Blunted endocrine and cardiovascular reactivity in young healthy women reporting a history of childhood adversity.
- Voellmin A Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Center for Specific Psychotherapy, CBT Unit, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4012 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Basel, Missionsstrasse 60/62, 4055 Basel, Switzerland.
- Winzeler K Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Center for Specific Psychotherapy, CBT Unit, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4012 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Basel, Missionsstrasse 60/62, 4055 Basel, Switzerland.
- Hug E Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Center for Specific Psychotherapy, CBT Unit, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4012 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Basel, Missionsstrasse 60/62, 4055 Basel, Switzerland.
- Wilhelm FH University Salzburg, Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Health Psychology, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
- Schaefer V Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Center for Specific Psychotherapy, CBT Unit, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4012 Basel, Switzerland.
- Gaab J Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Basel, Missionsstrasse 60/62, 4055 Basel, Switzerland.
- La Marca R Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Binzmuehlestrasse 14/26, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Pruessner JC Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Neurosurgery, McGill University & Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Bader K Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Center for Specific Psychotherapy, CBT Unit, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4012 Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: Klaus.Bader@upkbs.ch.
- 2014-10-08
Published in:
- Psychoneuroendocrinology. - 2015
Adverse childhood experiences
Female
Hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis
Resilience
Stress reactivity
Sympathetic nervous system
Trauma
Adolescent
Adult
Adult Survivors of Child Abuse
Female
Heart Rate
Humans
Hydrocortisone
Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System
Life Change Events
Pituitary-Adrenal System
Saliva
Stress, Psychological
Young Adult
English
BACKGROUND
Chronic or prolonged stress exposure in childhood can alter structural and functional brain development, leading to mental and physical illness and alterations of psychobiological stress systems in adulthood. Recently, attenuation in stress reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and cardiovascular system have been related to the number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). We set out to investigate the association of ACE duration and age of ACE occurrence on stress reactivity.
METHODS
104 women in the age range 18-25 years (mean=21.7) free of mental and physical illness underwent psychosocial stress testing with the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST). Free saliva cortisol and heart rate were assessed repeatedly before and after the MIST.
RESULTS
Number of ACEs was associated with attenuated cortisol and heart rate responses to stress in a dose-response relationship. Whereas overall duration of ACEs was significantly associated with an attenuated cortisol response, the specific age of first ACE occurrence did not contribute further to the dampened stress response.
CONCLUSIONS
ACEs are associated with blunted endocrine and cardiovascular stress reactivity in young and healthy women. Adverse life events in childhood, particularly if they occur repeatedly and chronically, show a strong association with alterations in stress reactivity in adulthood, potentially predisposing for later mental or physical disorders.
Chronic or prolonged stress exposure in childhood can alter structural and functional brain development, leading to mental and physical illness and alterations of psychobiological stress systems in adulthood. Recently, attenuation in stress reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and cardiovascular system have been related to the number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). We set out to investigate the association of ACE duration and age of ACE occurrence on stress reactivity.
METHODS
104 women in the age range 18-25 years (mean=21.7) free of mental and physical illness underwent psychosocial stress testing with the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST). Free saliva cortisol and heart rate were assessed repeatedly before and after the MIST.
RESULTS
Number of ACEs was associated with attenuated cortisol and heart rate responses to stress in a dose-response relationship. Whereas overall duration of ACEs was significantly associated with an attenuated cortisol response, the specific age of first ACE occurrence did not contribute further to the dampened stress response.
CONCLUSIONS
ACEs are associated with blunted endocrine and cardiovascular stress reactivity in young and healthy women. Adverse life events in childhood, particularly if they occur repeatedly and chronically, show a strong association with alterations in stress reactivity in adulthood, potentially predisposing for later mental or physical disorders.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- green
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.09.008
- PMID 25290347
- Persistent URL
- https://folia.unifr.ch/global/documents/141673
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