title: Gender determines cortisol and alpha-amylase responses to acute physical and psychosocial stress in patients with borderline personality disorder.
abstract: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by affective instability, unstable relationships, and identity disturbance. We measured salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and salivary cortisol levels in all participants during exposure to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and an electric stimulation stress. Seventy-two BPD patients were compared with 377 age- and gender- matched controls. The State and Trait versions of the Spielberger Anxiety Inventory test (STAI-S and STAI-T, respectively), the Profile of Mood State (POMS) tests, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Depression and Anxiety Cognition Scale (DACS) were administered to participants before electrical stimulation. Following TSST exposure, salivary cortisol levels significantly decreased in female patients and significantly increased in male patients compared with controls. POMS tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility, fatigue, and confusion scores were significantly increased in BPD patients compared with controls. In contrast, vigor scores were significantly decreased in BPD patients relative to controls. Furthermore, STAI-T and STAI-S anxiety scores and BDI scores were significantly increased in BPD patient compared with controls. DACS scores were significantly increased in BPD patient compared with controls. Different stressors (e.g., psychological or physical) induced different responses in the HPA and SAM systems in female or male BPD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Hasama-Machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Linguistics, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Hasama-Machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan.
authors.forename: Harumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oshita
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Hasama-Machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Hasama-Machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Hasama-Machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishitobi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Hasama-Machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan.
authors.forename: Aimi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Hasama-Machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan.
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Hasama-Machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Hasama-Machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan.
authors.forename: Saeko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aizawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Hasama-Machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Hasama-Machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Higuma
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Hasama-Machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanehisa
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Hasama-Machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan.
authors.forename: Taiga
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Hasama-Machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan. Electronic address: akiyoshi@oita-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Jotaro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Akiyoshi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; 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; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases / Q000032:analysis*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH); Alpha-amylase; Borderline personality disorder; Catecholamine; Cortisol; Stress