ECE2006 Poster Presentations Neuroendocrinology and behaviour (70 abstracts)
Institute of Endocrinology, Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
In this study we wanted to assess whether affective changes influence cortisol response during low dose (1 microgram) ACTH test. Beck Inventory of Depression and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and low dose ACTH test were performed in five subjects during the prolonged psychological stress induced by war and 18 months later. After the war, Beck Inventory of Depression and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores were significantly reduced. Suppression of the HPA axis was present during the war but not after. Changes in maximal cortisol response and in area under curve (AUC) of cortisol response were significantly correlated with changes in Beck score (maximal cortisol Pearson correlation=−0.873, P=0.053, AUC cortisol correlation=−0.885 P=0.046). However, there was no correlation of Hamilton score with any of the parameters. Therefore, during low dose ACTH test affective changes modulate cortisol response to ACTH.