title: Endocrine profiles and neuropsychologic correlates of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea in adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine trigger factors and neuropsychologic correlates of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) in adolescence and to evaluate the correlations with the endocrine-metabolic profile.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional comparison of adolescents with FHA and eumenorrheic controls
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic medical institution
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty adolescent girls with FHA (aged <18 years) and 20 normal cycling girls
  
  
  METHODS
  All subjects underwent endocrine-gynecologic (hormone) and neuropsychiatric (tests and interview) investigations. A separate semistructured interview was also used to investigate parents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gonadotropins, leptin, prolactin, androgens, estrogens, cortisol, carrier proteins (SHBG, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1), and metabolic parameters (insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1, thyroid hormones) were assayed in FHA and control subjects. All girls were evaluated using a test for depression, a test for disordered eating, and a psychodynamic semistructured interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adolescents with FHA showed a particular susceptibility to common life events, restrictive disordered eating, depressive traits, and psychosomatic disorders. The endocrine-metabolic profile was strictly correlated to the severity of the psychopathology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea in adolescence is due to a particular neuropsychologic vulnerability to stress, probably related to familial relationship styles, expressed by a proportional endocrine impairment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Childhood and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, University of Brescia, School of Medicine, Brescia, Italy. monica_bomba@libero.it <monica_bomba@libero.it>
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bomba
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gambera
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonini
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peroni
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scagliola
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nacinovich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000378:metabolism; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006062:Gonadotropins / Q000097:blood; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007027:Hypothalamic Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1 / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000378:metabolism; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D006062:Gonadotropins; D006728:Hormones; C032231:IGFBP1 protein, human; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1; D020738:Leptin; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D006854:Hydrocortisone