Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

HPA axis function and temperament in depression: a negative report

A Roy1

  • 1Psychiatry Service, East Orange Veterans Administration Medical Center, NJ 07019, USA.

Biological Psychiatry
|March 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

This study found no link between personality traits measured by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and cortisol levels in depressed patients. Temperament does not appear to be a primary driver of hypercortisolemia in depression.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Further evidence for low serum cholesterol and suicidal behaviour.

Journal of affective disorders·2000
Same author

Relation of family history of suicide to suicide attempts in alcoholics.

The American journal of psychiatry·2000
Same author

[Autoimmune hepatitis in children. Initial presentation as fulminant hepatic failure].

Acta gastroenterologica Latinoamericana·2000
Same author

Malnutrition and hypernatraemia in breastfed babies.

Annals of tropical paediatrics·2000
Same author

Somatosensory evoked potentials associated with thermal activation of type II Adelta mechanoheat nociceptive afferents.

The International journal of neuroscience·2000
Same author

Coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass in pheochromocytoma.

The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery·2000

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Previous research suggested a link between personality (Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire - TPQ) and hypercortisolemia in depression.
  • This study investigates the relationship between personality traits and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in depressed patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the correlation between Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) scores and HPA axis activity in depressed individuals.
  • To determine if specific personality dimensions are associated with altered cortisol levels in depression.

Main Methods:

  • Administered the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) to 39 depressed patients.
  • Measured hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, including plasma cortisol levels (pre and postdexamethasone) and urinary free cortisol.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Also analyzed data from a subset of six patients who completed the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ).

    • Main Results:

    • No significant correlations were found between EPQ variables (extraversion, neuroticism, psychoticism) and plasma cortisol levels.
    • No significant correlations were observed with postdexamethasone cortisol or urinary free cortisol.
    • A small subgroup completing the TPQ also showed no significant correlations with cortisol levels.

    Conclusions:

    • The findings do not support the hypothesis that personality traits, as measured by the EPQ, are a major determinant of hypercortisolemia in depression.
    • Temperament, based on these personality measures, does not appear to significantly influence HPA axis dysregulation in this patient group.