High trait anxiety may be associated with inadequate hormone release

NewsRx.com - March 03, 2005

High trait anxiety in healthy subjects is associated with low neuroendocrine activity during psychosocial stress.

According to researchers in Slovakia, "Altered stress responsiveness has been repeatedly related to mood and anxiety disorders. In a traditional view, a reduction of the stress response has been thought favorable. The goal of [our] study was to verify the hypothesis that high anxiety is accompanied by enhanced hormone release during stress."

D. Jezova and colleagues of the Slovak Academy of Science explained, "Healthy subjects at the upper (anxious, n) and lower (non-anxious. n) limits of the normal range of a trait anxiety scale (State trait anxiety inventory) were exposed to psychosocial stress procedure based on public speech. Hormone levels, cardiovascular activation and skin conductance were measured."

`"Exposure to psychosocial stress was associated with significant increases of all parameters measured. During the stress procedure, subjects with high trait anxiety exhibited lower levels of hormones of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis, namely ACTH and cortisol in plasma, as well as cortisol in saliva," the researchers reported.

"Similarly, the stress-induced activation of epinephrine, norepinephrine and prolactin secretion was significantly lower in anxious subjects in comparison with that in non-anxious subjects," they noted.

The authors concluded, "Thus, in contrast to the traditional view, high anxiousness was not associated with exaggerated stress response. Our findings suggest that high trait anxiety may be associated with an inability to respond with adequate hormone release to acute stress stimuli."

Jezova and colleagues published their study in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry (High trait anxiety in healthy subjects is associated with low neuroendocrine activity during psychosocial stress. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry, 2004;28(8):1331-1336).

For additional information, contact D. Jezova, Slovak Academy of Science, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Pharmacology and Neuroendocrinology Laboratory, Vlarska 3, SK-83306 Bratislava, Slovakia.

Publisher contact information for the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry is: Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd., The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England.

The information in this article comes under the major subject areas of Anxiety, Mental Stress, Hormones, Skin Conductance, Neuroscience, Endocrinology and Mental Health. This article was prepared by Biotech Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2005, Biotech Week via NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net.

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