Corticotropin-releasing hormone challenge in prepubertal major depression

Birmaher, Boris; Dahl, Ronald E.; Perel, James M.; Williamson, Douglas E.; Nelson, Beverly; Stull, Stacy; Kaufman, Joan; Waterman, G. Scott; Rao, Uma; Nguyen, Nga; Puig-Antich, Joaquim; Ryan, Neal D.

doi:10.1016/0006-3223(95)00177-8

Cited by 58 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…In contrast, cortisol levels obtained at age 10 were unrelated with concurrent or longitudinal measures of depression symptoms. Our results are consistent with those from other studies in which no association between cortisol measured during childhood and depression symptoms was observed (e.g., Puig-Antich et al, 1989; Birmaher et al, 1996). The results from the present study, however, suggest that the lack of association between cortisol and depression in childhood may not be due to phenotypic or etiologic differences between childhood and adolescent or adult depression, but may be due to developmental changes in the HPA-axis.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…Moreover, because base rates of depression symptoms and disorders are low in childhood (Son & Kirchner, 2000; Kessler et al, 2001), tests of association between cortisol levels and depression are often conducted later in adolescence. Among the few studies in which child participants were included no association between cortisol levels assessed in response to a challenge, such as CRH, and depression symptoms was observed (e.g., Birmaher et al, 1996; Puig-Antich et al, 1989). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Examining the developmental interface of cortisol and depression symptoms in young adolescent girls

Keenan

Hipwell

Babinski

et al. 2013

Psychoneuroendocrinology

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Despite the substantial amount of data supporting a link between HPA-axis functioning and depression, the ontogeny of this association is not known. The aim of the present study was to contribute data on the developmental interface of HPA-axis functioning and depression in girls by testing associations between repeated measures of depression symptoms and cortisol levels in childhood and early adolescence. Girls (N= 232) and their mothers, who were participating in a longitudinal study, were interviewed about depression symptoms annually from ages 9 to 12 years. Cortisol was assayed from saliva at ages 10 and 12 years upon arrival to the lab and following administration of the cold pressor task (CPT). Time of day of collection of saliva and level of pubertal development were included as covariates in model testing. Although most girls did not show an increase in cortisol in response to the CPT, lower levels of output during the CPT were associated with higher levels of depression symptoms. These findings were observed only for cortisol levels assessed at age 12 years. Girls with low levels of cortisol output at age 12, and decreases in output from ages 10 to 12, had stable or slightly increasing depression symptoms from ages 9 to 12 years. We conclude that associations between HPA-axis functioning and depression emerge as early as age 12. However, individual differences in cortisol levels at age 12 also were associated with depression symptoms at earlier ages. The data suggest two possibilities: 1) that childhood depression is associated with HPA-axis dysregulation, but that age related changes in the sensitivity or plasticity of the HPA-axis may result in a delay in the emergence of such an association, or 2) that dysregulation of the functioning of the HPA-axis develops following repeated experience of depression symptoms.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining the developmental interface of cortisol and depression symptoms in young adolescent girls

Keenan

Hipwell

Babinski

et al. 2013

Psychoneuroendocrinology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In our case, all participants were exposed to the same length of stressor. In addition, adrenal and hypothalamic sensitivity, which can increase excitatory signals, appear to be intact in youth depression (Birmaher et al, 1996; Dorn et al, 1996; Kaufman et al, 1997; Ronsaville et al, 2006). Thus, factors at the pre-pituitary levels may be responsible for the observed prolonged activation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

HPA-axis stress reactivity in youth depression: evidence of impaired regulatory processes in depressed boys

Lopez-Duran

McGinnis

Kuhlman

et al. 2015

Stress

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Given the link between youth depression and stress exposure, efforts to identify related biomarkers have involved examinations of stress regulation systems, including the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. Despite these vast efforts, the underlying mechanisms at play, as well as factors that may explain heterogeneity of past findings, are not well understood. In this study, we simultaneously examined separate components of the HPA-axis response (e.g. activation intensity, peak levels, recovery) to the Socially Evaluated Cold-Pressor Test in a targeted sample of 115 youth (age 9–16), recruited to overrepresent youth with elevated symptoms of depression. Among youth who displayed a cortisol response to the task, depression symptoms were associated with higher peak responses but not greater rate of activation or recovery in boys only. Among those who did not respond to the task, depression symptoms were associated with greater cortisol levels throughout the visit in boys and girls. Results suggest that depression symptoms are associated with a more prolonged activation of the axis and impaired recovery to psychosocial stressors primarily in boys. We discussed two potential mechanistic explanations of the link between depression symptoms and the duration of activation: (1) inhibitory shift (i.e. point at which the ratio of inhibitory and excitatory input into the axis shifts from greater excitatory to greater inhibitory input) or (2) inhibitory threshold (i.e. level of cortisol exposure required to activate the axis’ feedback inhibition system).

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“…For example, disturbances of the HPA axis, such as hypercortisolemia or blunted ACTH responses to CRF stimulation or other indices of HPA axis hyperactivity, are rare in depressed children, contrasting findings in adult major depression (Birmaher et al 1996;Dorn et al 1996;Kaufman and Ryan 1999). It may be argued that peripheral measures of pituitary-adrenal activity may not reflect central CRF activity at extrahypothalamic sites and, moreover, that peripheral changes may only develop over time with chronic or repeated depression (Martin et al 2000).…”

Section: Comparison Of Preclinical Findings On the Neurobiological Comentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of childhood trauma in the neurobiology of mood and anxiety disorders: preclinical and clinical studies

Heim

Nemeroff

2001

Biological Psychiatry

2,421

1,506

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Corticotropin-releasing hormone challenge in prepubertal major depression

Cited by 58 publications

References 70 publications

Examining the developmental interface of cortisol and depression symptoms in young adolescent girls

Examining the developmental interface of cortisol and depression symptoms in young adolescent girls

HPA-axis stress reactivity in youth depression: evidence of impaired regulatory processes in depressed boys

The role of childhood trauma in the neurobiology of mood and anxiety disorders: preclinical and clinical studies

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