In:
Neuropsychobiology, S. Karger AG, Vol. 63, No. 4 ( 2011), p. 232-241
Abstract:
〈 i 〉 Background/Aims: 〈 /i 〉 Schizotypy is viewed as a dimensional trait ranging from healthy people to schizophrenic spectrum patients. Stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and accumulated evidence suggests that schizophrenia is associated with altered HPA axis function; however, HPA axis function in relation to schizotypal personality has not been well documented. 〈 i 〉 Methods: 〈 /i 〉 We examined the relationship between schizotypal traits as assessed with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) and cortisol responses to the combined dexamethasone/corticotropin- releasing hormone test in 141 healthy volunteers. Subjects were divided into three groups based on their cortisol responses to the dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing hormone test: incomplete suppressors, moderate suppressors, and enhanced suppressors. SPQ scores were compared between these three groups using the analysis of covariance, controlling for age and sex. 〈 i 〉 Results: 〈 /i 〉 The analysis of covariance showed significant main effects of the suppressor status on the ideas of reference and suspiciousness/paranoid ideation subscales and cognitive-perceptual factor. Post-hoc analyses with Bonferroni correction revealed that the enhanced suppressors scored significantly higher than the moderate suppressors on these SPQ indices. 〈 i 〉 Conclusion: 〈 /i 〉 These results indicate that nonclinical schizotypal traits in healthy adults are associated with blunted cortisol reactivity, potentially suggesting a shared neuroendocrinological mechanism across schizophrenia spectrum pathology.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0302-282X
,
1423-0224
Language:
English
Publisher:
S. Karger AG
Publication Date:
2011
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1483094-2
SSG:
5,2
SSG:
15,3
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