Cognition, Behavior, Sexuality, and Autonomic Responses of Women with Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

Abstract

(1) Background: Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (FHA) can be caused by the hyper activation of neuro-endocrine responses to stress. Among other endocrine factors and hypothalamic dysfunctions, the psychophysiological stress response can very frequently lead to an inhibition of the gonadal–pituitary axis. The aim of this study was to investigate the level of neurovegetative activation in a group of young women affected by this condition. (2) Methods: Twenty-five women (mean age = 21.1 ± 4.34) with FHA were consecutively recruited. Information on psycho-physiological distress was collected through a Psychopathological assessment (with the administration of three psychometric tests) and the Psychophysiological Stress Profile (PSP). Their data were compared with a control group. (3) Results: In the PSP, the patients displayed significantly higher values compared to controls in terms of the parameters of muscle tension (sEMG), skin conductance (SCL/SCR), heart rate (HR), and peripheral temperature (PT). Furthermore, autonomic hyper-activation at rest, marked reactivity to stress, and reduced recovery were seen. Moreover, a condition characterized by psychological distress (anxiety and somatic complaints, depressed and irritable mood, obsessive-compulsive traits) emerged. (4) Conclusions: The results highlight autonomic hyper-activation in FHA, which is also associated with psychological distress. Considering that FHA is a condition that affects multiple systems between mind and body, a multimodal, multidimensional, and multidisciplinary assessment of stress is becoming an emerging need.

Health Related Quality of Life and Psychopathological Symptoms in People With Hemophilia, Bloodborne Co-Infections and Comorbidities: An Italian Multicenter Observational Study

“…This preliminary research underlines the importance of multidisciplinary and multidimensional management where a psychological investigation supplements the clinical-medical evaluation. Psychological stress is frequently mentioned among the predisposing, 44 precipitating, or perpetuating factors 45 of physical pathologies in most medical fields, including cardiovascular events, malignancies, and neurodegenerative disorders. [46][47][48] Despite these reports, the medicine units that benefit from the presence of clinical psychologists with specific curricula are still few.…”

A Systematic Review of Clinical Psychophysiology of Obsessive–Compulsive Disorders: Does the Obsession with Diet Also Alter the Autonomic Imbalance of Orthorexic Patients?

“…Considering the impact that a mental disorder can have on the body, it is considered important to intercept those mental disorders characterized precisely by a poor mind–body integration [ 86 , 87 ].…”

Need for Multidimensional and Multidisciplinary Management of Depressed Preadolescents and Adolescents: A Review of Randomized Controlled Trials on Oral Supplementations (Omega-3, Fish Oil, Vitamin D3)

“…Additionally, fish intake (>150 g/week) is associated with a reduction in levels of pro-inflammatory markers including C reactive protein (CRP) and cytokines such as interleukin-6, highlighting the probable further involvement of other processes, including the inflammatory ones [ 64 ]. In addition, these mechanisms are already strongly debilitated in conditions of psychological stress [ 65 , 66 , 67 ]. For instance, a large area of research is currently taking into account the inflammatory factors associated with various mechanisms including the oxidative stress [ 68 ].…”