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Pituitary-adrenal and sympathetic nervous system responses to stress in women remitted from recurrent major depression.
Psychosom Med. 2008 May; 70(4):461-7.PM

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

To better understand the changes in hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) function after remission of depression. We characterized these systems at baseline and in response to a psychosocial stressor in a cohort of women remitted from recurrent major depression as well as in never-depressed healthy female controls.

METHODS

Baseline HPA function was measured via saliva cortisol sampling at 8 AM and 4 PM over 7 days as well as quantification of urinary overnight cortisol secretion. The HPA system response to a psychosocial stressor was assessed by measuring serum cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels and SNS reactivity by determining serum epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) concentrations as well as autonomic nervous system changes by analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). The stressor included a speech task, mental arithmetic, and a cognitive challenge.

RESULTS

In all, we studied 22 women remitted from recurrent major depression (age = 51.0 +/- 1.7 years) and 20 healthy controls (age = 54.2 +/- 1.6 years). Morning saliva cortisol concentrations were lower in remitted patients, paralleled by lower serum cortisol concentrations before stress testing. This group also displayed a blunted cortisol and ACTH response to the stressor, as compared with healthy controls. No between-group differences in HRV parameters were observed.

CONCLUSION

In this group of women remitted from recurrent major depressive disorder, we found evidence of HPA system hypoactivity, both in the basal state and in response to a psychosocial stressor.

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Publisher Full Text (DOI)

Authors+Show Affiliations

Ahrens T
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany.
Deuschle M
No affiliation info available
Krumm B
No affiliation info available
van der Pompe G
No affiliation info available
den Boer JA
No affiliation info available
Lederbogen F
No affiliation info available

MeSH

Adrenocorticotropic HormoneArousalCohort StudiesDepressive Disorder, MajorElectrocardiographyEpinephrineFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHeart RateHumansHydrocortisoneHypothalamo-Hypophyseal SystemMiddle AgedNorepinephrinePituitary-Adrenal SystemRecurrenceReference ValuesStress, PsychologicalSympathetic Nervous System

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

18378864

Citation

Ahrens, Thorben, et al. "Pituitary-adrenal and Sympathetic Nervous System Responses to Stress in Women Remitted From Recurrent Major Depression." Psychosomatic Medicine, vol. 70, no. 4, 2008, pp. 461-7.
Ahrens T, Deuschle M, Krumm B, et al. Pituitary-adrenal and sympathetic nervous system responses to stress in women remitted from recurrent major depression. Psychosom Med. 2008;70(4):461-7.
Ahrens, T., Deuschle, M., Krumm, B., van der Pompe, G., den Boer, J. A., & Lederbogen, F. (2008). Pituitary-adrenal and sympathetic nervous system responses to stress in women remitted from recurrent major depression. Psychosomatic Medicine, 70(4), 461-7. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0b013e31816b1aaa
Ahrens T, et al. Pituitary-adrenal and Sympathetic Nervous System Responses to Stress in Women Remitted From Recurrent Major Depression. Psychosom Med. 2008;70(4):461-7. PubMed PMID: 18378864.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Pituitary-adrenal and sympathetic nervous system responses to stress in women remitted from recurrent major depression. AU - Ahrens,Thorben, AU - Deuschle,Michael, AU - Krumm,Bertram, AU - van der Pompe,Gita, AU - den Boer,Johan A, AU - Lederbogen,Florian, Y1 - 2008/03/31/ PY - 2008/4/2/pubmed PY - 2008/6/18/medline PY - 2008/4/2/entrez SP - 461 EP - 7 JF - Psychosomatic medicine JO - Psychosom Med VL - 70 IS - 4 N2 - OBJECTIVE: To better understand the changes in hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) function after remission of depression. We characterized these systems at baseline and in response to a psychosocial stressor in a cohort of women remitted from recurrent major depression as well as in never-depressed healthy female controls. METHODS: Baseline HPA function was measured via saliva cortisol sampling at 8 AM and 4 PM over 7 days as well as quantification of urinary overnight cortisol secretion. The HPA system response to a psychosocial stressor was assessed by measuring serum cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels and SNS reactivity by determining serum epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) concentrations as well as autonomic nervous system changes by analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). The stressor included a speech task, mental arithmetic, and a cognitive challenge. RESULTS: In all, we studied 22 women remitted from recurrent major depression (age = 51.0 +/- 1.7 years) and 20 healthy controls (age = 54.2 +/- 1.6 years). Morning saliva cortisol concentrations were lower in remitted patients, paralleled by lower serum cortisol concentrations before stress testing. This group also displayed a blunted cortisol and ACTH response to the stressor, as compared with healthy controls. No between-group differences in HRV parameters were observed. CONCLUSION: In this group of women remitted from recurrent major depressive disorder, we found evidence of HPA system hypoactivity, both in the basal state and in response to a psychosocial stressor. SN - 1534-7796 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/18378864/Pituitary_adrenal_and_sympathetic_nervous_system_responses_to_stress_in_women_remitted_from_recurrent_major_depression_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -