Journal
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
Volume 30, Issue 6, Pages 1173-1180Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1300676
Keywords
posttraumatic stress disorder; sleep; cortisol; HPA axis; corticotropin-releasing-hormone
Categories
Funding
- NCRR NIH HHS [5 M01 RR-00079] Funding Source: Medline
- NIMH NIH HHS [R29 MH057157-05, R01 MH073978-01, MH057157, R01 MH073978] Funding Source: Medline
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Alterations of the hypothalamic - pituitary - adrenal (HPA) axis and sleep disturbances have been described separately in post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD). It is not known if HPA alterations and sleep disturbances are associated in PTSD. This study examined sleep and HPA activity in 20 male medication-free subjects with PTSD and 16 matched healthy controls. Two nights of polysomnography were obtained and 24-h urinary cortisol was collected during day 2. Subjects self-administered a low-dose (0.5 mg) salivary dexamethasone test at home. Compared with controls, PTSD subjects had higher 24-h urinary mu g cortisol/g creatinine (mean +/- SD 40 +/- 17 vs 28 +/- 12, p = 0.03) but not significantly higher 24-h urinary cortisol ( mean +/- SD 52 +/- 15 mu g/day vs 43 +/- 23, p = 0.19). PTSD subjects showed a trend towards less cortisol suppression after dexamethasone (73% +/- 18 vs 83% +/- 10, p = 0.06). In the combined sample, delta sleep was significantly and negatively correlated with 24-h urinary cortisol ( r = - 0.36, p = 0.04), and with 24-h urinary cortisol/g creatinine on a trend level ( r = - 0.34, p = 0.06). Our results suggest that increased cortisol is negatively associated with delta sleep. This may contribute to sleep abnormalities in conditions associated with elevated cortisol, possibly including PTSD. Future studies should explore the temporal relationship between HPA activity, sleep disturbances, and psychopathology after a traumatic event.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available