Psychophysiology, psychoneuroendocrinology, and the laterality concept of the brain

Twenty-two patients--11 paranoid schizophrenics and 11 major depressed--were investigated by means of a hypothalamic-pituitary challenge (HPC). The latter contained insulin, TRH and metoclopramide. Response with regard to blood glucose, serum GH, PRL, TSH and cortisol were measured 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 min after the baseline. Temporal alpha power was split into 2 groups with high and low alpha power, respectively. The aim was to see whether high cortical-limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal reactivity correlated with high temporal alpha power. Poor results were found with regard to diagnoses. Only TSH and glucose response were correlated with diagnoses. But, GH and cortisol responses reacted in relation to different alpha levels. Cell loss due to hormonal stress and consecutive miswiring of axons due to wrong sprouting are discussed as possible reasons for abnormal lateralized HPC response.