Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Reactivity in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Health Under Psychological, Physiological, and Pharmacological Stimulation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19303159 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jens Gaab (0000-0002-9194-8491), Dominik Hüster, Renate Peisen, Veronika Engert (0000-0001-5317-933X), Vera Heitz, Tanja Schad, Thomas H Schürmeyer, Ulrike Ehlert (0000-0002-1982-8321) |
| Year | 2002 |
| Volume | 64 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 951-962 |
| Publication date | 2002-11-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Psychosomatic Medicine (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-3174 • E-ISSN: 1534-7796 |
| Publisher | Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1097/00006842-200211000-00012 |
| OpenAlex | W4246551596 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 63 |
Objectives Subtle alterations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have been proposed as a shared pathway linking numerous etiological and perpetuating processes with symptoms and observed physiological abnormalities. Because the HPA axis is involved in the adaptive responses to stress and CFS patients experience a worsening of symptoms after physical and psychological stress, we tested HPA axis functioning with three centrally acting stress tests. Methods We used two procedures mimicking real-life stressors and compared them with a standardized pharmacological neuroendocrine challenge test. CFS patients were compared with healthy control subjects regarding their cardiovascular and endocrine reactivity in a psychosocial stress test and a standardized exercise test, and their endocrine response in the insulin tolerance test (ITT). Results Controlling for possible confounding variables, we found significantly lower ACTH response levels in the psychosocial stress test and the exercise test, and significantly lower ACTH responses in the ITT, with no differences in plasma total cortisol responses. Also, salivary-free cortisol responses did not differ between the groups in the psychosocial stress test and the exercise test but were significantly higher for the CFS patients in the ITT. In all tests CFS patients had significantly reduced baseline ACTH levels. Conclusions These results suggest that CFS patients are capable of mounting a sufficient cortisol response under different types of stress but that on a central level subtle dysregulations of the HPA axis exist
Adrenocorticotropic hormone · Chronic fatigue syndrome · Confounding · Endocrine system · Etiology · Fight-or-flight response · Hormone · Hydrocortisone · Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis · Insulin · Insulin resistance · Insulin tolerance test · Psychiatry · Psychosocial · Stressor · Trier social stress test · Clinical Psychology · Endocrinology · Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research · Health, psychology, and well-being · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Psychology · Stress Responses and Cortisol
The potential role of hypocortisolism in the pathophysiology of stress-related bodily disorders
The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
The multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) psychometric qualities of an instrument to assess fatigue
Functional somatic syndromes
The ‘Trier Social Stress Test’ – A Tool for Investigating Psychobiological Stress Responses in a Laboratory Setting
Synthesis of a cortisol-biotin conjugate and evaluation as a tracer in an immunoassay for salivary cortisol measurement
Impact of Gender, Menstrual Cycle Phase, and Oral Contraceptives on the Activity of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis
Critical Life Events, Infections, and Symptoms During the Year Preceding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
Low-Dose Dexamethasone Suppression Test in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Health
Physical Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Are Exacerbated By the Stress of Hurricane Andrew
The prevalence and morbidity of chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome
| Highly cited | No |
|---|