Cortisol and DHEA in development and psychopathology

Kamin, Hayley S.; Kertes, Darlene A.

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.11.018

Cited by 208 publications

(245 citation statements)

References 310 publications

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“…Cortisol and DHEA also regulate each other, with DHEA helping to buffer the detrimental effects of cortisol (Kalimi et al, 1994;Maninger, Wolkowitz, Reus, Epel, & Mellon, 2009). Importantly, HPA axis dysregulation in the form of abnormal cortisol and/or DHEA responses to stress has been implicated in numerous physical and mental health problems (Buske-Kirschbaum, Ebrecht, & Hellhammer, 2010;Kamin & Kertes, 2017;Maninger et al, 2009). For example, blunted HPA axis responses to stress may fail to adequately suppress immune system responses to stress, eventually contributing to a sustained state of inflammation that increases a person's susceptibility to inflammation-related diseases (Silverman & Sternberg, 2012).…”

Section: Stress and The Hpa Axis Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Greater lifetime stress exposure predicts blunted cortisol but heightened DHEA responses to acute stress

et al. 2018

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Although prior research has examined how early adversity and chronic stress exposure relate to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responses to acute stress, to date, no studies have examined how stressors occurring over the entire lifespan predict such responses. To address this issue, we recruited 61 healthy young adults and measured their exposure to 55 different types of acute life events and chronic difficulties occurring over the lifespan. In addition, we characterized differences in participants' HPA axis responses to acute stress by measuring their salivary cortisol and DHEA responses to the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups. Greater cumulative stress exposure was associated with a blunted cortisol response, but a heightened DHEA response, to the acute stressor. Moreover, it was participants' exposure to these stressors (i.e., lifetime count), not their perceived severity, which predicted their cortisol and DHEA responses to acute stress. Furthermore, differential effects were observed by stress exposure domain. Notably, only adulthood and marital/partner stressors significantly predicted cortisol responses to acute stress, whereas stress was more uniformly associated with DHEA responses to the acute stressor. These results thus reveal how cumulative stress exposure is associated with HPA axis responsivity to acute stress, while highlighting the fact that different stressors may have substantially different associations with these biological outcomes.

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Section: Stress and The Hpa Axis Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Greater lifetime stress exposure predicts blunted cortisol but heightened DHEA responses to acute stress

et al. 2018

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“…Besides cortisol, the steroid hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate ester DHEA-S are released upon stress. There is growing interest in the investigation of both cortisol and DHEA, as their interplay impacts many physiological systems via genomic and non-genomic mechanisms, but they seem to have opposing biological, neurological and immune-related functions (for a review see [4]). Hence, taking both hormones into account may be a more sensitive index for the regulation of HPA axis activity [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A stress-induced increase of cortisol is crucial in response to environmental stressors as it results in the provision of energy by increasing the release of glucose and inhibition of non-essential functions (e.g., reproduction, growth; [4]). However, persistently altered levels of cortisol can have health-threatening effects (for more details see [5, 6]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is related to a broad range of physiological processes, as DHEA is a precursor of many other steroid hormones (e.g., testosterone, estradiol; [8–10, 12]). Both cortisol and DHEA have been suggested as biomarkers for the regulation of HPA axis activity and related to psychiatric diseases such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, dementia, eating disorder, and externalizing problems during childhood, adolescence and even adulthood (for reviews see [4, 8]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Alterations of hair cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone in mother-infant-dyads with maternal childhood maltreatment

et al. 2017

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BackgroundChild 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.MethodsCM 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.ResultsHigher 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.ConclusionsResults 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.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-017-1367-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…The development of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis begins early in life and affects most physical and psychological processes throughout life. Altered function of the HPA axis may result in altered cortisol levels that are related to emotional and behavioural psychopathology across the lifespan (Davis & Sandman, 2010;Gunnar & Vazquez, 2015;Isaksson, Högberg, Valladares, & Lindblad, 2016;Kamin & Kertes, 2017). Therefore, studying the early factors related to HPA axis programming and functioning is important.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of maternal emotional states during pregnancy and early infancy on infant cortisol levels: A prospective study

Hernández‐Martínez

Voltas

Arija

et al. 2019

Infant and Child Development

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Cortisol plays an important role in human body functioning, stress response, and reactivity, and altered cortisol levels have been related to psychopathology throughout life. This study investigates several types of clinical and psychosocial prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal factors related to morning cortisol levels in 71 12‐month‐old infants. Several sociodemographic, obstetrical, environmental, and psychological predictors were taken into account. Regression models show that prenatal anxiety, type of birth, depressive symptoms at 6 months, and the mothers' feelings about the relationship with their child explain 32.9% of the variance in morning cortisol levels in 12‐month old infants. When sociodemographic, obstetrical, environmental, and psychological variables are taken into account, maternal emotional status and feelings about the mother–infant bonding are the most important factors that explain infant cortisol levels, which suggests that they should be included in obstetric and paediatric care routines to improve infant health. Highlights Cortisol has an important effect on human homeostasis, growth, neurodevelopment, stress response and reactivity; however, altered cortisol levels have been related to psychopathology throughout life. This study aims to investigate, prospectively from pregnancy, several types of clinical and psychosocial prenatal, perinatal and postnatal factors related to infant morning cortisol levels at 12 months. When several kind of factors are taken into account (prenatal life events, prenatal and postnatal nicotine exposure, gender, gestational age at birth, infant birth weight, parity, socioeconomic status, maternal psychopathology, breastfeeding status and anthropometry), prenatal anxiety, type of birth, postnatal depression and mothers' feelings about the relationship with their infant are the are the variables that better predict infant morning cortisol levels. Maternal emotional characteristics are the central axis for influencing the development of HPA axis. Healthcare professionals may pay more attention to the mother feelings and emotions along prenatal and postnatal infant development to promote infant mental health.

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Cortisol and DHEA in development and psychopathology

Cited by 208 publications

References 310 publications

Greater lifetime stress exposure predicts blunted cortisol but heightened DHEA responses to acute stress

Greater lifetime stress exposure predicts blunted cortisol but heightened DHEA responses to acute stress

Alterations of hair cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone in mother-infant-dyads with maternal childhood maltreatment

The role of maternal emotional states during pregnancy and early infancy on infant cortisol levels: A prospective study

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