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Abnormal cortisol awakening response predicts worse cognitive function in patients with first-episode psychosis.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Cognitive impairment, particularly in memory and executive function, is a core feature of psychosis. Moreover, psychosis is characterized by a more prominent history of stress exposure, and by dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In turn, stress exposure and abnormal levels of the main HPA axis hormone cortisol are associated with cognitive impairments in a variety of clinical and experimental samples; however, this association has never been examined in first-episode psychosis (FEP). METHOD:In this study, 30 FEP patients and 26 controls completed assessment of the HPA axis (cortisol awakening response and cortisol levels during the day), perceived stress, recent life events, history of childhood trauma, and cognitive function. The neuropsychological battery comprised general cognitive function, verbal and non-verbal memory, executive function, perception, visuospatial abilities, processing speed, and general knowledge. RESULTS:Patients performed significantly worse on all cognitive domains compared to controls. In patients only, a more blunted cortisol awakening response (that is, more abnormal) was associated with a more severe deficit in verbal memory and processing speed. In controls only, higher levels of perceived stress and more recent life events were associated with a worse performance in executive function and perception and visuospatial abilities. CONCLUSIONS:These data support a role for the HPA axis, as measured by cortisol awakening response, in modulating cognitive function in patients with psychosis; however, this association does not seem to be related to the increased exposure to psychosocial stressors described in these patients.

SUBMITTER: Aas M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3513413 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Abnormal cortisol awakening response predicts worse cognitive function in patients with first-episode psychosis.

Aas M M Dazzan P P Mondelli V V Toulopoulou T T Reichenberg A A Di Forti M M Fisher H L HL Handley R R Hepgul N N Marques T T Miorelli A A Taylor H H Russo M M Wiffen B B Papadopoulos A A Aitchison K J KJ Morgan C C Murray R M RM Pariante C M CM

Psychological medicine 20100609 3

<h4>Background</h4>Cognitive impairment, particularly in memory and executive function, is a core feature of psychosis. Moreover, psychosis is characterized by a more prominent history of stress exposure, and by dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In turn, stress exposure and abnormal levels of the main HPA axis hormone cortisol are associated with cognitive impairments in a variety of clinical and experimental samples; however, this association has never been examine ...[more]

PMID: 20529412

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Project description:Abstract Background: We have previously shown elevated cortisol levels during the day and a blunted cortisol awakening response (CAR) at the onset of psychosis. Although stressful events and childhood abuse have been suggested to possibly play a role in these abnormalities, the evidence behind this link remains inconsistent, and it has been suggested that these could be partly due to genetic predisposition. The aim of this study was to test interaction between history of childhood abuse and rs1360780 FKBP5 genotype on cortisol levels during the day and cortisol awakening response. Methods: Eighty-two first-episode psychosis patients and 53 controls were enrolled in the study. Saliva samples were collected at multiple time points during the day to measure diurnal cortisol levels and cortisol awakening response (CAR); DNA was extracted from blood or saliva samples and evaluated for a functional polymorphism at the rs1360780 locus in FKBP5. Information about presence of absence childhood physical or sexual abuse was collected using the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse questionnaire. Univariate analyses were performed to test the effects of the interaction between presence of childhood abuse and FKBP5 genotype on cortisol measurements. Results: We found a significant interaction between history of childhood abuse and FKBP5 genotype on the CAR in first episode psychosis (F = 1.132, P = .01) but not in controls (P = .3). In particular patients with T allele (CT or TT) and history of childhood abuse had higher CAR than those with the same allele but without childhood abuse, while patients with CC genotype and history of childhood abuse had lower CAR than those with the same genotype but without childhood abuse. We also found a trend for interaction between history of childhood abuse and FKBP5 genotype on the cortisol levels during the day (F = 3.604, P = .06) in first episode psychosis but in controls (P = .3). In particular patients with T allele (CT or TT) and history of childhood abuse had higher diurnal cortisol levels than those with the same allele but without childhood abuse, while patients with CC genotype and history of childhood abuse had lower diurnal cortisol levels than those with the same genotype but without childhood abuse. Conclusion: Our findings suggest a role of interaction between childhood abuse and FKBP5 genotype in determining HPA axis abnormalities observed at the onset of psychosis.

Dataset Information

Abnormal cortisol awakening response predicts worse cognitive function in patients with first-episode psychosis.

Publications

Abnormal cortisol awakening response predicts worse cognitive function in patients with first-episode psychosis.

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