Effect of childhood emotional abuse and age on cortisol responsivity in adulthood.
BACKGROUND
The dexamethasone/corticotropin releasing hormone (Dex/CRH) test has been proposed as a potential tool for identifying endophenotypes relevant to mood disorders. Several studies have shown abnormal cortisol reactivity in phenotypically healthy adults without psychiatric disorders as a function of exposure to adverse early environments.


METHODS
After a battery of self-report and interview assessments, 230 adults without major Axis I Disorders completed the Dex/CRH test. Childhood maltreatment was evaluated with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Effect of childhood emotional abuse (EA) on cortisol responses to the Dex/CRH test was examined with repeated measures general linear models, including age, gender, and other types of maltreatment. Post hoc models examined the significant interaction between EA and age and tested the stability of the main findings with selected covariates.


RESULTS
A history of self-reported childhood EA independently and significantly diminished cortisol response. This effect was amplified with advancing subject age and was independent of the effects of other types of childhood maltreatment, lifetime diagnoses, and symptom scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Dampened cortisol reactivity might be a consequence of childhood EA that is cumulative over time. Prospective longitudinal investigation is needed to evaluate the potential of this proposed endophenotype.
Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Brown Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Providence, Rhode Island 02906, USA. Linda_Carpenter_MD@Brown.edu
Linda L
LL
Carpenter
Audrey R
AR
Tyrka
Nicole S
NS
Ross
Lamya
L
Khoury
George M
GM
Anderson
Lawrence H
LH
Price
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D003907:Dexamethasone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone