I Schalinski1, M H Teicher2, B Rockstroh3. 1. Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Germany. Electronic address: inga.schalinski@uni-konstanz.de. 2. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA. 3. Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Childhood adversities and traumatic events have each been associated with hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation and trauma-related symptoms in adulthood. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) reflects cumulative cortisol levels over the course of months and is discussed as a potential marker between trauma-induced neuroendocrine dysfunction and trauma-related symptoms. The present study examines this hypothetical link by delineating the impact of exposure to categories of abuse and neglect during development and lifetime traumatic experiences on HCC and trauma-related symptoms. METHODS: The Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology Exposure (MACE) scale, Life Events Checklist, and predictive analytics were used to evaluate the importance of type and timing of maltreatment and trauma load on HCC in inpatients (n = 183) with different psychiatric diagnoses. Additionally, a comparison group of n = 75 controls were recruited from the community. The extent to which the relationship between trauma load and trauma-related symptoms was influenced by childhood adversities and HCC was determined by analysis of variance. RESULTS: Early neglect, in particular neglect at 3 years, emerged as the most important predictor of adult HCC. Post-hoc explanatory analysis showed that patients with high neglect at age 3 had lower HCC compared to patients with low neglect at age 3 and controls. Patients with high neglect at age 3 and low cortisol reported increased trauma-related symptoms upon trauma exposure. CONCLUSION: Results strengthen evidence that inadequate care and neglect during critical periods alter HPA axis biology towards enduring reduction in cortisol, the latter being associated with augmented trauma-related symptoms upon trauma exposure. If validated by longitudinal assessments these cross-sectional findings suggest biological mechanisms of childhood adversities into psychopathology in adulthood.
BACKGROUND: Childhood adversities and traumatic events have each been associated with hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation and trauma-related symptoms in adulthood. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) reflects cumulative cortisol levels over the course of months and is discussed as a potential marker between trauma-induced neuroendocrine dysfunction and trauma-related symptoms. The present study examines this hypothetical link by delineating the impact of exposure to categories of abuse and neglect during development and lifetime traumatic experiences on HCC and trauma-related symptoms. METHODS: The Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology Exposure (MACE) scale, Life Events Checklist, and predictive analytics were used to evaluate the importance of type and timing of maltreatment and trauma load on HCC in inpatients (n = 183) with different psychiatric diagnoses. Additionally, a comparison group of n = 75 controls were recruited from the community. The extent to which the relationship between trauma load and trauma-related symptoms was influenced by childhood adversities and HCC was determined by analysis of variance. RESULTS: Early neglect, in particular neglect at 3 years, emerged as the most important predictor of adult HCC. Post-hoc explanatory analysis showed that patients with high neglect at age 3 had lower HCC compared to patients with low neglect at age 3 and controls. Patients with high neglect at age 3 and low cortisol reported increased trauma-related symptoms upon trauma exposure. CONCLUSION: Results strengthen evidence that inadequate care and neglect during critical periods alter HPA axis biology towards enduring reduction in cortisol, the latter being associated with augmented trauma-related symptoms upon trauma exposure. If validated by longitudinal assessments these cross-sectional findings suggest biological mechanisms of childhood adversities into psychopathology in adulthood.
Authors: Martine W F T Verhees; Marinus H van IJzendoorn; Kim Alyousefi-van Dijk; Anna M Lotz; Noor de Waal; Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg Journal: Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol Date: 2021-08-28
Authors: Kyoko Ohashi; Carl M Anderson; Alaptagin Khan; Michael L Rohan; Elizabeth A Bolger; Cynthia E McGreenery; Martin H Teicher Journal: Neuropsychopharmacology Date: 2022-01-12 Impact factor: 8.294
Authors: Katharina Pittner; Renate S M Buisman; Lisa J M van den Berg; Laura H C G Compier-de Block; Marieke S Tollenaar; Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg; Marinus H van IJzendoorn; Bernet M Elzinga; Lenneke R A Alink Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2020-05-08 Impact factor: 4.157
Authors: Katja I Seitz; Sarah Gerhardt; Claudius von Schroeder; Angelika Panizza; Dorothea Thekkumthala; Katja Bertsch; Sabine C Herpertz; Christian Schmahl; Inga Schalinski Journal: PLoS One Date: 2022-09-08 Impact factor: 3.752
Authors: Eline van der Valk; Ozair Abawi; Mostafa Mohseni; Amir Abdelmoumen; Vincent Wester; Bibian van der Voorn; Anand Iyer; Erica van den Akker; Sanne Hoeks; Sjoerd van den Berg; Yolanda de Rijke; Tobias Stalder; Elisabeth van Rossum Journal: Obes Rev Date: 2021-11-22 Impact factor: 10.867
Authors: Jenalee R Doom; Melissa K Peckins; Tyler C Hein; Hailey L Dotterer; Colter Mitchell; Nestor L Lopez-Duran; Jeanne Brooks-Gunn; Sara McLanahan; Luke W Hyde; James L Abelson; Christopher S Monk Journal: Dev Psychopathol Date: 2020-10-19
Authors: N Mørkved; E Johnsen; R A Kroken; R Gjestad; D Winje; J Thimm; F Fathian; M Rettenbacher; L G Anda; E M Løberg Journal: Schizophr Res Cogn Date: 2020-05-19