Citation

Bremner D, Vermetten E, Kelley ME. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 2007; 195(11): 919-927.

Affiliation

Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Radiology, Emory Center for Positron Emission Tomography, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. jdbremn@emory.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/NMD.0b013e3181594ca0

PMID

18000454

Abstract

Preclinical studies have shown long-term alterations in several hormonal systems including cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA-Sulfate, and estradiol. The purpose of this study was to assess cortisol, DHEA, and estradiol over a 24-hour period in women with early childhood sexual abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); with early abuse and without PTSD; and women without early abuse or PTSD. Forty-three women with early childhood sexual abuse and PTSD, early abuse without PTSD, and without abuse or PTSD, underwent a comprehensive assessment of hormones in plasma at multiple time points over a 24-hour period. Abused women with PTSD had lower concentrations of cortisol during the afternoon hours (12-8 p.m.) compared with women with abuse without PTSD and women without abuse or PTSD. DHEA-Sulfate was elevated throughout the 24-hour period in PTSD women, although this was of marginal statistical significance. There were no differences between groups in DHEA or estradiol. PTSD women also had increased cortisol pulsatility compared with the other groups. These findings suggest that a resting hypocortisolemia in the afternoon hours with increased cortisol pulsatility is associated with childhood abuse-related PTSD in women.

Language: en