Childhood stressful events, HPA axis and anxiety disorders

Table 5 Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis functioning and its correlations with psychopathology in generalized anxiety disordered patients

Author	Control group	Sample	Cortisol levels	DST	Correlations with psychopathology
Mantella et al[114], 2008	42 HC	71 GAD subjects	↑ Morning basal and peak salivary cortisol	-	↑ Psychopathology
Steudte et al[118], 2011	15 HC	15 GAD patients	↓ Cortisol in the first and second 3-cm hair segments; = salivary diurnal cortisol profiles	-	-
Schweizer et al[112], 1986	-	79 GAD subjects	-	27% non-suppression	-
Tiller et al[113], 1988	13 HC	30 GAD patients	-	27% non-suppression	Normalization of HPAA suppression after successful non drug behavioral treatment
Tafet et al[115], 2005	8 non treated GAD outpatients	17 treated GAD outpatients	= Morning plasma cortisol; ↑ evening plasma cortisol	-	↓ Evening plasma cortisol level after cognitive treatment
Pomara et al[116], 2005	90 HC	41 GAD patients	↑ Plasma cortisol levels	-	↓ Plasma cortisol after acute and chronic treatment with diazepam
Rosenbaum et al[117], 1983	22 HC	22 GAD subjects	= 24 h urinary cortisol levels	-	-

HC: Healthy controls; DST: Dexamethasone suppression test; GAD: Generalized anxiety disorder; HPAA: Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis.