HPA axis and aging in depression: systematic review and meta-analysis.: One of the most consistent findings in the biology of depression is an altered activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, data concerning this issue have never been examined with a focus on the older population. Here we present a systematic review and meta-analysis, based on studies investigating levels of cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in depressed participants older than 60 and compared with healthy controls. We f
HPA axis and cortisol
The hormonal stress response and its measurement.
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المكتبة البحثية897 works heldPeer-reviewed work held with its DOI and abstract, labelled with the study design its publication types report. None of it has been read or assessed, so nothing here may be cited as showing anything. Retracted work is held for the record but never listed; a review that a later version replaced is listed under its replacement and marked.
The HPA axis in bipolar disorder: Systematic review and meta-analysis.: Objectives: To provide a quantitative and qualitative synthesis of the available evidence on the role of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis in the pathophysiology of Bipolar Disorder (BD). Methods: Meta-analysis and meta-regression of case-control studies examining the levels of cortisol, ACTH, CRH levels. Systematic review of stress reactivity, genetic, molecular and neuroimaging studies related to HPA axis activity in BD. Results: Forty-one studies were included in the meta-analyses. BD
Depression and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activation: a quantitative summary of four decades of research.: Objectives: To summarize quantitatively the literature comparing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function between depressed and nondepressed individuals and to describe the important sources of variability in this literature. These sources include methodological differences between studies, as well as demographic or clinical differences between depressed samples. Methods: The current study used meta-analytic techniques to compare 671 effect sizes (cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone,
The stress-buffering effect of acute exercise: Evidence for HPA axis negative feedback.: According to the cross-stressor adaptation hypothesis, physically trained individuals show lower physiological and psychological responses to stressors other than exercise, e.g. psychosocial stress. Reduced stress reactivity may constitute a mechanism of action for the beneficial effects of exercise in maintaining mental health. With regard to neural and psychoneuroendocrine stress responses, the acute stress-buffering effects of exercise have not been investigated yet. A sample of highly traine
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation and cortisol activity in obesity: A systematic review.: Background: Although there is substantial evidence of differential hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity in both generalized and abdominal obesity, consistent trends in obesity-related HPA axis perturbations have yet to be identified. Objectives: To systematically review the existing literature on HPA activity in obesity, identify possible explanations for inconsistencies in the literature, and suggest methodological improvements for future study. Data sources: Included papers used
Cortisol stress reactivity across psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.: The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its end product cortisol are essential for an adequate response to stress. Considering the role of stress as a risk factor for psychiatric disorders, it is not surprising that cortisol stress reactivity has frequently been investigated in patients versus healthy individuals. However, the large heterogeneity in measures of the cortisol stress response has hampered a systematic evaluation of the evidence. We here report of a systematic literature r
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826 to 850 of 897Rumination, fear, and cortisol: an in vivo study of interpersonal transgressions.
The authors sought to examine whether rumination about psychologically painful, though nontraumatic, interpersonal transgressions is associated with increased salivary cortisol. They measured salivary cortisol, rumination about a transgression, fear and anger regarding the transgressor, perceived painfulness of the transgression, and positive and negative mood in 115 undergraduates who had experienced an interpersonal transgression during the previous 7 days. They obtained measurements on as many as 5 occasions separated by approximately 14 days each. On occasions when participants reported that they had been ruminating to a degree that was greater than was typical for them, they had higher levels of salivary cortisol than was typical for them. The rumination- cortisol association appeared to be mediated by fear of the transgressor. Rumination about even moderately painful but nontraumat…
matched on Hydrocortisone (mesh), cortisol (text)
Impaired declarative memory consolidation during sleep in patients with primary insomnia: Influence of sleep architecture and nocturnal cortisol release.
Background: A central cognitive function of sleep is to consolidate newly acquired memories for long-term storage. Here, we investigated whether the overnight consolidation of declarative memory in patients with chronic sleep disturbances is impaired, owing to less slow wave sleep (SWS) and an increased cortisol release. Methods: Polysomnographic recordings, serum cortisol concentrations, and overnight memory consolidation in 16 patients with primary insomnia were compared with those of 13 healthy control subjects. Results: Patients displayed distinctly less overnight consolidation of declarative memory (p < .05), which was significantly correlated with SWS in the control subjects (r = .69) but with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in the patients (r = .56), who had a diminished amount of SWS (p < .05). Increased cortisol levels in the middle of the night were associated with impaired retr…
matched on Hydrocortisone (mesh), cortisol (text)
Older spouses' cortisol responses to marital conflict: associations with demand/withdraw communication patterns.
We examined 31 older couples' wife demand/husband withdraw communication patterns and cortisol responses to marital conflict. Regression analyses indicated that wife demand/husband withdraw sequences during conflict related to cortisol responses only for wives. Based on a mixed model that accounted for the interdependence of spouses' perceptions of communication patterns and outcomes, older spouses who reported greater wife demand/husband withdraw patterns in their marriage had greater cortisol responses during a conflict discussion; actual demand-withdraw did not relate to cortisol responses in this model. Findings suggest that perceived communication patterns contribute to neuroendocrine responses to marital conflict, and implications for marriage and health research with older couples are discussed.
matched on Hydrocortisone (mesh), cortisol (text)
Socioeconomic status is associated with stress hormones.
Objective: We assess whether socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with basal levels of cortisol and catecholamines and determine if any association between SES and these hormones can be explained (is mediated) by behavioral, social, and emotional differences across the SES gradient. Methods: One hundred ninety-three adult subjects, including men and women and whites and African-Americans, provided 24-hour urine catecholamine samples on each of 2 days and seven saliva cortisol samples on each of 3 days beginning 1 hour after wake-up and ending 14 to 16 hours later. Values for both hormones were averaged across days to obtain basal levels. Results: Lower SES (income and education) was associated with higher levels of cortisol and epinephrine and marginally higher levels of norepinephrine. These associations were independent of race, age, gender, and body mass. Low SES was also associat…
matched on Hydrocortisone (mesh), cortisol (text)
Socioeconomic status, race, and diurnal cortisol decline in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study.
Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess whether socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with dysregulation of the cortisol diurnal rhythm and whether this association is independent of race and occurs equally in whites and blacks; and to determine if an association between SES and cortisol can be explained (is mediated) by behavioral, social, and emotional differences across the SES gradient. Methods: Seven hundred eighty-one subjects from a multisite sample representing both whites and blacks provided six saliva cortisol samples over the course of the day: at awakening, 45 minutes, 2.5 hours, 8 hours, and 12 hours after awakening, and at bedtime. Results: Both lower SES (education and income) and being black were associated with higher evening levels of cortisol. These relationships were independent of one another and SES associations with cortisol were similar across r…
matched on Hydrocortisone (mesh), cortisol (text)
Social isolation induces sexually aggressive behaviour in male Wistar rats.
Background: Sexual violence, a pervasive global issue, significantly impacts individuals and societies, necessitating a deeper understanding of its underlying biological mechanisms. This study aimed to elucidate the role of stress-induced dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis in sexual aggression in male Wistar rats. Employing a sexual aggression paradigm, we investigated the effects of social isolation on aggression, anxiety-like behaviour, and neurochemistry in virgin adult male Wistar rats. Results: The results showed that social isolation significantly escalated aggressive behaviours and induced anxiety-like responses in male rats. The sexual aggression test revealed that socially isolated males exhibited heightened aggression towards non-receptive females. Neurochemical analyses indicated significant alterations in key markers, such as corticotrophin-releas…
matched on Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System (mesh), Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (mesh)
The use of prednisolone during Ramadan fasting in patients with adrenal insufficiency.
Objective: Once daily prednisolone taken at predawn has been proposed to be the glucocorticoid replacement of choice in patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) who intend to fast for the month of Ramadan. However, the effects of prednisolone on metabolic parameters and quality of life during fasting for Ramadan are unknown. Design, patients and measurements: Patients with AI on twice-daily hydrocortisone, who had low or moderate risk and intended to fast, were recruited. Patients were converted to prednisolone 5 mg once daily taken at sahur (predawn) and Ramadan education given. Weight, sleep duration, biochemical parameters and quality of life measures (SF-36 questionnaire) were analysed at the end of Ramadan and compared against baseline. Results: Twenty patients (13 men) were recruited, with a mean age of 59.9 ± 15.0 years. All patients were on hydrocortisone 15 mg daily (in divided …
matched on Hydrocortisone (mesh), Glucocorticoids (mesh)
Sleep deprivation and a non-24-h working schedule lead to extensive alterations in physiology and behavior.
Most organisms on Earth possess circadian rhythms in their physiology and behaviors that allow them to resonate with the cycling environment over a 24-h period. However, in human society, a substantial quantity of jobs requires non-24-h working and rest or shift schedules, which causes more or less misalignment in circadian rhythms and disorders as a consequence. In this work, we conducted a sleep deprivation (SD) and non-24-h working and rest schedule (8 h on and 4 h off) experiment over 10 d in total and measured the changes in a series of physiologic and cognitive parameters. The results show that although the subjects could sleep during the schedule, their sleepiness increased significantly. Actigraphy data suggest that a 12-h schedule might result in chronic SD. Along with the increased sleepiness revealed by the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale questionnaire, the neurobehavioral psychom…
matched on Hydrocortisone (mesh), Saliva (mesh)
Stress-related dysfunction of the right inferior frontal cortex in high ruminators: An fNIRS study.
Repetitive thinking styles such as rumination are considered to be a key factor in the development and maintenance of mental disorders. Different situational triggers (e.g., social stressors) have been shown to elicit rumination in subjects exhibiting such habitual thinking styles. At the same time, the process of rumination influences the adaption to stressful situations. The study at hand aims to investigate the effect of trait rumination on neuronal activation patterns during the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) as well as the physiological and affective adaptation to this high-stress situation. Methods: A sample of 23 high and 22 low ruminators underwent the TSST and two control conditions while their cortical hemodynamic reactions were measured with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Additional behavioral, physiological and endocrinological measures of the stress response…
matched on Hydrocortisone (mesh), Saliva (mesh)
Time-dependent changes in altruistic punishment following stress.
Decisions are rarely made in social isolation. One phenomenon often observed in social interactions is altruistic punishment, i.e. the punishment of unfair behavior by others at a personal cost. The tendency for altruistic punishment is altered by affective states including those induced by stress exposure. Stress is thought to exert bi-directional effects on behavior: immediately after stress, reflex-like and habitual behavior is promoted while later on more far-sighted, flexible and goal-directed behavior is enhanced. We hypothesized that such time-dependent effects of stress would also be present in the context of altruistic punishment behavior. Healthy male participants (N=80) were exposed to either a grouped stress test or a control condition. Participants were tested in prosocial decision making tasks either directly after stress or 75 min later. Altruistic punishment was assessed …
matched on Hydrocortisone (mesh), Saliva (mesh)
Increased peripheral NF-κB pathway activity in women with childhood abuse-related posttraumatic stress disorder.
In addition to neuroendocrine changes PTSD pathophysiology may also involve dysfunction of the innate immune inflammatory system. PTSD patients have been found to exhibit increased concentrations of circulating inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, suggesting dysfunction of the innate immune inflammatory system. However, few studies have investigated molecular signaling pathways known to critically regulate inflammation. Additionally, the relationship between inflammatory function and immune cell glucocorticoid sensitivity has not been extensively explored in PTSD. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway activity was examined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from 12 women with childhood abuse-related PTSD and 24 healthy controls (ages 19-48) using DNA-binding ELISA. Glucocorticoid sensitivity of monocytes in whole blood was measured as the concentrati…
matched on Hydrocortisone (mesh), Glucocorticoids (mesh)
Experimental 'jet lag' inhibits adult neurogenesis and produces long-term cognitive deficits in female hamsters.
Background: Circadian disruptions through frequent transmeridian travel, rotating shift work, and poor sleep hygiene are associated with an array of physical and mental health maladies, including marked deficits in human cognitive function. Despite anecdotal and correlational reports suggesting a negative impact of circadian disruptions on brain function, this possibility has not been experimentally examined. Methodology/principal findings: In the present study, we investigated whether experimental 'jet lag' (i.e., phase advances of the light:dark cycle) negatively impacts learning and memory and whether any deficits observed are associated with reductions in hippocampal cell proliferation and neurogenesis. Because insults to circadian timing alter circulating glucocorticoid and sex steroid concentrations, both of which influence neurogenesis and learning/memory, we assessed the contribu…
matched on Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System (mesh), Glucocorticoids (mesh)
From specificity to sensitivity: how acute stress affects amygdala processing of biologically salient stimuli.
Background: A vital component of an organism's response to acute stress is a surge in vigilance that serves to optimize the detection and assessment of threats to its homeostasis. The amygdala is thought to regulate this process, but in humans, acute stress and amygdala function have up to now only been studied in isolation. Hence, we developed an integrated design using functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the immediate effects of controlled stress induction on amygdala function. Methods: In 27 healthy female participants, we studied brain responses to emotional facial stimuli, embedded in an either acutely stressful or neutral context by means of adjoining movie clips. Results: A variety of physiological and psychological measures confirmed successful induction of moderate levels of acute stress. More importantly, this context manipulation shifted the amygdala toward hi…
matched on Hydrocortisone (mesh), Saliva (mesh)
Eye temperature and heart rate variability of calves disbudded with or without local anaesthetic.
The possibility that pain can be detected from changes in eye temperature and heart rate variability (HRV) during disbudding was examined in thirty calves, randomly assigned to four treatments: 1) sham handling (control), 2) local anaesthetic (LA, cornual nerve injection) and sham disbudded, 3) sham LA and disbudded, 4) LA and disbudded. During a 40 min sampling period, maximum eye temperature, behavior and HRV parameters were recorded continuously. One week later, twelve disbudded calves were injected with adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) or saline and maximum eye temperature was recorded. There was a rapid drop in eye temperature during the 5 min following disbudding without LA (P<0.05). Eye temperature then increased and was higher than baseline over the remaining sampling period following both disbudding procedures (P<0.001), a response which could not be explained by increased ph…
matched on Hydrocortisone (mesh), Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (mesh)
Psychobiological mechanisms of resilience: relevance to prevention and treatment of stress-related psychopathology.
Resilience refers to the ability to successfully adapt to stressors, maintaining psychological well-being in the face of adversity. Recent years have seen a great deal of research into the neurobiological and psychological factors and mechanisms that characterize resilient individuals. This article draws from that research to outline some of the most important contributors to resilience. The authors hope that by contributing to a growing understanding of the genetic, developmental, neurobiological, and psychological underpinnings of resilience, researchers and clinicians in the field will move closer toward the goal of identifying and treating individuals at risk for developing posttraumatic psychopathology.
matched on Hydrocortisone (mesh), Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (mesh)
Expression and regulation of the Fkbp5 gene in the adult mouse brain.
Background: Chronic stress has been found to be a major risk factor for various human pathologies. Stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is tightly regulated via, among others, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). The activity of the GR is modulated by a variety of proteins, including the co-chaperone FK506 binding protein 51 (FKBP5). Although FKBP5 has been associated with risk for affective disorders and has been implicated in GR sensitivity, previous studies focused mainly on peripheral blood, while information about basal distribution and induction in the central nervous system are sparse. Methodology/principal findings: In the present study, we describe the basal expression pattern of Fkbp5 mRNA in the brain of adult male mice and show the induction of Fkbp5 mRNA via dexamethasone treatment or different stress paradigms. We could show that Fkbp5 is often…
matched on Dexamethasone (mesh), HPA axis (text), Glucocorticoids (mesh)
Genomic determination of the glucocorticoid response reveals unexpected mechanisms of gene regulation.
The glucocorticoid steroid hormone cortisol is released by the adrenal glands in response to stress and serves as a messenger in circadian rhythms. Transcriptional responses to this hormonal signal are mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). We determined GR binding throughout the human genome by using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next-generation DNA sequencing, and measured related changes in gene expression with mRNA sequencing in response to the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX). We identified 4392 genomic positions occupied by the GR and 234 genes with significant changes in expression in response to DEX. This genomic census revealed striking differences between gene activation and repression by the GR. While genes activated with DEX treatment have GR bound within a median distance of 11 kb from the transcriptional start site (TSS), the nearest GR binding for gene…
matched on Dexamethasone (mesh), cortisol (text), Receptors, Glucocorticoid (mesh)
Cutaneous hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis homolog: regulation by ultraviolet radiation.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis maintains basal and stress-related homeostasis in vertebrates. Skin expresses all elements of the HPA axis including corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), proopiomelanocortin (POMC), ACTH, β-endorphin (β-END) with corresponding receptors, the glucocorticoidogenic pathway, and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). To test the hypothesis that cutaneous responses to environmental stressors follow the organizational structure of the central response to stress, the activity of the "cutaneous HPA" axis homolog was investigated after exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) wavelengths of UVA (320-400 nm), UVB (280-320 nm), and UVC (100-280 nm) in human skin organ culture and in co-cultured keratinocytes/melanocytes. The level of stimulation of CRH, POMC, MC1R, MC2R, CYP11A1, and CYP11B1 genes was dependent on UV wavelengths and doses, with the highest …
matched on HPA axis (text), cortisol (text), Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (mesh)
Gene expression patterns associated with posttraumatic stress disorder following exposure to the World Trade Center attacks.
Background: Although genetic risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in similarly traumatized cohorts can be confounded with risk for type of exposure, the primary risk for exposure to the 9/11 attack on New York City was proximity, allowing study of PTSD risk in a sample that is not confounded by exposure-related risk. Methods: Thirty-five Caucasians (15 with PTSD, stratified for exposure, age, and gender) were selected from a population-representative sample of persons exposed to the attack from which longitudinal data had been collected in four previous waves. Whole blood gene expression and cortisol levels were obtained. Results: Seventeen probe sets were differentially expressed in PTSD. Identified genes were generally involved in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, signal transduction, or brain and immune cell function. FKBP5, a modulator of glucocorticoid rece…
matched on HPA axis (text), cortisol (text), Receptors, Glucocorticoid (mesh)
Overexpressing the glucocorticoid receptor in forebrain causes an aging-like neuroendocrine phenotype and mild cognitive dysfunction.
Repeated stress enhances vulnerability to neural dysfunction that is cumulative over the course of the lifespan. This dysfunction contributes to cognitive deficits observed during aging. In addition, aging is associated with dysregulation of the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) axis, leading to a delayed termination of the stress response. This delay, in turn, increases exposure to glucocorticoids and exacerbates the likelihood of neural damage. Here we asked whether similar effects could emerge at an early age as a result of genetic variations in the level or function of the brain glucocorticoid receptor (GR). We investigated the effect of forebrain-specific overexpression of GR on LHPA axis activity. Transgenic mice with GR overexpression in forebrain (GRov) display normal basal circulating adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone levels. However, young GRov mice exhi…
matched on Dexamethasone (mesh), Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (mesh), Receptors, Glucocorticoid (mesh)
Chronic stress induces adrenal hyperplasia and hypertrophy in a subregion-specific manner.
The adrenal gland is an essential stress-responsive organ that is part of both the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympatho-adrenomedullary system. Chronic stress exposure commonly increases adrenal weight, but it is not known to what extent this growth is due to cellular hyperplasia or hypertrophy and whether it is subregion specific. Moreover, it is not clear whether increased production of adrenal glucocorticoid after chronic stress is due to increased sensitivity to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) vs. increased maximal output. The present studies use a 14-day chronic variable stress (CVS) paradigm in adult male rats to assess the effects of chronic stress on adrenal growth and corticosterone steroidogenesis. Exogenous ACTH administration (0-895 ng/100 g body wt) to dexamethasone-blocked rats demonstrated that CVS increased maximal plasma and adrenal corticosterone resp…
matched on Dexamethasone (mesh), Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (mesh), Glucocorticoids (mesh)
Gender differences in corticotropin and corticosterone secretion and corticotropin-releasing factor mRNA expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and the central nucleus of the amygdala in response to footshock stress or psychological stress in rats.
Anorexia nervosa is mostly seen in adolescent females, although the gender-differentiation mechanism is unclear. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a key peptide for stress responses such as inhibition of food intake, increases in arousal and locomotor activity, and gonadal dysfunction, is thought to be involved in the pathophysiology of anorexia nervosa. CRF in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and CRF in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) are involved in the regulation of stress responses, and gender differences in CRF mRNA expression in these regions in response to various stressors are controversial. We therefore examined CRF gene expression in the PVN and CeA as well as corticotropin (ACTH) and corticosterone secretion in response to a 60-min period of electric footshock (FS) or psychological stress (PS) induced by a communication box in both male and f…
matched on HPA axis (text), Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (mesh), Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (mesh)
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF DEPRESSION: DO WE HAVE ANY SOLID EVIDENCE OF INTEREST TO CLINICIANS?
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and costly disorder which is usually associated with severe and persistent symptoms leading to important social role impairment and increased mortality 1,2. It is one of the most important causes of disability worldwide 3. The high rate of inadequate treatment of the disorder remains a serious concern 1. This review is aimed at summarizing the solid evidence on the etiology and pathophysiology of MDD that is likely relevant for clinical psychiatry. Neurobiological findings are regarded as solid when they are consistent and convergent, i.e., they have been confirmed by several studies using the same method and fit into results from studies using different methodological approaches. Family, twin, and adoption studies provide very solid and consistent evidence that MDD is a familial disorder and that this familiality is mostly or entirely due to g…
matched on HPA axis (text), cortisol (text)
Reactivity to laboratory stress provocation predicts relapse to cocaine.
Background: Cocaine dependence is a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by periods of abstinence and high rates of return to drug using behavior. Elevated levels of stress have been associated with relapse to cocaine; however, the nature of this association is not well understood. Methods: The relationship between reactivity to three human laboratory provocations and relapse to cocaine was investigated. Participants were 53 cocaine-dependent individuals who were admitted for a 2-day inpatient stay during which a psychosocial provocation (i.e., the Trier Social Stress Task), a pharmacological provocation (i.e., administration of 1 microg/kg corticotrophin releasing hormone; CRH), and a drug cue exposure paradigm were completed. Adrenocortico-trophic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, heart rate, and subjective cocaine craving and stress were assessed at baseline and at multiple time points po…
matched on cortisol (text), Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (mesh), Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (mesh)
Association of Prefrontal-Striatal Functional Pathology With Alcohol Abstinence Days at Treatment Initiation and Heavy Drinking After Treatment Initiation.
Objective: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with neuroadaptations in brain stress and reward circuits. It is not known whether such neuroadaptations are affected by number of days of alcohol abstinence and whether they influence heavy drinking during the early treatment phase. The authors used a novel functional MRI (fMRI) approach to assess brain responses during sustained exposure to standardized visual stimuli of stressful, alcohol cue, and neutral control images combined with prospective assessment of drinking outcomes during early outpatient treatment, in two related studies. Methods: In study 1, 44 treatment-entering patients with AUD and 43 demographically matched healthy control subjects participated in the fMRI experiment to identify dysfunctional responses associated with chronic alcohol abuse. In study 2, 69 treatment-entering patients with AUD were assessed for whethe…
matched on Hydrocortisone (mesh)