0000000000210323
AUTHOR
Susann Wichmann
Stress-induced pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine concentrations in panic disorder patients
Abstract Background An attenuated responsivity of the hypothalamus–hypophysis-adrenal (HPA) axis upon challenge and an increased risk for cardiac events are relatively consistent findings in panic disorder (PD) patients. Due to cytokine-HPA interactions, an altered HPA-axis responsivity may be accompanied by altered cytokine concentrations. Immunological reactions under stress might be considered the missing link for explaining an increased cardiac risk. This study analyzed stress-induced cytokine levels in PD patients. Methods A total of n = 32 PD patients and n = 32 healthy control individuals performed the Trier Social Test (TSST). Blood sample collection accompanied the TSST for the col…
Hair cortisol predicts avoidance behavior and depressiveness after first-time and single-event trauma exposure in motor vehicle crash victims
The role of cortisol as a premorbid vulnerability factor for trauma sequelae remains unclear. Furthermore, the onset of long-term endocrine changes in response to first-time trauma as a function of later psychopathology is not clarified yet. Thus the predictive value of pre- and post-traumatic hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) for psychological trauma sequelae was investigated in response to motor vehicle crash (MVC). A total of