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The role of childhood abuse in HPA-axis reactivity in Social Anxiety Disorder: a pilot study.
Biol Psychol. 2010 Jan; 83(1):1-6.BP

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Studies on depression have found that childhood abuse (CA) is associated with a persistent sensitization of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis to stress in adulthood. So far, it is unknown whether this HPA-axis sensitization is specific to depression, or whether this is a more general outcome associated with CA in patients with mood and anxiety disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate whether CA is associated with enhanced cortisol reactivity to psychosocial stress in Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD).

METHODS

Salivary cortisol levels before, during, and after exposure to psychosocial stress (i.e., Trier Social Stress Task, TSST) in SAD patients with a history of childhood abuse (SAD+CA, n=9) were compared to cortisol levels in SAD patients without a history of childhood abuse (SAD-CA, n=9), patients with PTSD related to childhood abuse (n=16), and healthy controls without a history of childhood abuse (n=16).

RESULTS

Analyses showed that the SAD+CA group had a strongly increased cortisol reactivity (mean peak: 17.5+/-1.9 nmol/l) compared to SAD-CA (mean peak: 9.0+/-1.1 nmol/l), PTSD (mean peak: 9.0+/-1.1 nmol/l) and healthy controls (mean peak: 9.6+/-1.4 nmol/l), whereas baseline cortisol levels did not differ. The enhanced increase in the SAD+CA group was not explained by stronger anxiety in response to the TSST.

CONCLUSIONS

Consistent with the findings in depression, these results show for the first time that childhood abuse is also associated with strongly increased cortisol reactivity in SAD. When replicated in a larger sample, these findings may have important implications for the treatment of SAD.

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Publisher Full Text

Authors+Show Affiliations

Elzinga BM
Leiden University Institute for Psychological Research, Clinical Psychology Unit, Leiden, The Netherlands. Elzinga@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
Spinhoven P
No affiliation info available
Berretty E
No affiliation info available
de Jong P
No affiliation info available
Roelofs K
No affiliation info available

MeSH

AdultAdult Survivors of Child AbuseAnalysis of VarianceAnxiety DisordersBlood PressureFemaleHumansHydrocortisoneHypothalamo-Hypophyseal SystemMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsPituitary-Adrenal SystemSalivaStress, PsychologicalSurveys and QuestionnairesTime FactorsYoung Adult

Pub Type(s)

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

Language

eng

PubMed ID

19765630

Citation

Elzinga, Bernet M., et al. "The Role of Childhood Abuse in HPA-axis Reactivity in Social Anxiety Disorder: a Pilot Study." Biological Psychology, vol. 83, no. 1, 2010, pp. 1-6.
Elzinga BM, Spinhoven P, Berretty E, et al. The role of childhood abuse in HPA-axis reactivity in Social Anxiety Disorder: a pilot study. Biol Psychol. 2010;83(1):1-6.
Elzinga, B. M., Spinhoven, P., Berretty, E., de Jong, P., & Roelofs, K. (2010). The role of childhood abuse in HPA-axis reactivity in Social Anxiety Disorder: a pilot study. Biological Psychology, 83(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2009.09.006
Elzinga BM, et al. The Role of Childhood Abuse in HPA-axis Reactivity in Social Anxiety Disorder: a Pilot Study. Biol Psychol. 2010;83(1):1-6. PubMed PMID: 19765630.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - The role of childhood abuse in HPA-axis reactivity in Social Anxiety Disorder: a pilot study. AU - Elzinga,Bernet M, AU - Spinhoven,Philip, AU - Berretty,Ed, AU - de Jong,Paula, AU - Roelofs,Karin, Y1 - 2009/09/16/ PY - 2009/06/16/received PY - 2009/09/03/revised PY - 2009/09/10/accepted PY - 2009/9/22/entrez PY - 2009/9/22/pubmed PY - 2010/2/25/medline SP - 1 EP - 6 JF - Biological psychology JO - Biol Psychol VL - 83 IS - 1 N2 - BACKGROUND: Studies on depression have found that childhood abuse (CA) is associated with a persistent sensitization of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis to stress in adulthood. So far, it is unknown whether this HPA-axis sensitization is specific to depression, or whether this is a more general outcome associated with CA in patients with mood and anxiety disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate whether CA is associated with enhanced cortisol reactivity to psychosocial stress in Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). METHODS: Salivary cortisol levels before, during, and after exposure to psychosocial stress (i.e., Trier Social Stress Task, TSST) in SAD patients with a history of childhood abuse (SAD+CA, n=9) were compared to cortisol levels in SAD patients without a history of childhood abuse (SAD-CA, n=9), patients with PTSD related to childhood abuse (n=16), and healthy controls without a history of childhood abuse (n=16). RESULTS: Analyses showed that the SAD+CA group had a strongly increased cortisol reactivity (mean peak: 17.5+/-1.9 nmol/l) compared to SAD-CA (mean peak: 9.0+/-1.1 nmol/l), PTSD (mean peak: 9.0+/-1.1 nmol/l) and healthy controls (mean peak: 9.6+/-1.4 nmol/l), whereas baseline cortisol levels did not differ. The enhanced increase in the SAD+CA group was not explained by stronger anxiety in response to the TSST. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with the findings in depression, these results show for the first time that childhood abuse is also associated with strongly increased cortisol reactivity in SAD. When replicated in a larger sample, these findings may have important implications for the treatment of SAD. SN - 1873-6246 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/19765630/The_role_of_childhood_abuse_in_HPA_axis_reactivity_in_Social_Anxiety_Disorder:_a_pilot_study_ L2 - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0301-0511(09)00192-6 DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -