Resting Amygdala Connectivity and Basal Sympathetic Tone as Markers of Chronic Hypervigilance
Hypervigilance is a behavioral, cognitive, and physiological state of sustained hyperarousal and alertness for potential threat. The cognitive component of hypervigilance (i.e., increased alertness) is mediated by activation of threat-detection neural circuitry centered around the amygdala (e.g., Yoon& Weierich, 2016), whereas its physiological component (i.e., elevated arousal) is mediated by activation of the neuroendocrine stress systems (e.g., Pole et al., 2007). In potentially dangerous situations, hypervigilance is adaptive, as it facilitates threat detection when an actual threat appears and enables a prompt respons...
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - November 26, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Olena Kleshchova, Jenna K. Rieder, Jack Grinband, Mariann R. Weierich Source Type: research
Social Identification and Contagious Stress Reactions
The phenomenon of experiencing affective and physiological stress merely by observing other people in stressful situations has been, among others, dubbed stress contagion (Dimitroff et al., 2017; Ebisch et al., 2012), contagious stress (White& Buchanan, 2016), resonance of stress (Buchanan et al., 2012) or empathic stress (Engert et al., 2014). Although all terms refer to the transmission of physiological stress reactions from a stressed person to an observer, a consistent terminology has not yet been agreed on (see White& Buchanan, 2016 for a helpful discussion of the different concepts and a distinction between empathy a...
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - November 24, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Valerie A. Erkens, Urs M. Nater, J ürgen Hennig, Jan A. Häusser Tags: Short Communication Source Type: research
Associations Between Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety and Cortisol Responses to and Recovery from Acute Stress
The ability to rapidly and adaptively respond to environmental threats and stressors is critical to survival. Interactive physiological responses involving the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and autonomic nervous systems influence metabolic, immune, and cardiovascular parameters in order to aid the body in responding appropriately to environmental demands (McEwen, 1998). This process of achieving stability through change, first introduced by Sterling and Eyer (Sterling and Eyer, 1988), is known as ‘allostasis’. (Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology)
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - November 24, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Alexander Fiksdal, Luke Hanlin, Yuliya Kuras, Danielle Gianferante, Xuejie Chen, Myriam V. Thoma, Nicolas Rohleder Source Type: research
The association of potential stressors with hair steroids in parents with small children: The Ulm SPATZ Health Study
Hair steroid concentrations have been implicated as potential indicators of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. Yet, previous studies have reported only weak associations between questionnaire-based measurements of stress or related constructs and hair cortisol concentrations (hairF), details see in various systematic reviews (Bates et al., 2017; Stalder et al., 2017; Mustonen et al., 2018) and subsequent original reports (Janssens et al., 2017; Gerber et al., 2017; Herr et al., 2017; CORtisolNETwork (CORNET) Consortium et al., 2017; Boss é et al., 2018; Mayer et al., 2018; van der Meij et al., 2018). (Sou...
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - November 23, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: S Braig, T Stalder, C Kirschbaum, D Rothenbacher, J Genuneit Source Type: research
Unraveling the association between depression and telomere length using genomics
Research in the past decade provided consistent evidence for an inverse cross-sectional association between Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and telomere length, suggestive of advanced biological aging in the depressed (Wolkowitz et al., 2010). Meta-analyses with>34,000 subjects found average shorter telomere length in depressed patients versus controls, with a small to medium effect sizes (Cohen's d range = 0.21-0.55) (Darrow et al., 2016; Ridout et al., 2016; Schutte and Malouff, 2015). The meta-analyses included data from the large observational Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) cohort, in which we...
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - November 22, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Josine E. Verhoeven, Brenda W.J.H. Penninx, Yuri Milaneschi Source Type: research
The role of cortisol and prolactin in the pathogenesis and clinical expression of psychotic disorders
Psychotic disorders are relatively prevalent mental illnesses (3% lifetime prevalence) that cause abnormal thinking and perceptions (van Os et al., 2010) and constitute a major health burden worldwide (Vigo et al., 2016). The subtype of psychotic disorder may be difficult to diagnose at the onset of the illness due to the heterogeneity of the presentation of symptoms (Peralta et al., 2013). In most cases, patients with psychotic symptoms requiring psychiatric treatment will develop a recurrent and chronic mental disorder in the following years, with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder and psychotic de...
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - November 22, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Javier Labad Source Type: research
Relationships Between Cerebrospinal Fluid GABAergic Neurosteroid Levels and Symptom Severity in Men with PTSD
Many interacting neurobiological factors are involved in the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Pitman et al., 2012; Rasmusson et al., 2018, 2017b), including allopregnanolone and pregnanolone, neurosteroid metabolites of progesterone that equipotently facilitate GABAergic neurotransmission at nanomolar concentrations (Fig. 1) (Pineles et al., 2018; Rasmusson et al., 2006b). In premenopausal women with PTSD, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of these stereoisomers [undifferentiated by the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methodology employed; herein termed allo + pregnan when levels of...
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - November 21, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Ann M. Rasmusson, Matthew W. King, Ivan Valovski, Kristin Gregor, Erica Scioli-Salter, Suzanne L. Pineles, Mohamed Hamouda, Yael I. Nillni, George M. Anderson, Graziano Pinna Source Type: research
Inflammation and Dimensions of Reward Processing Following Exposure to the Influenza Vaccine
Depression is a debilitating, chronic, and widespread condition characterized by a constellation of affective, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms (Hasler et al., 2004; Kessler et al., 2012). Compelling evidence links dysregulated inflammatory biology to depression broadly (Dantzer et al., 2008; Valkanova et al., 2013), but less is known about specific dimensions of depression that are sensitive to alterations in inflammation. One critical dimension is reward processing, with reward dysfunction linked to anhedonia (Craske et al., 2016). (Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology)
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - November 20, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Chloe C. Boyle, Kate R. Kuhlman, Larissa N. Dooley, Marcie D. Haydon, Theodore F. Robles, Yuen-Siang Ang, Diego A. Pizzagalli, Julienne E. Bower Source Type: research
Androstadienone, a putative chemosignal of dominance, increases gaze avoidance among men with high social anxiety
In order to efficiently navigate the social world, humans possess a crucial ability to interpret social dominance cues (Chiao, 2010). Nonetheless, some individuals are more attuned to cues of dominance than others. Studies have shown that individuals with social anxiety show increased sensitivity to dominance signals as compared to individuals without social anxiety (Maner et al., 2008a,b; Aderka et al., 2013; Haker et al., 2014; Banner& Shamay-Tsoory, 2018b). Socially anxious individuals are preoccupied with the impression they make and place fundamental importance on being positively appraised by others. (Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology)
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - November 20, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: A. Banner, S. Gabay, S. Shamay-Tsoory Source Type: research
Gene expression signature in brain regions exposed to long-term psychosocial stress following acute challenge with cannabinoid drugs
When a living organism is subjected to a life stressor, a cellular machinery is activated to recover homeostasis (Sapolsky, 2003) by regulating distinct physiological features, such as the hypothalamo –pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and cardiovascular functions, which, per se, do not result in a pathological condition. However, when a long-term and constant stress exposure stimulation overwhelms the body’s capacity to maintain homeostasis, it can result in severe consequences in numerous brai n regions, including the prefrontal cortex (Tomas-Roig et al., 2018), the dorsal striatum (Tomas-Roig et al., 2018), the hippoca...
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - November 19, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: J. Tomas-Roig, U. Havemann-Reinecke Source Type: research
Child ’s Oxytocin Response to Mother-Child Interaction: The Contribution of Child Genetics and Maternal Behavior
The oxytocinergic system is a key biological system underlying the need for bonding and protection from threat (Insel, 2010), with recognized associations with social behavior, particularly involving social affiliation (Winslow& Insel, 2002). Indeed, it has been shown to respond to social interactions. For example, Feldman, Gordon, Schneiderman, Weisman, and Zagoory-Sharon (2010) reported that mothers and fathers who provided high levels of tactile contact to their infants evinced increases in salivary oxytocin (OT) following parent –infant interaction. (Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology)
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - November 16, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Rita Baiao, Pasco Fearon, Jay Belsky, Joana Baptista, Alexandra Carneiro, Raquel Pinto, Marlene Nogueira, C ésar Oliveira, Isabel Soares, Ana Mesquita Source Type: research
Hair and fingernail cortisol and the onset of acute coronary syndrome in the middle-aged and elderly men
Acute psychosocial stress triggers an activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which causes the adrenal cortex to secrete cortisol. Traditionally, cortisol has been measured in blood and saliva samples, which revealed hormone levels for a short time period. Recently, cortisol has been reportedly measured in hair samples (Russell et al., 2012). Scalp hair grows at an average rate of 1.0 cm/month; 1.0 cm of scalp hair may be used to determine the level of the hormone secreted during a period of 1 month. (Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology)
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - November 15, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Shuhei Izawa, Keiichi Miki, Masao Tsuchiya, Haruyo Yamada, Masatoshi Nagayama Source Type: research
Associations of plasma testosterone with clinical manifestations in acute panic disorder
The biological basis of panic disorder (PD) remains largely unknown, despite the significant progress achieved during the last decades regarding this issue (see for a review: Bandelow et al., 2017). (Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology)
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - November 15, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Vasilios G. Masdrakis, Charalambos Papageorgiou, Manolis Markianos Source Type: research
Estrogen Administration Improves the Trajectory of Eating Disorder Pathology in Oligo-Amenorrheic Athletes: A Randomized Trial
Disordered eating behavior and attitudes are common in conditions of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, such as anorexia nervosa (AN) and exercise-induced amenorrhea (Beals and Hill, 2006; Quah et al., 2009), which are also associated with significant psychiatric co-morbidity, including anxiety and depression. Hypogonadism in these conditions has been implicated in psychological morbidity. Estrogen and progesterone receptors are expressed in appetite regulation centers (e.g., the hypothalamus) and regions regulating emotion and cognition (e.g., the amygdala, ventral tegmental area, insula, and hippocampus) (Campolier et a...
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - November 15, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Franziska Plessow, Vibha Singhal, Alexander T. Toth, Nadia Micali, Kamryn T. Eddy, Madhusmita Misra Source Type: research
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Dysregulation in Depressed Adolescents with Non-Suicidal Self-Injury
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) involves the self-directed act of causing harm to one ’s own body without the intent of suicide (Muehlenkamp, 2005). The estimated prevalence of adolescent NSSI is 17% (Swannell et al., 2014) and 40% or higher in clinical samples (Glenn& Klonsky, 2013). Those who self-injure are more prone to self-criticism and negative emotionality (Glassman et al., 2007). Most adolescents engage in NSSI as a method of stress-regulation, with the expectation that it will serve to relieve interpersonal difficulties or reduce negative affect (e.g., Zetterqvist et al., 2013). (Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology)
Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - November 14, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Bonnie Klimes-Dougan, Erin Begnel, Brandon Almy, Michelle Thai, Melinda Westlund Schreiner, Kathryn Cullen Source Type: research
