research on pregnenolone, progesterone, allopregnanolone, pregnanolone, estradiol, testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone/dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA/DHEA-S) in the context of PTSD and AUD, including examination of trauma/alcohol-related variables, such as stress-reactivity. Emerging evidence that exogenous pregnenolone, progesterone, and allopregnanolone may be promising, novel interventions is also discussed. Specific emphasis is placed on examining the application of sex as a biological variable in this body of literature, given that women are more susceptible to both PTSD diagnoses and stress-related alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- MacKenzie R Peltier
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Mental Health Service, West Haven, CT 06516, USA; National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, West Haven, CT 06516, USA.
| | | | - Margaret Altemus
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Mental Health Service, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Yasmin Zakiniaeiz
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Ralevski
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Mental Health Service, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Yann S Mineur
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Ralitza Gueorguieva
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Marina R Picciotto
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Kelly P Cosgrove
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, West Haven, CT 06516, USA; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ismene Petrakis
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Mental Health Service, West Haven, CT 06516, USA; National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Sherry A McKee
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
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Jones MS, Hoffmann JP. Measuring adverse childhood experiences with latent class trajectories. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2023; 140:106142. [PMID: 36933525 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with several negative health and behavioral outcomes during adolescence, but most of the extant research has employed ACEs scores at one or two time points. Studies have not assessed whether latent class ACEs trajectories affect adolescent problem behaviors and conditions. OBJECTIVES We used longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS, n = 3444) to assess ACEs at several time points and empirically developed latent class trajectories. We then examined the sociodemographic characteristics of youth who belonged to each trajectory group. We next evaluated whether the ACEs trajectories during childhood were associated with delinquent behavior, substance use, and symptoms of anxiety or depression. Finally, we explored whether closeness to mother buffered the impact of ACEs on these outcomes. METHODS Eight types of ACEs were captured in the FFCWS data. ACE scores were assessed at year one, three, five, and nine, along with the outcomes during year 15. Trajectories were estimated with a semiparametric latent class models. RESULTS The analysis revealed three latent trajectories during childhood: a low/none ACEs group, a medium exposure group, and a high exposure group. Adolescents in the high exposure group manifested a heightened risk of involvement in delinquent behaviors and substance use. They also reported more symptoms of anxiety and depression than their peers in the low/none and medium exposure groups. CONCLUSIONS Repeated exposure to ACEs during childhood can have serious negative repercussions in the lives of adolescents, but maternal closeness may buffer their effects. Scholars should continue to examine the dynamics of ACEs exposure during childhood by using empirical approaches appropriate for identifying age-graded trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa S Jones
- Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, United States of America.
| | - John P Hoffmann
- Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, United States of America
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Hicks C, Dhiman A, Barrymore C, Goswami T. Traumatic Brain Injury Biomarkers, Simulations and Kinetics. Bioengineering (Basel) 2022; 9:612. [PMID: 36354523 PMCID: PMC9687153 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9110612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper reviews the predictive capabilities of blood-based biomarkers to quantify traumatic brain injury (TBI). Biomarkers for concussive conditions also known as mild, to moderate and severe TBI identified along with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) that occur due to repeated blows to the head during one's lifetime. Since the pathways of these biomarkers into the blood are not fully understood whether there is disruption in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the time it takes after injury for the expression of the biomarkers to be able to predict the injury effectively, there is a need to understand the protein biomarker structure and other physical properties. The injury events in terms of brain and mechanics are a result of external force with or without the shrapnel, in the wake of a wave result in local tissue damage. Thus, these mechanisms express specific biomarkers kinetics of which reaches half-life within a few hours after injury to few days. Therefore, there is a need to determine the concentration levels that follow injury. Even though current diagnostics linking biomarkers with TBI severity are not fully developed, there is a need to quantify protein structures and their viability after injury. This research was conducted to fully understand the structures of 12 biomarkers by performing molecular dynamics simulations involving atomic movement and energies of forming hydrogen bonds. Molecular dynamics software, NAMD and VMD were used to determine and compare the approximate thermodynamic stabilities of the biomarkers and their bonding energies. Five biomarkers used clinically were S100B, GFAP, UCHL1, NF-L and tau, the kinetics obtained from literature show that the concentration values abruptly change with time after injury. For a given protein length, associated number of hydrogen bonds and bond energy describe a lower bound region where proteins self-dissolve and do not have long enough half-life to be detected in the fluids. However, above this lower bound, involving higher number of bonds and energy, we hypothesize that biomarkers will be viable to disrupt the BBB and stay longer to be modeled for kinetics for diagnosis and therefore may help in the discoveries of new biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celeste Hicks
- Biomedical, Industrial and Human Factors Engineering, Wright State University, 3640 Col. Glen Hwy, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
| | - Akshima Dhiman
- Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, 3640 Col. Glen Hwy, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
| | - Chauntel Barrymore
- Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, 3640 Col. Glen Hwy, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
| | - Tarun Goswami
- Biomedical, Industrial and Human Factors Engineering, Wright State University, 3640 Col. Glen Hwy, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
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Ramo-Fernández L, Gumpp AM, Boeck C, Krause S, Bach AM, Waller C, Kolassa IT, Karabatsiakis A. Associations between childhood maltreatment and DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene in immune cells of mother-newborn dyads. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:449. [PMID: 34471100 PMCID: PMC8410844 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01546-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) and its receptor (OXTR) modulate interpersonal relationships, particularly mother-child interactions. DNA methylation (DNAm) changes of the OXTR gene were observed in individuals who experienced Childhood Maltreatment (CM). A modulatory role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) within OXTR in association with CM on the regulation of OXTR was also postulated. Whether these CM-induced epigenetic alterations are biologically inherited by the offspring remains unknown. We thus investigated possible intergenerational effects of maternal CM exposure on DNAm and OXTR gene expression, additionally accounting for the possible influence of three SNP: rs53576 and rs2254298 (OXTR gene), and rs2740210 (OXT gene). We used the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire to classify mothers into individuals with (CM+) or without CM (CM-). Maternal peripheral immune cells were isolated from venous blood (N = 117) and fetal immune cells from the umbilical cord (N = 113) after parturition. DNA methylation was assessed using MassARRAY. Taqman assays were performed for genotyping and gene expression analyses. Among mothers, CM was not associated with OXTR mean methylation or gene expression. However, four CpG sites showed different methylation levels in CM- compared to CM+. In mothers, the OXTR rs53576 and OXT rs2740210 allelic variations interacted with CM load on the OXTR mean methylation. Maternal and newborns' mean methylation of OXTR were positively associated within CM- dyads, but not in CM+ dyads. We show gene×environment interactions on the epigenetic regulation of the oxytocinergic signaling and show the intergenerational comparability of the OXTR DNAm might be altered in infants of CM+ mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Ramo-Fernández
- Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Anja M. Gumpp
- grid.6582.90000 0004 1936 9748Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christina Boeck
- grid.6582.90000 0004 1936 9748Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sabrina Krause
- grid.410712.10000 0004 0473 882XPsychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Alexandra M. Bach
- grid.6582.90000 0004 1936 9748Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christiane Waller
- grid.410712.10000 0004 0473 882XPsychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany ,Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Paracelsus Medical Private University of Nueremberg, Nueremberg, Germany
| | - Iris-Tatjana Kolassa
- grid.6582.90000 0004 1936 9748Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Alexander Karabatsiakis
- Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany. .,Department of Clinical Psychology II, Institute of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
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Gassen J, White JD, Peterman JL, Mengelkoch S, Proffitt Leyva RP, Prokosch ML, Eimerbrink MJ, Brice K, Cheek DJ, Boehm GW, Hill SE. Sex differences in the impact of childhood socioeconomic status on immune function. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9827. [PMID: 33972662 PMCID: PMC8110986 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89413-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life stress increases one's risk for health problems later in life, and many studies find that these effects are sex-differentiated. Here, we examined relationships between multiple sources of early life stress and adult immune function in humans across several functional assays. Adult participants provided retrospective information about their childhood (a) socioeconomic status, (b) household unpredictability, and (c) exposure to adverse experiences. Participants' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were then isolated for use in functional assays of immune performance: (a) tumor cell lysis by natural killer cells, (b) phagocytosis of Escherichia coli bioparticles, and (c) mitogen-induced leukocyte proliferation and cytokine release. In men, lower childhood socioeconomic status predicted decrements in immunological performance across functional assays, along with greater spontaneous cytokine release from PBMCs. These changes co-occurred with elevations in plasma testosterone levels. Similar effects were not observed for other sources of stress, nor were they found in women (with the exception of spontaneous cytokine release). These findings provide evidence that low childhood socioeconomic status has a lasting negative impact on multiple aspects of immune function, particularly in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Gassen
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, 1214 S 4th St, Waco, TX, 76706, USA.
| | - Jordon D White
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Julia L Peterman
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, 2955 S University Dr, Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
| | - Summer Mengelkoch
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, 2955 S University Dr, Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
| | - Randi P Proffitt Leyva
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, 2955 S University Dr, Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
| | - Marjorie L Prokosch
- Florida Institute of Built Environment Resilience, University of Florida, 606 SE Depot Ave, Gainesville, FL, 32601, USA
| | - Micah J Eimerbrink
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, 2955 S University Dr, Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
| | - Kelly Brice
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, 2955 S University Dr, Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
| | - Dennis J Cheek
- Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Texas Christian University, 2800 W Bowie St, Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
| | - Gary W Boehm
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, 2955 S University Dr, Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
| | - Sarah E Hill
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, 2955 S University Dr, Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
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Flasbeck V, Brüne M. Association between childhood maltreatment, psychopathology and DNA methylation of genes involved in stress regulation: Evidence from a study in Borderline Personality Disorder. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248514. [PMID: 33705478 PMCID: PMC7951851 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research suggests that childhood maltreatment is associated with epigenetic modification of genes involved in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) functioning, which could cause dysregulation of the stress response system. If pervasive, this may be associated with the development of stress-related disorder in adults, including affective disorders, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or borderline-personality disorder (BPD). The majority of studies have focused on DNA methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) and the FKBP5 encoding gene, which regulates the sensitivity of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). How methylation of NR3C1 and FKBP5 interferes with childhood adversity and psychopathology as well as empathy is an under-researched issue. Here, we sought to investigate the association of childhood maltreatment in a sample of 89 individuals (44 healthy participants and 45 patients diagnosed with BPD) with the methylation of the 1F promoter region of NR3C1 and the intron 7 of FKBP5 as well as with different measures of psychopathology and empathy. Methylation of FKBP5 (bin 2) correlated with anxiety (SCL-90-R) and the global psychopathological symptom load index (GSI), as well as with lower empathic perspective-taking abilities. Psychopathology and empathy impairments correlated with the level of childhood maltreatment. No difference in FKBP5 methylation was observed between the clinical and the non-clinical group. Methylation of NR3C1 was lower in BPD patients compared to controls, yet with small differences. The results are discussed regarding their biological relevance, including possible evolutionary explanations. In short, the regulation of the GR sensitivity by methylation of FKBP5 correlated with psychopathology and empathy scores, while no correlation emerged with the severity of childhood adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Flasbeck
- Division of Social Neuropsychiatry and Evolutionary Medicine, LWL University Hospital Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Martin Brüne
- Division of Social Neuropsychiatry and Evolutionary Medicine, LWL University Hospital Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- * E-mail:
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8
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Szabo YZ, Breeding T, Hejl C, Guleria RS, Nelson SM, Zambrano-Vazquez L. Cortisol as a Biomarker of Alcohol Use in Combat Veterans: A Literature Review and Framework for Future Research. J Dual Diagn 2020; 16:322-335. [PMID: 32493131 PMCID: PMC7483986 DOI: 10.1080/15504263.2020.1771504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Objective: Alcohol use and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are an increasing concern among veterans, particularly those from recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The study of biomarkers in alcohol use and AUD has moved to enhancing the understanding of the development and maintenance of AUDs, as well as investigating its association with clinical severity and potential predictors of treatment response. Cortisol, a glucocorticoid known as a stress hormone, has been linked with both stress and trauma, as well as increased alcohol suppression effects. Method/Results: The present review summarizes existing literature and presents suggestions for future research to evaluate whether cortisol may be a possible biomarker of alcohol use disorder risk in combat veterans. Specifically, aspects of combat deployments and high levels of PTSD, coupled with the stress of reintegration may dysregulate cortisol and increase risk to AUD. There may also be bidirectional impacts, such that alcohol is used as a coping mechanism and can dysregulate hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis functioning and cortisol. Conclusions: In the context of this framework, cortisol may serve as a biomarker for the development of AUD, as well as a biomarker of risk or relapse. This review ends with both theoretical and clinical implications, as well as directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette Z Szabo
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Bryan, TX, USA.,Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Tessa Breeding
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Christina Hejl
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Rakeshwar S Guleria
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX, USA.,Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Steven M Nelson
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA.,Center for Vital Longevity, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Laura Zambrano-Vazquez
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Bryan, TX, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
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9
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van Dammen L, de Rooij SR, Behnsen PM, Huizink AC. Sex-specific associations between person and environment-related childhood adverse events and levels of cortisol and DHEA in adolescence. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233718. [PMID: 32497103 PMCID: PMC7272021 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Person and environment-related childhood adverse events have been demonstrated to increase the risk of impaired mental health in later life differently for boys and girls. Altered hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA)-axis functioning has been suggested as a key mechanism underlying this association. Cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) are both output hormones of the HPA-axis. DHEA may have a protective function against long-term exposure to increased levels of cortisol, but has been little investigated in relation to childhood adversity. OBJECTIVE We aimed to test the associations between person-, and environment-related childhood adversity and levels of cortisol, DHEA and cortisol/DHEA ratio in adolescent boys and girls. METHODS A total of 215 Dutch adolescents participated in the study and filled out the 27-item Adverse Life Events Questionnaire for the assessment of childhood adversity, which was split up in separate scores for person-related and environment-related events. Cortisol and DHEA concentrations and cortisol/DHEA ratio were determined in proximal 3 cm long hair segments. Additionally, saliva samples were collected immediately and 30 minutes after waking up, at noon and at 8 pm. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to test associations between childhood adversity and cortisol and DHEA concentrations, for boys and girls separately, with age, BMI and pubertal development as covariates. RESULTS Data were available for 74 boys and 116 girls with a mean age of 15.7 years (SD = 2.0). Higher levels of person-related childhood adversity were associated with higher hair DHEA levels in girls and with higher hair cortisol levels in boys. A trend towards a significant association was observed between higher levels of environment-related childhood adversity and higher DHEA levels in boys. Neither person- nor environment related childhood adversity was associated with cortisol/DHEA ratio. A trend was observed for environment-related childhood adversity and lower daily cortisol output in boys. CONCLUSION We found differential associations between childhood adversity and cortisol and DHEA levels in girls and boys, for respectively person-related and environment-related childhood adversity. Our findings suggest that different types of childhood adversity are not only linked to levels of cortisol, but also to DHEA concentrations, in a sex-specific manner, with possible future implications for mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lotte van Dammen
- Department of Human Development & Family Studies, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Susanne R. de Rooij
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Developmental Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pia M. Behnsen
- Department of Developmental Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anja C. Huizink
- Department of Developmental Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- School of Health and Learning, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden
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10
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Syed Sheriff R, Van Hooff M, Malhi G, Grace B, McFarlane A. Childhood trauma and the impact of deployment on the development of mental disorder in military males. Psychol Med 2020; 50:818-826. [PMID: 30947764 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291719000655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood adversity is associated with mental disorder following military deployment. However, it is unclear how different childhood trauma profiles relate to developing a post-deployment disorder. We investigated childhood trauma prospectively in determining new post-deployment probable disorder. METHODS In total, 1009 Regular male ADF personnel from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) Prospective Study provided pre- and post-deployment self-report data. Logistic regression and generalised structural equation modelling were utilised to examine associations between childhood trauma and new post-deployment probable disorder and possible mediator pathways through pre-deployment symptoms. RESULTS There were low rates of pre-deployment probable disorder. New post-deployment probable disorder was associated with childhood trauma, index deployment factors (combat role and deployment trauma) and pre-deployment symptoms but not with demographic, service or adult factors prior to the index deployment (including trauma, combat or previous deployment). Even after controlling for demographic, service and adult factors prior to the index deployment as well as index deployment trauma, childhood trauma was still a significant determinant of new post-deployment probable disorder. GSEM demonstrated that the association between interpersonal childhood trauma and new post-deployment probable disorder was fully mediated by pre-deployment symptoms. This was not the case for those who experienced childhood trauma that was not interpersonal in nature. CONCLUSIONS To determine the risk of developing a post-deployment disorder an understanding of the types of childhood trauma encountered is essential, and pre-deployment symptom screening alone is insufficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Syed Sheriff
- Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies (CTSS), University of Adelaide, Level 1, Helen Mayo North, 30 Frome Road, SA 5000, Australia
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Miranda Van Hooff
- Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies (CTSS), University of Adelaide, Level 1, Helen Mayo North, 30 Frome Road, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Gin Malhi
- Academic Department of Psychiatry, Northern Sydney Local Health District, St Leonards, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Medical School Northern, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
- CADE Clinic, Royal North Shore Hospital, Northern Sydney Local Health District, St Leonards, NSW, Australia
| | - Blair Grace
- Department of Education and Child Development, 31 Flinders St, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Alexander McFarlane
- Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies (CTSS), University of Adelaide, Level 1, Helen Mayo North, 30 Frome Road, SA 5000, Australia
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11
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Ashy M, Yu B, Gutowski E, Samkavitz A, Malley-Morrison K. Childhood Maltreatment, Limbic Dysfunction, Resilience, and Psychiatric Symptoms. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2020; 35:426-452. [PMID: 29291684 DOI: 10.1177/0886260516683174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has indicated that childhood maltreatment is predictive of psychiatric symptoms in adulthood. Among the potential intervening factors in this relationship are affective reactions in the victims, neurodevelopmental problems, and resilience. The purpose of this study was to test, in a nonclinical low-risk sample, an integrative developmentally based psychoneurological model of the roles of limbic system dysfunction, shame and guilt, and resiliency as potential intervening variables between childhood maltreatment and adult psychiatric symptoms. Also of interest was whether there were gender-specific pathways from maltreatment to symptoms. Based on the results of preliminary analyses, several regressions were conducted separately by gender, entering the different forms of parental aggression at Step 1, resilience at Step 2, the resilience by parental aggression interaction term at Step 3, shame and guilt at Step 4, and limbic dysfunction at Step 5, as predictors of psychiatric symptoms. Analyses indicated that both maternal psychological maltreatment and paternal physical maltreatment were predictive of total psychiatric symptomatology in adulthood, with shame mediating the relationship in women and guilt mediating it in men, limbic system symptoms mediating the relationship in both genders, and trait resilience moderating the relationship in both genders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majed Ashy
- Developmental Bio-Psychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital (Harvard Medical School), Belmont, MA, USA
- Adult and Child Therapy Center (ACT), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Brian Yu
- Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | | | - Anna Samkavitz
- Boston University, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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12
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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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13
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Assari S, Caldwell CH, Abelson JL, Zimmerman M. Violence Victimization Predicts Body Mass Index One Decade Later among an Urban Sample of African American Young Adults: Sex as a Moderator and Dehydroepiandrosterone as a Mediator. J Urban Health 2019; 96:632-643. [PMID: 31250360 PMCID: PMC6677838 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-019-00360-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Psychological stressors such as violence victimization are known contributors to obesity. However, moderators and mediators of this association have not been studied, although they might offer pathways for intervention or prevention. Using a sample of African American young adults, this study tested: (1) the moderating effect of sex on the effect of violence victimization on trajectories of body mass index (BMI), and (2) the mediating effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on this association. This 13-year longitudinal study followed 73 male and 80 female African American young adults who lived in an urban area from 1999 to 2012 when the youth were 20-32 years old. The independent variable was violence victimization measured in 1999 and 2000. The dependent variable was BMI measured in 2002 and 2012. The mediator was DHEA measured in 2001 and 2002. Multilevel path analysis was used to test if males and females differed in violence victimization predicting change in BMI (Model I) and the mediating effect of DHEA change on the above association (Model II). The results of Model I suggested that the change in violence victimization from 1999 to 2000 predicted change in BMI from 2002 to 2012 for females, but not males. Based on Model II, the DHEA change from 2000 to 2001 for females fully mediated the association between violence victimization from 1999 to 2000 and increases in BMI from 2002 to 2012. Our findings suggest that violence victimization in urban areas contributes to the development of obesity among African American female young adults and change in DHEA mediates this link. Violence prevention may have important implications for obesity prevention of African American young women who live in unsafe urban areas. This study also suggests that DHEA may be involved in the violence victimization-obesity link for African American women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shervin Assari
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, 1731 E. 120th, Los Angeles, CA 90059 USA
| | - Cleopatra Howard Caldwell
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 2846 SPH I, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029 USA
| | - James L. Abelson
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Rachel Upjohn Building 4250 Plymouth Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5766 USA
| | - Marc Zimmerman
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 3790A SPH I, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029 USA
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14
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Goulter N, Kimonis ER, Denson TF, Begg DP. Female primary and secondary psychopathic variants show distinct endocrine and psychophysiological profiles. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 104:7-17. [PMID: 30784904 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Research with predominantly male samples supports primary and secondary developmental pathways to psychopathy that are phenotypically indistinguishable on aggressive and antisocial behavior. The aim of this study was to examine whether female variants of psychopathy show divergent endocrine (i.e., cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA], testosterone, and their ratios) and psychophysiological (i.e., heart rate variability [HRV]) reactivity to social provocation. We also tested whether variants differed on reactive aggression when performing a competitive reaction time task against the fictitious participant who previously insulted them. Latent profile analyses on 101 undergraduate women oversampled for high psychopathic traits identified a high-anxious, maltreated secondary variant (n=64) and a low-anxious primary variant (n=37). Although variants did not differ on aggression, secondary variants showed higher cortisol, testosterone, cortisol-to-DHEA ratios, and HRV following social provocation relative to primary variants. Findings suggest that the neurobiological mechanisms underpinning aggression in psychopathy may differ between women on primary versus secondary developmental pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Goulter
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada.
| | - Eva R Kimonis
- School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Salivary Bioscience Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Thomas F Denson
- School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Salivary Bioscience Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Denovan P Begg
- School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Salivary Bioscience Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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15
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Asadikaram G, Khaleghi E, Sayadi A, Foulady S, Ghasemi MS, Abolhassani M, Garrusi B, Nematollahi MH. Assessment of hormonal alterations in major depressive disorder: A clinical study. Psych J 2019; 8:423-430. [PMID: 31106520 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe mood disorder that may lead to use of drugs, alcohol, and even suicide in acute cases. It has been shown that neurotransmitters and hormones have the same receptors and pathways in the mood area of the brain. Therefore, metabolic and biochemical changes are expected in MDD and, in such diseases, understanding the hormonal alterations would be extremely helpful in the management or treatment with hormone replacement therapy. We evaluated levels of cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), testosterone, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), free thyroxine index (FT4I), T3 resin uptake (T3RU), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) in 79 patients suffering from MDD and 71 healthy controls. The existence of MDD was confirmed by a face-to-face structured clinical interview. We started the investigation by taking a blood sample from the study population. Then, hormone levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Significant differences were found between TSH, FT4I, DHEA-S, ACTH, testosterone, and cortisol/DHEA-S ratio in MDD patients compared to the healthy controls. We also demonstrated a correlation between MDD recurrence and FT4I index and TSH, respectively. Regarding some hormonal changes in patients with MDD, hormonal shifts should be considered in the treatment or management of MDD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gholamreza Asadikaram
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ezetollah Khaleghi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Ahmadreza Sayadi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Shahnaz Foulady
- Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammadreza Seyed Ghasemi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Moslem Abolhassani
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Behshid Garrusi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hadi Nematollahi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.,Student research committee, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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16
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Ramo-Fernández L, Boeck C, Koenig AM, Schury K, Binder EB, Gündel H, Fegert JM, Karabatsiakis A, Kolassa IT. The effects of childhood maltreatment on epigenetic regulation of stress-response associated genes: an intergenerational approach. Sci Rep 2019; 9:983. [PMID: 31000782 PMCID: PMC7052131 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36689-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
While biological alterations associated with childhood maltreatment (CM) have been found in affected individuals, it remains unknown to what degree these alterations are biologically transmitted to the next generation. We investigated intergenerational effects of maternal CM on DNA methylation and gene expression in N = 113 mother-infant dyads shortly after parturition, additionally accounting for the role of the FKBP5 rs1360780 genotype. Using mass array spectrometry, we assessed the DNA methylation of selected stress-response-associated genes (FK506 binding protein 51 [FKBP5], glucocorticoid receptor [NR3C1], corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 [CRHR1]) in isolated immune cells from maternal blood and neonatal umbilical cord blood. In mothers, CM was associated with decreased levels of DNA methylation of FKBP5 and CRHR1 and increased NR3C1 methylation, but not with changes in gene expression profiles. Rs1360780 moderated the FKBP5 epigenetic CM-associated regulation profiles in a gene × environment interaction. In newborns, we found no evidence for any intergenerational transmission of CM-related methylation profiles for any of the investigated epigenetic sites. These findings support the hypothesis of a long-lasting impact of CM on the biological epigenetic regulation of stress-response mediators and suggest for the first time that these specific epigenetic patterns might not be directly transmitted to the next generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Ramo-Fernández
- Department of Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, Ulm, 89081, Germany.
| | - Christina Boeck
- Department of Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, Ulm, 89081, Germany
| | - Alexandra M Koenig
- Department of Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, Ulm, 89081, Germany
| | - Katharina Schury
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89075, Ulm, Germany
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, 80804, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Harald Gündel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jöerg M Fegert
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89075, Ulm, Germany
| | - Alexander Karabatsiakis
- Department of Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, Ulm, 89081, Germany
| | - Iris-Tatjana Kolassa
- Department of Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, Ulm, 89081, Germany.
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17
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Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its ratio to cortisol moderate associations between maltreatment and psychopathology in male juvenile offenders. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 101:263-271. [PMID: 30594110 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.12.228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
This study examined whether DHEA and its ratio to cortisol moderated risk for psychopathology among incarcerated youth exposed to childhood maltreatment. Resistance to stress-related psychopathology under adversity was also examined in relation to callous-unemotional (CU) traits, a personality construct characterized by resistance to pathological anxiety and blunted reactivity to threatening stimuli. Participants were 201 ethnically heterogeneous (41.8% White, 35.3% Black, 17.2% Hispanic) adolescent boys (M age = 16.75, SD = 1.15 years) incarcerated in a juvenile detention facility in the South Eastern United States who provided four afternoon saliva samples (later assayed for DHEA and cortisol) and completed self-report questionnaires. Results indicated that childhood maltreatment was associated with greater internalizing problems at lower DHEA concentrations and at higher cortisol-to-DHEA ratios. Conversely, higher DHEA levels and lower cortisol-to-DHEA ratios were associated with greater CU traits, irrespective of maltreatment exposure. CU traits did not attenuate levels of psychopathology in maltreated youth. Findings inform biosocial models of how exposure to parental maltreatment in early life contributes to risk and resilience through mechanisms associated with adaptive environmentally sensitive biological systems and processes.
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18
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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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19
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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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20
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Deighton S, Neville A, Pusch D, Dobson K. Biomarkers of adverse childhood experiences: A scoping review. Psychiatry Res 2018; 269:719-732. [PMID: 30273897 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.08.097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are stressful and/or traumatic experiences that occur during childhood. Research has demonstrated a link between ACEs and risk of physical and mental health disorders, where early life adversity may become "biologically embedded" and have wide-ranging effects on various physiological systems. The aim of this study was to identify the extent and breadth of recent research activity relating to biological measures of ACEs in adulthood. We undertook a scoping review including published research articles. Medline and PsycINFO were searched for articles from 2007 to July 2017. Articles were eligible if they included adult participants, were written in English, and reported on a biomarker of childhood adversity in adulthood. Forty articles met our inclusion criteria. Studies investigated a range of ACEs that were often measured retrospectively. The studies identified biomarkers related to inflammation (e.g., CRP), cardio/metabolic systems (e.g., BMI), genetics (e.g., telomere length), and endocrine systems (e.g., cortisol), as well as composites of multiple physiological systems. However, not every study identified found significant associations. Health behaviours, emotional distress, social relationships, and socioeconomic factors may help explain some of these associations. Further research is needed to better understand biomarkers of ACEs in adulthood and their relationship to health conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dennis Pusch
- Southport Psychological Services, Alberta, Calgary, Canada
| | - Keith Dobson
- University of Calgary, Department of Psychology, Alberta, Canada
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21
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Hoppen TH, Chalder T. Childhood adversity as a transdiagnostic risk factor for affective disorders in adulthood: A systematic review focusing on biopsychosocial moderating and mediating variables. Clin Psychol Rev 2018; 65:81-151. [PMID: 30189342 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Trudie Chalder
- Academic Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, UK
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22
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Ehrenthal JC, Levy KN, Scott LN, Granger DA. Attachment-Related Regulatory Processes Moderate the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Stress Reaction in Borderline Personality Disorder. J Pers Disord 2018; 32:93-114. [PMID: 29388902 PMCID: PMC5798009 DOI: 10.1521/pedi.2018.32.supp.93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the authors explored whether attachment insecurity moderates the effects of adverse childhood experiences on stress reactivity in the context of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Participants were 113 women (39 with BPD, 15 with some BPD criteria present, 59 without any BPD symptoms) who participated in the Trier Social Stress Test. Saliva samples were collected before and after the stressor and assayed for salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and cortisol. Adverse childhood experiences were measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and attachment by the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised questionnaire. Results revealed that attachment avoidance and a combination of more adverse childhood experiences and attachment insecurity resulted in higher sAA levels and differences in reactivity to the stressor. Interactions between attachment anxiety and adverse childhood experiences were related to blunted cortisol reactivity. The results suggest that the influence of adverse childhood experiences on stress regulation in BPD may be moderated by attachment-related regulatory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes C. Ehrenthal
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University
- Department of Psychology, Klagenfurt University, Austria
| | | | - Lori N. Scott
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
| | - Douglas A. Granger
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California at Irvine
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
- Department of Psychology and Salivary Bioscience Laboratory, University of Nebraska
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23
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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: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [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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24
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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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25
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King LS, Colich NL, LeMoult J, Humphreys KL, Ordaz SJ, Price AN, Gotlib IH. The impact of the severity of early life stress on diurnal cortisol: The role of puberty. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 77:68-74. [PMID: 28024271 PMCID: PMC5336485 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Researchers have documented dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in children and adolescents who experienced early life stress (ELS). The precise nature of this dysregulation, however, has been difficult to discern. In fact, both elevated and blunted patterns of diurnal cortisol regulation have been reported in children and adolescents exposed to greater ELS, including both reduced and heightened cortisol levels and change in cortisol across the day. These divergent findings may be due to developmental changes in the relation between ELS and HPA-axis functioning. The present study was designed to examine the role of puberty in the impact of the severity of ELS on the regulation of diurnal cortisol. Boys and girls (N=145) ages 9-13 years recruited from lower-risk communities completed an interview about their ELS experiences and at-home collection of diurnal cortisol. ELS experiences were objectively coded for severity, and children's level of pubertal development was measured using Tanner Staging. Multi-level piecewise mixed-effects models tested the effects of ELS severity and pubertal stage on cortisol levels at waking, the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and the daytime cortisol slope. While we found no significant interactive effects of pubertal stage and ELS severity on cortisol levels at waking or the daytime cortisol slope, findings indicated that pubertal stage interacted with ELS severity to predict the cortisol awakening response (CAR). Specifically, in earlier puberty, higher ELS was associated with a blunted CAR compared to lower ELS; in contrast, in later puberty, higher ELS was associated with a heightened CAR compared to lower ELS. Differences in the relation between ELS severity and the CAR were uniquely determined by puberty, and not by age. By considering and examining the role of puberty, the current study provides a developmental explanation for previous divergent findings of both blunted and heightened patterns of diurnal cortisol following ELS. These results indicate that careful attention should be given to children's pubertal status before drawing conclusions concerning the nature of diurnal cortisol dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy S. King
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Jordan Hall, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Natalie L. Colich
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Jordan Hall, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Joelle LeMoult
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Jordan Hall, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Kathryn L. Humphreys
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Jordan Hall, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Sarah J. Ordaz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 291 Campus Drive, Li Ka Shing Building, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Alexandria N. Price
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Jordan Hall, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Jordan Hall, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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26
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Enlow MB, Devick KL, Brunst KJ, Lipton LR, Coull BA, Wright RJ. Maternal Lifetime Trauma Exposure, Prenatal Cortisol, and Infant Negative Affectivity. INFANCY 2017; 22:492-513. [PMID: 28983193 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Little research has examined the impact of maternal lifetime trauma exposure on infant temperament. We examined associations between maternal trauma history and infant negative affectivity and modification by prenatal cortisol exposure in a sociodemographically diverse sample of mother-infant dyads. During pregnancy, mothers completed measures of lifetime trauma exposure and current stressors. Third-trimester cortisol output was assessed from maternal hair. When infants were 6 months old, mothers completed the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised. In analyses that controlled for infant sex and maternal age, education, race/ethnicity, and stress during pregnancy, greater maternal trauma exposure was associated with increased infant distress to limitations and sadness. Higher and lower prenatal cortisol exposure modified the magnitude and direction of association between maternal trauma history and infant rate of recovery from arousal. The association between maternal trauma history and infant distress to limitations was somewhat stronger among infants exposed to higher levels of prenatal cortisol. The analyses suggested that maternal lifetime trauma exposure is associated with several domains of infant negative affectivity independently of maternal stress exposures during pregnancy and that some of these associations may be modified by prenatal cortisol exposure. The findings have implications for understanding the intergenerational impact of trauma exposure on child developmental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Psychiatry Harvard Medical School
| | - Katrina L Devick
- Department of Biostatistics Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
| | - Kelly J Brunst
- Department of Pediatrics Kravis Children's Hospital Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
| | - Lianna R Lipton
- Department of Pediatrics Kravis Children's Hospital Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
| | - Brent A Coull
- Department of Biostatistics Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
| | - Rosalind J Wright
- Department of Pediatrics Kravis Children's Hospital Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Mindich Child Health & Development Institute Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
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27
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Dimensions of Adversity, Physiological Reactivity, and Externalizing Psychopathology in Adolescence: Deprivation and Threat. Psychosom Med 2017; 79:162-171. [PMID: 27428857 PMCID: PMC5237627 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000000369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Dysregulation of autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function is a putative intermediate phenotype linking childhood adversity (CA) with later psychopathology. However, associations of CAs with autonomic nervous system and HPA-axis function vary widely across studies. Here, we test a novel conceptual model discriminating between distinct forms of CA (deprivation and threat) and examine their independent associations with physiological reactivity and psychopathology. METHODS Adolescents (N = 169; mean [SD] age, 14.9 [1.4] years) with a range of interpersonal violence (e.g., maltreatment, community violence) and poverty exposure participated in the Trier Social Stress test (TSST). During the TSST, electrocardiogram, impedance cardiograph, salivary cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate data were collected. We compared the associations of poverty (an indicator of deprivation) and interpersonal violence (an indicator of threat) on sympathetic, parasympathetic, and HPA-axis reactivity to the TSST, and assessed whether these differences mediated the association of adversity with internalizing and externalizing symptoms. RESULTS Exposure to poverty and interpersonal violence was associated with psychopathology. Interpersonal violence, adjusting for poverty, was associated with blunted sympathetic (b = 1.44, p = .050) and HPA-axis reactivity (b = -.09; p = .021). Blunted cortisol reactivity mediated the association of interpersonal violence with externalizing, but not internalizing, psychopathology. In contrast, poverty was not associated with physiological reactivity after adjusting for interpersonal violence. CONCLUSIONS We provide evidence for distinct neurobiological mechanisms through which adversity related to poverty and interpersonal violence is associated with psychopathology in adolescence. Distinguishing distinct pathways through which adversity influences mental health has implications for preventive interventions targeting youths exposed to childhood adversity.
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28
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Schreier HMC, Enlow MB, Ritz T, Gennings C, Wright RJ. Childhood abuse is associated with increased hair cortisol levels among urban pregnant women. J Epidemiol Community Health 2015. [PMID: 26219886 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2015-205541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity is known to be altered following events such as childhood abuse. However, despite potential adverse consequences for the offspring of women who have experienced abuse, very little is known about altered HPA axis activity during pregnancy. METHODS During pregnancy, 180 women from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds reported on their exposure to emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse before the age of 11, and general post-traumatic stress symptoms (ie, not limited to childhood years or abuse experiences). Around delivery, they provided hair samples for the assessment of cortisol levels during pregnancy. Hair cortisol was assessed for each pregnancy trimester. The effect of childhood abuse on hair cortisol was assessed using mixed-effects analyses of covariance models allowing for within-subject correlated observations, and were first performed in the entire sample and subsequently stratified by race/ethnicity. RESULTS Controlling for post-traumatic stress symptoms, hair cortisol levels varied by history of child abuse, F(2,166)=3.66, p=0.028. Childhood physical and/or sexual abuse was associated with greater hair cortisol levels, t(166)=2.65, p=0.009, compared with no history of abuse. Because childhood rates of abuse and hair cortisol levels varied by race/ethnicity, analyses were stratified by race/ethnicity. The associations between history of abuse and cortisol levels were only significant among black women, F(2,23)=5.37, p=0.012. CONCLUSIONS Childhood abuse, especially physical and/or sexual abuse, is associated with differences in cortisol production during pregnancy, particularly among black women. Future research should investigate how these differences impact physical and mental health outcomes among offspring of affected women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M C Schreier
- Department of Pediatrics, Kravis Children's Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Thomas Ritz
- Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Chris Gennings
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA Mindich Child Health & Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rosalind J Wright
- Mindich Child Health & Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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29
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Simmons JG, Byrne ML, Schwartz OS, Whittle SL, Sheeber L, Kaess M, Youssef GJ, Allen NB. Dual-axis hormonal covariation in adolescence and the moderating influence of prior trauma and aversive maternal parenting. Dev Psychobiol 2015; 57:670-87. [PMID: 25754696 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Adversity early in life can disrupt the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axes and increase risk for negative health outcomes. The interplay between these axes and the environment is complex, and understanding needs to be advanced by the investigation of the multiple hormonal relationships underlying these processes. The current study examined basal hormonal associations between morning levels of cortisol, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone in a cohort of adolescents (mean age 15.56 years). The moderating influence of childhood adversity was also examined, as indexed by self-reported trauma (at mean age 14.91), and observed maternal aggressive parenting (at mean age 12.41). Between-person regressions revealed significant associations between hormones that were moderated by both measures of adversity. In females, all hormones positively covaried, but also interacted with adversity, such that positive covariation was typically only present when levels of trauma and/or aggressive parenting were low. In males, hormonal associations and interactions were less evident; however, interactions were detected for cortisol-testosterone - positively covarying at high levels of aggressive parenting but negatively covarying at low levels - and DHEA-cortisol - similarly positively covarying at high levels of parental aggression. These results demonstrate associations between adrenal and gonadal hormones and the moderating role of adversity, which is likely driven by feedback mechanisms, or cross-talk, between the axes. These findings suggest that hormonal changes may be the pathway through which early life adversity alters physiology and increases health risks, but does so differentially in the sexes; however further study is necessary to establish causation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian G Simmons
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michelle L Byrne
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Orli S Schwartz
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah L Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Michael Kaess
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - George J Youssef
- Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicholas B Allen
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. .,Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. .,Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.
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