Cortisol awakening response in late pregnancy in women with previous or ongoing depression

• Pregnancy involves an increase in basal cortisol, and a decrease in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity. The cortisol awakening response is a measure of HPA axis reactivity which has been reported to be altered in patients with an ongoing depressive episode, as well as in individuals with remitted depression.This study aimed to use the cortisol awakening response to study the HPA axis reactivity in relation to previous and ongoing depression in women during the third trimester of pregnancy. Based on structured interviews, and repeated questionnaires during pregnancy, 134 women were included in one of three groups: never depressed (n=57), depressed prior to the current pregnancy (n=39), and depressed during the current pregnancy (n=38). The hypothesis was that the women with ongoing, or previous, depression would have a higher cortisol awakening response than women who have never suffered from depression.Linear mixed models analysis revealed no group differences in the absolute cortisol levels or in the shape of the cortisol awakening response. We conclude that the difference in cortisol awakening response between women with and without experience of a depressive episode is not evident in late pregnancy.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Neurovetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Neurosciences (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Fysiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Physiology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Reproduktionsmedicin och gynekologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine (hsv//eng)

Keyword

cortisol awakening response

pregnancy

depression

Medical Science

Medicinsk vetenskap

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

art (subject category)