title: Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning and dysfunctional attitude in depressed patients with and without childhood neglect.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To date, the relationships between childhood neglect, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning and dysfunctional attitude in depressed patients are still obscure.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) was used to assess childhood emotional neglect and physical neglect. Twenty-eight depressed patients with childhood neglect and 30 depressed patients without childhood neglect from Guangzhou Psychiatric Hospital were compared with 29 age- and gender-matched control subjects without childhood neglect and 22 control subjects with childhood neglect. Cortisol awakening response, the difference between the cortisol concentrations at awakening and 30 minutes later, provided a measure of HPA axis functioning. The Dysfunctional Attitude Scale measured cognitive schema.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HPA axis functioning was significantly increased in depressed patients with childhood neglect compared with depressed patients without childhood neglect (p < 0.001). HPA axis activity in the control group with childhood neglect was significantly higher than in the depressed group without childhood neglect (p < 0.001). Total scores of childhood neglect were positively correlated with HPA axis functioning and dysfunctional attitude scores, but not with severity of depression. We did not find correlations with HPA axis functioning and dysfunctional attitude or with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Childhood neglect may cause hyperactivity of the HPA axis functioning and dysfunctional attitude, but does not affect depression severity.
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China. pengdoctor1@163.com.
authors.forename: Hongjun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yangbo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Huawang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: YuLing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Jianfei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Yuping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ning
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D001290:Attitude; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone