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Enhanced cortisol suppression in eating disorders with impulsive personality features
Marina Díaz-Marsá1, Jose L Carrasco, Elena Basurte
1Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, C/ Martín Lagos s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain. mdiazm.hcsc@salud.madrid.org
Psychiatry Research
|January 10, 2008
Summary
Eating disorders (ED) show varied cortisol responses. Impulsive bulimic patients exhibit enhanced cortisol suppression, linked to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and impulsivity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroendocrinology
- Psychiatry
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Cortisol suppression via dexamethasone test (DST) varies in eating disorders (ED), suggesting subtype-specific neurobiological stress response differences.
- Impulsive traits in ED patients may correlate with enhanced cortisol suppression, mirroring findings in impulsive personality disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cortisol suppression patterns using a very low-dose DST in distinct ED subtypes.
- To explore correlations between cortisol suppression, phenomenology, personality, and impulsivity in ED patients.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 52 patients with restrictive anorexia, binge-purging anorexia, and bulimia nervosa underwent a 0.25 mg DST.
- Phenomenological assessments, personality evaluations, and impulsivity measures (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale) were administered.
Main Results:
- Patients with bulimic symptoms demonstrated significantly higher cortisol suppression rates compared to controls and restrictive anorectic patients.
- A strong positive correlation was observed between percent cortisol suppression and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale scores.
Conclusions:
- Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction, indicated by hypersensitive cortisol response to dexamethasone, may be specifically linked to impulsive ED subtypes.
- Distinct neurobiological stress response profiles may characterize different ED subtypes, particularly those with impulsive features.
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