title: HPA axis functioning associated with transition to psychosis: combined DEX/CRH test.
abstract: We investigated functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in 12 young people at ultra high risk for developing psychosis, using the combined dexamethasone corticotrophin releasing hormone (DEX/CRH) test. Over a two year period, three of the 12 participants developed an acute psychosis. Descriptive analysis of the data indicated that contrary to expectations, participants who did not make the transition to psychosis had on average higher cortisol levels at the latter stages of the test, as well as a greater severity of depression and anxiety symptoms, than participants who subsequently developed psychosis. These preliminary results suggest that dysregulated HPA-axis functioning in individuals at high risk for psychosis may be associated more with comorbid depression symptoms than factors specifically related to the process of emerging psychosis illness.
authors.affiliation: ORYGEN Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Poplar Road, Locked Bag 10, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Komesaroff
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Purcell
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: McGorry
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone