The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in the perinatal period: Its relationship with major depressive disorder and early life adversity

Jairaj, Chaitra; O’Leary, Niamh; Doolin, Kelly; Farrell, Chloë; McCarthy, Anthony; McAuliffe, Fionnuala M.; O'Grady-Walshe, Ann; Sheehan, John; O’Keane, Veronica

doi:10.1080/15622975.2020.1740318

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Together, these studies provide evidence that childhood stress may be associated with pregnancy-specific changes in the cortisol awakening response and diurnal slope such that childhood stress is associated with less flattening of the diurnal slope from early to late pregnancy and less attenuation of the cortisol awakening response from early to late pregnancy. Two studies reported null associations of adverse childhood experiences with cortisol slope ( Jairaj et al, 2020 ; Thomas-Argyriou et al, 2021 ) and one study reported null associations of child abuse with changes in the cortisol slope from mid to late pregnancy ( Bublitz and Stroud, 2012 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress before conception and during pregnancy and maternal cortisol during pregnancy: A scoping review

Rinne¹,

Hartstein²,

Guardino³

et al. 2023

Psychoneuroendocrinology

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress before conception and during pregnancy and maternal cortisol during pregnancy: A scoping review

Rinne¹,

Hartstein²,

Guardino³

et al. 2023

Psychoneuroendocrinology

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“…In terms of investigations assessing ELS only, ELS is characterized by retrospective reports of exposure to various forms of childhood adversity (e.g., abuse, neglect, family dysfunction, traumatic events, family socioeconomic status) and is associated with both higher ( Bublitz & Stroud, 2012 ; Buss et al, 2016a ; Gillespie et al, 2017 ; Gonzalez et al, 2009 ; Jairaj et al, 2020 ) and lower ( Carbone et al, 2023 ; Penner et al, 2023 ; Shea et al, 2007 ) basal activity the axis. Three studies that examine HPA axis responsivity to laboratory stressors demonstrate that women endorsing early adverse experiences are more likely to be cortisol “non-responders” during pregnancy ( Hantsoo et al, 2019 ) and to show blunted cortisol reactivity at 3–6 months postpartum ( England-Mason et al, 2017 ; Juul et al, 2016 ; Morrison et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Existing Evidence In Support Of Perinatal Stress Recalibrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recalibration of the stress response system over adult development: Is there a perinatal recalibration period?

Howland

2023

Dev Psychopathol

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During early life-sensitive periods (i.e., fetal, infancy), the developing stress response system adaptively calibrates to match environmental conditions, whether harsh or supportive. Recent evidence suggests that puberty is another window when the stress system is open to recalibration if environmental conditions have shifted significantly. Whether additional periods of recalibration exist in adulthood remains to be established. The present paper draws parallels between childhood (re)calibration periods and the perinatal period to hypothesize that this phase may be an additional window of stress recalibration in adult life. Specifically, the perinatal period (defined here to include pregnancy, lactation, and early parenthood) is also a developmental switch point characterized by heightened neural plasticity and marked changes in stress system function. After discussing these similarities, lines of empirical evidence needed to substantiate the perinatal stress recalibration hypothesis are proposed, and existing research support is reviewed. Complexities and challenges related to delineating the boundaries of perinatal stress recalibration and empirically testing this hypothesis are discussed, as well as possibilities for future multidisciplinary research. In the theme of this special issue, perinatal stress recalibration may be a mechanism of multilevel, multisystem risk, and resilience, both intra-individually and intergenerationally, with implications for optimizing interventions.

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“…The Irish investigators (Jairaj et al 2020) assessed the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in the perinatal period in relation to major depressive disorder and early life adversity (ELA). They found that a history of ELA regardless of comorbid depression was associated with higher evening cortisol levels during pregnancy.…”

Section: Editorialmentioning

confidence: 99%

The psychopathological potential of early life stress

Rybakowski

2020

The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry

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The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in the perinatal period: Its relationship with major depressive disorder and early life adversity

Cited by 13 publications

References 57 publications

Stress before conception and during pregnancy and maternal cortisol during pregnancy: A scoping review

Stress before conception and during pregnancy and maternal cortisol during pregnancy: A scoping review

Recalibration of the stress response system over adult development: Is there a perinatal recalibration period?

The psychopathological potential of early life stress

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