title: Higher cortisol levels are associated with smaller left hippocampal volume in first-episode psychosis.
abstract: This study investigated the relationship between cortisol secretion and hippocampal volume in first-episode psychosis and healthy controls. Hippocampal volume was measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 24 first-episode psychosis patients and in 18 healthy controls, together with diurnal cortisol levels. Twelve patients received a second MRI scan at 3-month follow-up. Diurnal cortisol levels were inversely correlated with left hippocampal volume in patients, both at baseline and at follow-up, while no correlation was found in controls. Our findings suggest that smaller hippocampal volume in first-episode psychosis can partly be explained by stress-related processes in the brain, as measured by cortisol hyper-secretion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK. valeria.mondelli@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mondelli
authors.forename: Carmine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Pariante
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Navari
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aas
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Albenzio
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Forti
authors.forename: Rowena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Handley
authors.forename: Nilay
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hepgul
authors.forename: Tiago Reis
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Andrew S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: Katherine J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Aitchison
authors.forename: Robin M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dazzan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone