Preadolescents' somatic and cognitive-affective depressive symptoms are differentially related to cardiac autonomic function and cortisol: the TRAILS study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine in a nonclinical sample of preadolescents the possibility that somatic and cognitive-affective depressive symptoms are differentially related with the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Depression is a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality. Dysregulation of the ANS and the HPA axis have been proposed as underlying mechanisms. Several studies suggest that only a subset of the depression symptoms account for associations with cardiovascular prognosis.


METHODS
Self-reported somatic and cognitive-affective depressive symptoms were examined in relationship to heart rate variability (HRV), spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), and the cortisol awakening response (CAR) in 2049 preadolescents (mean age = 11.1 years; 50.7% = girls) from the Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS).


RESULTS
Physiological measurements were not associated with the overall measure of depressive symptoms. Somatic depressive symptoms were negatively related to HRV and BRS, and positively to the CAR; cognitive-affective depressive symptoms were positively related to HRV and BRS, and negatively to the CAR. Associations with the CAR pertained to boys only.


CONCLUSIONS
Somatic and cognitive-affective depressive symptoms differ in their association with both cardiac autonomic and HPA axis function in preadolescents. Particularly, somatic depression symptoms may mark cardiac risk.
Bosch
Nienke M
NM
Interdisciplinary Center for Psychiatric Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, CC72, P.O. Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands.
Riese
Harriëtte
H
Dietrich
Andrea
A
Ormel
Johan
J
Verhulst
Frank C
FC
Oldehinkel
Albertine J
AJ
D000367:Age Factors; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012737:Sex Factors; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology
D006854:Hydrocortisone