title: Sympathetic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal asymmetry in generalized anxiety disorder.
abstract: Physiologic investigations of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have skewed toward assessment of the autonomic nervous system, largely neglecting hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis variables. Although these systems coordinate-suggesting a degree of symmetry-to promote adaptive functioning, most studies opt to monitor either one system or the other. Using a ratio of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) over salivary cortisol, the present study examined symmetry between the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and HPA axis in individuals with GAD (n = 71) and healthy controls (n = 37). Compared to healthy controls, individuals with GAD exhibited greater baseline ratios of sAA/cortisol and smaller ratios of sAA/cortisol following a mental arithmetic challenge. We propose that the present study provides evidence for SNS-HPA asymmetry in GAD. Further, these results suggest that increased SNS suppression in GAD may be partially mediated by cortisol activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Reeves
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.affiliation: Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.|Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.|Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.|John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Granger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases / Q000378:metabolism; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Asymmetry; Cortisol; Generalized anxiety disorder; Salivary alpha-amylase