Stress-system genes and life stress predict cortisol levels and amygdala and hippocampal volumes in children.

ABSTRACT: Depression has been linked to increased cortisol reactivity and differences in limbic brain volumes, yet the mechanisms underlying these alterations are unclear. One main hypothesis is that stress causes these effects. This is supported by animal studies showing that chronic stress or glucocorticoid administration can lead to alterations in hippocampal and amygdala structures. Relatedly, life stress is cited as one of the major risk factors for depression and candidate gene studies have related variation in stress-system genes to increased prevalence and severity of depression. The present study tested the hypothesis that genetic profile scores combining variance across 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms from four stress-system genes (CRHR1, NR3C2, NR3C1, and FKBP5) and early life stress w

SUBMITTER: Pagliaccio D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3957120 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature