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Pituitary volume, stress reactivity and genetic risk for psychotic disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2011

P. Habets ,
D. Collip ,
I. Myin-Germeys ,
E. Gronenschild ,
S. van Bronswijk ,
P. Hofman ,
T. Lataster ,
M. Lardinois ,
N. A. Nicolson  and
J. van Os
...Show all authors
P. Habets
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
D. Collip
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
I. Myin-Germeys
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
E. Gronenschild
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
S. van Bronswijk
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
P. Hofman
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
T. Lataster
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
M. Lardinois
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
N. A. Nicolson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
J. van Os
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands King's College London, King's Health Partners, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
M. Marcelis*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
*
*Address for correspondence: M. Marcelis, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Center, PO Box 616 (Vijv1), 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity, associated with increased pituitary volume, may mediate observed alterations in stress reactivity in patients with psychotic disorder. We examined the association between pituitary volume, real-life stress reactivity and genetic liability for psychotic disorder.

Method

Pituitary volumes were derived from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 20 patients with psychotic disorder, 37 non-psychotic siblings of these patients, and 32 controls. The Experience Sampling Method (ESM) was used to measure emotional stress reactivity [changes in negative affect (NA) associated with daily life stress] in the three groups, and biological stress reactivity (changes in cortisol associated with daily life stress) in siblings and controls. Interactions between group, stress and pituitary volume in models of NA and cortisol were examined.

Results

Groups did not differ in pituitary volume. Patients showed significantly higher emotional stress reactivity than siblings and controls. In addition, emotional stress reactivity increased with increasing pituitary volume to a greater degree in patients than in controls and siblings. Siblings had higher cortisol levels than controls but did not show increased cortisol reactivity to stress. There was no interaction between pituitary volume, stress and group in the model of cortisol.

Conclusions

Higher pituitary volume was associated with increased emotional stress reactivity in patients with psychotic disorder, siblings and controls. The association was significantly stronger in the patient group, suggesting a process of progressive sensitization mediating clinical outcome.

Keywords

Genetic predisposition to diseasehypothalamo-hypophyseal systemmagnetic resonance imagingpituitary–adrenal systempituitary glandpsychological stressschizophreniastress
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 42 , Issue 7 , July 2012 , pp. 1523 - 1533
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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