TY - JOUR
T1 - Sex-specific association between the cortisol awakening response and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in healthy individuals
AU - Melia, Cristian Sebastian
AU - Soria, Virginia
AU - Salvat-Pujol, Neus
AU - Cabezas, Ángel
AU - Nadal, Roser
AU - Urretavizcaya, Mikel
AU - Gutiérrez-Zotes, Alfonso
AU - Monreal, José Antonio
AU - Crespo, José Manuel
AU - Alonso, Pino
AU - Vilella, Elisabet
AU - Palao, Diego
AU - Menchón, José Manuel
AU - Labad, Javier
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by grants from the Carlos III Health Institute through the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (PI10/01753, PI10/01607, PI15/01386 and PI15/00662), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) “A way to build Europe”, the Fundació La Marató de TV3 (092230/092231), CIBERSAM, and the Catalan Agency for the Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR 2017 SGR 1247 and 2017 SGR 632). Javier Labad received an Intensification of the Research Activity Grant (SLT006/17/00012) by the Health Department of the Generalitat de Catalunya during 2018 and 2019. Samples from patients included in this study were processed and preserved by the Biobanc IISPV and the Biobank HUB-ICO-IDIBELL, integrated in the Spanish National Bio-banks Network (PT17/0015/0024) and Xarxa Banc de Tumors. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
PY - 2019/12/2
Y1 - 2019/12/2
N2 - Background: Previous studies have shown associations between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity (HPA). We aimed to investigate the association between obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms and HPA axis functionality in a non-clinical sample and to explore whether there are sex differences in this relationship. Methods: One hundred eighty-three healthy individuals without any psychiatric diagnosis (80 men, 103 women; mean age 41.3 ± 17.9 years) were recruited from the general population. The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory Revised (OCI-R) was used to assess OC symptoms. State-trait anxiety, perceived stress, and stressful life events were also assessed. Saliva cortisol levels were determined at 6 time points (awakening, 30 and 60 min post-awakening, 10:00 a.m., 23:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. the following day of 0.25 mg dexamethasone intake [that occurred at 23:00 p.m.]). Three HPA axis measures were calculated: Cortisol awakening response (CAR), cortisol diurnal slope, and cortisol suppression ratio after dexamethasone (DSTR). Multiple linear regression analyses were used to explore the association between OC symptoms and HPA axis measures while adjusting for covariates. Our main analyses were focused on OCI-R total score, but we also explored associations with specific OC symptom dimensions. Results: No significant differences were observed between males and females in OC symptoms, anxiety measures, stress, or cortisol measures. In the multiple linear regression analyses between overall OC symptoms and HPA axis measures, a female sex by OC symptoms significant interaction (standardized beta =-0.322; p = 0.023) for the CAR (but not cortisol diurnal slope nor DSTR) was found. Regarding specific symptom dimensions, two other sex interactions were found: A blunted CAR was associated with obsessing symptoms in women, whereas a more flattened diurnal cortisol slope was associated with ordering symptoms in men. Conclusions: There are sex differences in the association between OC symptoms and HPA axis measures in healthy individuals.
AB - Background: Previous studies have shown associations between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity (HPA). We aimed to investigate the association between obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms and HPA axis functionality in a non-clinical sample and to explore whether there are sex differences in this relationship. Methods: One hundred eighty-three healthy individuals without any psychiatric diagnosis (80 men, 103 women; mean age 41.3 ± 17.9 years) were recruited from the general population. The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory Revised (OCI-R) was used to assess OC symptoms. State-trait anxiety, perceived stress, and stressful life events were also assessed. Saliva cortisol levels were determined at 6 time points (awakening, 30 and 60 min post-awakening, 10:00 a.m., 23:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. the following day of 0.25 mg dexamethasone intake [that occurred at 23:00 p.m.]). Three HPA axis measures were calculated: Cortisol awakening response (CAR), cortisol diurnal slope, and cortisol suppression ratio after dexamethasone (DSTR). Multiple linear regression analyses were used to explore the association between OC symptoms and HPA axis measures while adjusting for covariates. Our main analyses were focused on OCI-R total score, but we also explored associations with specific OC symptom dimensions. Results: No significant differences were observed between males and females in OC symptoms, anxiety measures, stress, or cortisol measures. In the multiple linear regression analyses between overall OC symptoms and HPA axis measures, a female sex by OC symptoms significant interaction (standardized beta =-0.322; p = 0.023) for the CAR (but not cortisol diurnal slope nor DSTR) was found. Regarding specific symptom dimensions, two other sex interactions were found: A blunted CAR was associated with obsessing symptoms in women, whereas a more flattened diurnal cortisol slope was associated with ordering symptoms in men. Conclusions: There are sex differences in the association between OC symptoms and HPA axis measures in healthy individuals.
KW - Cortisol
KW - OCD
KW - Obsessive
KW - Sex differences
KW - Stress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85075924824&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13293-019-0273-3
DO - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13293-019-0273-3
M3 - Artículo
C2 - 31791404
AN - SCOPUS:85075924824
VL - 10
JO - Biology of Sex Differences
JF - Biology of Sex Differences
SN - 2042-6410
IS - 1
M1 - 55
ER -