title: Temporal relationships between pulsatile cortisol secretion and electroencephalographic activity during sleep in man.
abstract: A temporal link between slow wave sleep and low or decreasing cortisol release has been previously demonstrated. This relationship was re-evaluated in 15 healthy male subjects using spectral analysis of their sleep electroencephalogram (EEG). EEG activity in the delta, theta, alpha and beta bands was cross-correlated with cortisol secretory rates at 10-min intervals. For the period of pulsatile cortisol secretion, an inverse relationship was found with the delta band with an average cross-correlation coefficient of -0.505 (P < 0.0001). Variations in cortisol secretory rates coincided with or anticipated opposite variations in delta wave activity by 10 or 20 min. A significant positive correlation was found with theta activity, but alpha and beta bands did not elicit any systematic association with cortisol profiles. These results demonstrate a temporal association between cortisol secretory pulses and delta wave activity in man, suggesting the existence of a central control common to both variables.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physiologie et de Psychologie Environnementales, CNRS, Strasbourg, France. clande.gronfier@c-strasbourg.fr
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gronfier
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luthringer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Follenius
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schaltenbrand
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Macher
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muzet
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brandenberger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone