The relationship between early life stress and working memory in adulthood: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:The mechanisms involved in the dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, especially in the functioning of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in depressed patients, are not well elucidated. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of articles that assess the HPA axis activity from GR and MR in depressed patients and healthy controls with or without early life stress.Methods:We conducted a systematic review of articles in PubMed, SCOPUS and SciELO published between 2000 and 2011, using the following search terms:child abuse,depression,HPA axis,dexamethasone,prednisolone,fludrocortisoneandspironolactone. Thirty-four papers were selected for this review.Results:Most studies identified in this review used the dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing hormone test and dexamethasone suppression test. In these studies, hypercortisolaemia was associated with depression. We identified three studies with the Prednisolone suppression test, only one study with the use of fludrocortisone and one with spironolactone. This review found nine studies that evaluated the HPA axis in individuals with early life stress.Conclusions:The majority of the studies assessed in this review show that early life stress leads to permanent changes in the HPA axis and may lead to development of depression in adults. The most consistent findings in the literature show increased activity of the HPA axis in depression associated with hypercortisolaemia and reduced inhibitory feedback. These findings suggest that this dysregulation of the HPA axis is partially attributable to an imbalance between GR and MR. Evidences have consistently showed that GR function is impaired in major depression, but few studies have assessed the activity of MR in depression and early life stress.

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The role of emotion regulation as a mediator between early life stress and posttraumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety in Syrian refugees

Translational Psychiatry ◽

10.1038/s41398-020-01062-3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Zaynab Demir ◽

Kerem Böge ◽

Yan Fan ◽

Corinna Hartling ◽

Mazen R. Harb ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Emotion Regulation ◽

Life Stress ◽

Early Life ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Early Life Stress ◽

Syrian Refugees ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Cognitive Emotion Regulation ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Early life stress is an important factor in later psychopathology, including symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of early life stress on psychiatric symptoms within a sample of Syrian refugees. In this model, the use of cognitive emotion regulation strategies was assessed as a potential mediator of the relationship between early life stress and current symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Bootstrap analyses were generated to test the indirect effect of emotion regulation (Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire) on the relationship between early life stress (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), PTSD (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire), depressive (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) symptoms in eighty-nine Syrian refugees resided in Germany (n = 49) and Jordan (n = 40). The indirect effect of maladaptive strategies was significant between early life stress and psychopathology, whereas the mediation effect of adaptive strategies was not significant. The findings provide an evidence that emotional dysregulation is an underlying factor affecting psychological symptoms in refugees with adverse childhood experiences. These results suggest targeting cognitive emotion regulation in prospective prevention and treatment strategies.

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