Associations of waking cortisol with DHEA and testosterone across the pubertal transition: Effects of threat-related early life stress.

摘要: Abstract Atypical regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a putative mechanism underlying association between exposure to early life stress (ELS) and subsequent development mental physical health difficulties. Recent research indicates that puberty period HPA-axis plasticity during which effects ELS on cortisol may change. In particular, increases in sex hormones drive pubertal maturation, including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) testosterone, be implicated recalibration regulation. current study, we examined associations among levels objectively-rated threat-related salivary waking cortisol, DHEA, testosterone sample 178 adolescents (55 % female) who were at baseline (Tanner stages 1–3; mean Tanner stage[SD] = 1.93[0.64]; age[SD] = 11.42[1.04]) followed up approximately two years later (mean stage[SD] = 3.46[0.86]; age[SD] = 13.38[1.06]). Using multi-level modeling, disaggregated between-individual within-individual stage change cortisol. Controlling for differences average stage, DHEA was more strongly positive evidenced greater across time. Both higher associated with time, indicating coupling developmental changes these hormones; however, attenuated exposed severe prior puberty. These findings advance our understanding its childhood environmental risk