Possible role of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone in human development and psychopathology

Goodyer, Ian; Park, R J; Netherton, Clare; Herbert, Joseph

doi:10.1192/bjp.179.3.243

Cited by 173 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 90 publications

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“…However, it remains unknown whether that finding in the literature is due to either high cortisol or low DHEA or both: psychosocial factors may differentially affect cortisol or DHEA, which is not apparent by examination of the ratio alone (Goodyer, Park, Netherton, & Herbert, 2001). Our results suggest that high cortisol levels, and the link to anxious attachment, may play an important role in driving the cortisol-21 DHEA ratio.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological Stress Regulation in Female Adolescents: A Key Role for Confiding

Oskis

Clow

Loveday

et al. 2014

J Youth Adolescence

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Attachment behaviors play a critical role in regulating emotion within the context of close relationships, and attachment theory is currently used to inform evidence-based practice in the areas of adolescent health and social care. This study investigated the association between female adolescents' interview-based attachment behaviors and two markers of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity: cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Unlike the classic stress hormone cortisol, there is very limited investigation of DHEA-a quintessential developmental hormone-in relation to attachment, especially in adolescents. Fifty-five healthy females mean age 14.36 (± 2.41) years participated in the Attachment Style Interview. A smaller cortisol awakening response was related to anxious attachment attitudes, including more fear of rejection, whereas greater morning basal DHEA secretion was only predicted by lower levels of reported confiding in one's mother. These attachment-hormone relationships may be developmental markers in females, as they were independent of menarche status. These findings highlight that the normative shifts occurring in attachment to caregivers around adolescence are reflected in adolescents' biological stress regulation. We discuss how studying these shifts can be informed by evolutionary-developmental theory.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological Stress Regulation in Female Adolescents: A Key Role for Confiding

Oskis

Clow

Loveday

et al. 2014

J Youth Adolescence

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“…The measurement of resilience can be identified through neurochemical response patterns to acute stress (Charney, 2004). Decreased cortisol (Goodyer, Park, Netherton, & Herberg, 2001;Morgan et al, 2000), increased dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) (Morgan, Doran, Steffian, Hazlett, & Southwick, 2006;Morgan et al, 2000), decreased corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) (Baker et al, 1999) can be measured to compare resilience to stress. In this way R/S and resilience overlap considerably.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Spirituality on Cardiovascular Reactivity Among African Americans

Hagemaster¹

2010

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In 2005, almost 71 million Americans had at least one form of cardiovascular disease. CVD can be caused by a group of metabolic risk factors including hypertension, abdominal obesity, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. African Americans share a disproportionate amount of stress-related disorders, including stress specifically related to racial and ethnic differences. Stress from racism or discrimination is pervasive and chronic. Racial discrimination may account for health disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study seeks to examine the role of religiousness / spirituality (R/S) as a buffer to stress. The current exploratory study examined the effects of religiousness and spirituality on stress reactivity following an acute racial stressor among African American men and women. In particular, this study examined whether religiousness/spirituality serves as a buffer to stress in an allostatic model where body mass index categories are compared for changes in stress reactivity. Stress was measured by systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and salivary cortisol. Results partially supported the study hypotheses. Stress reactivity was generally the lowest for normal weight participants and highest for participants who were obese. In addition, the effect of religiousness and spirituality on stress varied by allostatic load, as indicated by BMI in the current study. There was no support found for overall religiousness or overall spirituality providing a buffer effect for diastolic or cortisol stress reactivity. This study is important because it provides additional details about the relationship between spirituality and health outcomes. This study also provides evidence that allostatic load from overweight or obesity increases stress and decreases the body's effectiveness of responding additional stressors. This research project has added to the body of knowledge regarding convergent and divergent validity of R/S, as measured by the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness and Spirituality (BMMRS), with several other measures of resilience, hope, well-being, social support, depression, and state anxiety.

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“…Another function of DHEA-S is enhancing the release of dopamine, noradrenalin and acetylcholine in the frontal lobes and limbic system what intensifies the memory and learning processes. DHEA-S works protectively in relation to the neurotoxicity of cortisol, especially in the hippocampus region (Goodyer et al 2001, Załuska & Janota, 2009 39 , 40 . It is exactly the hippocampus as well as the limbic region where the concentration of DHEA is very high.…”

Section: Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal Axismentioning

confidence: 99%