Background: Reproductive mood disorders indicate that within-person variation in depressive symptoms across the menstrual cycle can be related to ovarian hormone changes. Until now, such cycle-related symptom changes have been measured once daily, even though depression research indicates systematic diurnal changes in symptoms. Further, previous research often focused on aggregated depression scores.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) often necessitates prolonged sedation to manage elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) and to prevent secondary brain injury. Optimal timing and biomarkers for predicting adverse events (AEs) during interruption of sedation (IS) after prolonged sedation are not well established. To guide sedation management in aSAH, we aimed to explore the frequency, risk factors, and outcomes of IS in aSAH.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeuropsychobiology
November 2023
Introduction: Elevated levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormone cortisol are a frequently replicated finding in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the current state of research is inconclusive as to whether hypercortisolism represents a trait- or state-like biological signal of MDD. The aim of the present study was to investigate, for the first time, whether cortisol in fingernails, a highly accessible tissue, could distinguish currently remitted individuals with MDD from healthy controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPre-and post-traumatic hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis markers have been studied to predict posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) risk, but its acute reactivity cannot be measured in real-life settings. Experimental paradigms can depict the cortisol response to stimuli that simulate traumatic events. To review experimental studies on the cortisol response to traumatic stimuli and the correlation between cortisol and PTSD symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Psychotherapeutic interventions for major depressive disorder (MDD) have been suggested to be associated with a normalization of biological stress system (i.e., the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the autonomic nervous system) dysregulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiological markers, particularly endocrine measurements, are increasingly being integrated into clinical psychological research. We introduce a systematic framework that classifies different functions of such biomarkers. The framework distinguishes between diagnostic biomarkers which add a biological perspective to conventional clinical assessments, prognostic biomarkers that inform about an individual's risk to develop or maintain a mental health disorder, and intervention-related biomarkers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis perspective article was written by invitation of the editors in chief as a summary and extension of the symposium entitled which was held at the virtual meeting of the 2021. It highlights the opportunities presented by the application of open and reproducible scientific practices in psychoneuroendocrinology (PNE), an interdisciplinary field at the intersection of psychology, endocrinology, immunology, neurology, and psychiatry. It conveys an introduction to the topics preregistration, registered reports, quantifying the impact of equally-well justifiable analysis decisions, and open data and scripts, while emphasizing 'selfish' reasons to adopt such practices as individual researcher.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The reliable assessment of cortisol is a necessary requirement to produce replicable research. Several recommendations to increase cortisol assessment reliability exist. However, cortisol assessment methodology is still rather heterogeneous.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOxytocin's stress-reducing and social functions suggest an involvement in trauma processing and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We searched PubMed, PubPsych, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Web of Science, ProQuest and ClinicalTrials.gov for studies assessing endogenous oxytocin, oxytocin receptor genotype or methylation in traumatized humans.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often associated with alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Previous findings are inconsistent, possibly due to trauma exposure of controls or different hormone measurement methods. We investigated cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEA-S) in adults with clinical PTSD under basal or challenged conditions (Prospero registration no.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe oxytocin system is involved in psychological functions and interacts with biological systems that are altered in patients suffering from depressive disorders. This suggests a possible role of oxytocin in the development and maintenance of depression. We provide the first systematic review and meta-analysis that specifically addresses differences in basal endogenous oxytocin concentrations between patients with depressive disorders and healthy controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDysregulations of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the autonomic nervous system (ANS), two of the most prominent stress-responsive systems, have been associated with the development and maintenance of various mental disorders. It has been suggested that these alterations might normalize in the course of psychotherapeutic interventions. We conducted a comprehensive review of psychotherapeutic intervention effects on HPA axis and ANS regulation in adult samples with mental disorders.
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