TY - JOUR
T1 - Response to oCRH in depressed and nondepressed adolescents
T2 - Does gender make a difference?
AU - Dorn, Lorah D.
AU - Burgess, Ellen S.
AU - Susman, Elizabeth J.
AU - Von Eye, Alexander
AU - Debellis, Michael D.
AU - Gold, Philip W.
AU - Chrousos, George P.
PY - 1996/6
Y1 - 1996/6
N2 - Objective: To examine the hypothesis that hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal responses to stress vary across gender, contributing to gender differences in the prevalence of depression. Method: This study examined gender differences between depressed (n = 21) and control (n = 20) adolescents in adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol response to two ovine codicotropin-releasing hormone (oCRH) tests, at baseline and following a cognitive stressor. Results: Boys had higher (p < .05) measures of ACTH than girls, regardless of depression status, whereas corresponding cortisol parameters were similar in both groups. Cortisol measures were higher (p < .05) at time 1 than at time 2 in both groups, a phenomenon that might reflect the novelty of the situation. Conclusions: Gender differences in hormone responses may be related to differences in peripheral metabolism of ACTH, resulting in changes of immunoreactivity but not bioactivity or a different set point of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The pattern of ACTH and cortisol responses to oCRH and the 24-hour excretion of free cortisol was normal in adolescents with depression, probably reflecting normal negative feedback mechanisms at this age or that most of these patients suffer from atypical rather than melancholic depression.
AB - Objective: To examine the hypothesis that hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal responses to stress vary across gender, contributing to gender differences in the prevalence of depression. Method: This study examined gender differences between depressed (n = 21) and control (n = 20) adolescents in adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol response to two ovine codicotropin-releasing hormone (oCRH) tests, at baseline and following a cognitive stressor. Results: Boys had higher (p < .05) measures of ACTH than girls, regardless of depression status, whereas corresponding cortisol parameters were similar in both groups. Cortisol measures were higher (p < .05) at time 1 than at time 2 in both groups, a phenomenon that might reflect the novelty of the situation. Conclusions: Gender differences in hormone responses may be related to differences in peripheral metabolism of ACTH, resulting in changes of immunoreactivity but not bioactivity or a different set point of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The pattern of ACTH and cortisol responses to oCRH and the 24-hour excretion of free cortisol was normal in adolescents with depression, probably reflecting normal negative feedback mechanisms at this age or that most of these patients suffer from atypical rather than melancholic depression.
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U2 - 10.1097/00004583-199606000-00016
DO - 10.1097/00004583-199606000-00016
M3 - Article
C2 - 8682757
AN - SCOPUS:0029882289
VL - 35
SP - 764
EP - 773
JO - Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry
JF - Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry
SN - 0890-8567
IS - 6
ER -