Attenuated hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis functioning predicts accelerated pubertal development in girls 1 year later

AbstractAccelerated pubertal development has been linked to adverse early environments and may heighten subsequent mental and physical health risks. Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis functioning has been posited as a mechanism whereby stress may affect pubertal development, but the literature lacks prospective tests of this mechanism. The current study assessed 277 youth (M = 10.84 years, SD = 1.14), 138 boys and 139 girls, who reported on their pubertal development and underwent the Trier Social Stress Test for Children at baseline and returned to the laboratory approximately 1 year later (M = 1.12 years, range = 0.59–1.98 years). For girls, lower cortisol area under the curve (with respect to ground) at Time 1 predicted more advanced pubertal development at Time 2, controlling for Time 1 pubertal development. This association persisted after additional covariates including age, body mass index, race, and maltreatment history were introduced, and was driven by adrenal rather than gonadal development. Cortisol was not linked to boys' subsequent pubertal development, and no interaction by gender or by maltreatment appeared. These results suggest that attenuated cortisol, reported in other studies of children exposed to early adversity, may contribute to accelerated pubertal tempo in girls.

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Attenuation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis responsivity to the Trier Social Stress Test by the benzodiazepine alprazolam

Psychoneuroendocrinology ◽

10.1016/j.psyneuen.2006.09.009 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 31 (10) ◽

pp. 1278-1288 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Eva Fries ◽

Dirk H. Hellhammer ◽

Juliane Hellhammer

Keyword(s):

Social Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal ◽

Adrenal Axis ◽

Pituitary Adrenal Axis

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Attachment Security Moderates Effects of Uncontrollable Stress on Preadolescent Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis Responses: Evidence of Regulatory Fit

Clinical Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/2167702619854747 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (6) ◽

pp. 1355-1371

Author(s):

Jason José Bendezú ◽

John E. Loughlin-Presnal ◽

Martha E. Wadsworth

Keyword(s):

Attachment Security ◽

Stress Test ◽

Regulatory Fit ◽

Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Life Event ◽

Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal ◽

Uncontrollable Stress ◽

Adrenal Axis ◽

Pituitary Adrenal Axis

This study examined whether perceived attachment security (i.e., perceptions of caregivers as responsive, available, and open to communication during times of need) and effortful coping work in concert to buffer against uncontrollable life event effects on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA) response patterns in preadolescent boys and girls ( N = 121, mean age = 10.60 years). Children completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and were immediately thereafter exposed to one of two randomly assigned coping conditions: distraction and avoidance. Piecewise growth multilevel modeling of children’s salivary cortisol levels over the course of the experimental protocol suggested that uncontrollable life events in the year prior were associated with exaggerated cortisol reactivity, though this pattern was buffered against by children’s secure attachment beliefs. Furthermore, perceived attachment security, uncontrollable life event, and coping condition interactive effects on cortisol recovery emerged. As expected, distraction supported efficient cortisol recovery for those uncontrollable stress-exposed children with secure beliefs, and avoidance worked in this fashion for those with insecure beliefs. Findings point to perceived attachment security as a putative buffer of stress-exposed preadolescents’ HPA reactivity and possible contributor to regulatory fit, informing how specific coping skills work or backfire in supporting these children’s HPA recovery efficiency.

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Predicting mental disorders from hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning: a 3-year follow-up in the TRAILS study

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291715000392 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 45 (11) ◽

pp. 2403-2412 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

E. Nederhof ◽

F. V. A. van Oort ◽

E. M. C. Bouma ◽

O. M. Laceulle ◽

A. J. Oldehinkel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Disorders ◽

Social Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis ◽

Experimental Session ◽

Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal ◽

Adrenal Axis ◽

Delayed Recovery ◽

Pituitary Adrenal Axis

BackgroundHypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning, with cortisol as its major output hormone, has been presumed to play a key role in the development of psychopathology. Predicting affective disorders from diurnal cortisol levels has been inconclusive, whereas the predictive value of stress-induced cortisol concentrations has not been studied before. The aim of this study was to predict mental disorders over a 3-year follow-up from awakening and stress-induced cortisol concentrations.MethodData were used from 561 TRAILS (TRacking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey) participants, a prospective cohort study of Dutch adolescents. Saliva samples were collected at awakening and half an hour later and during a social stress test at age 16. Mental disorders were assessed 3 years later with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI).ResultsA lower cortisol awakening response (CAR) marginally significantly predicted new disorders [odds ratio (OR) 0.77, p = 0.06]. A flat recovery slope predicted disorders with a first onset after the experimental session (OR 1.27, p = 0.04). Recovery revealed smaller, non-significant ORs when predicting new onset affective or anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, or dependence disorders in three separate models, corrected for all other new onsets.ConclusionsOur results suggest that delayed recovery and possibly reduced CAR are indicators of a more general risk status and may be part of a common pathway to psychopathology. Delayed recovery suggests that individuals at risk for mental disorders perceived the social stress test as less controllable and less predictable.

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