Salivary cortisol and DHEA reactivity to psychosocial stress in socially anxious males.
The purpose of the present study was to examine Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity in social anxiety. The present study used a standardized psychosocial stress protocol (the Trier Social Stress Test; TSST; [Kirschbaum, C., Pirke, K.M., Hellhammer, D.H., 1993. The 'Trier Social Stress Test'-a tool for investigating psychobiological stress responses in a laboratory setting. Neuropsychobiology 28, 76-81.]) with 11 higher-social-anxiety and 11 lower-social-anxiety male college students. Psychological responses and salivary cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) reactivity and cortisol/DHEA ratio were assessed at seven different times. The results showed that there was a significantly lower cortisol responsiveness in the higher social anxiety group but there was no significant difference of DHEA responsiveness. Further analyses showed lower responses for the cortisol/DHEA ratio in the higher-social-anxiety group to the TSST. These results suggest that there may be reduced HPA axis reactivity to psychosocial stress in socially anxious people.
Shirotsuki
Kentaro
K
Graduate School of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan. shiroken.cream@akane.waseda.jp
Izawa
Shuhei
S
Sugaya
Nagisa
N
Yamada
Kosuke Chris
KC
Ogawa
Namiko
N
Ouchi
Yuko
Y
Nagano
Yuichiro
Y
Nomura
Shinobu
S
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D012919:Social Behavior; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone