HPA axis function, personality and cognition in subjects with ELS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis function, personality, and cognition in subjects with early life stress.
IRAS ID
316745
Contact name
Allan Young
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN17890361
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
CRD42021271026, PROSPERO - International prospective register of systematic reviews
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
This project builds on evidence suggesting that exposure to early life stress (ELS) affects HPA axis functioning, which then interacts with a unique pattern of personality and cognition to increase vulnerability to the development of mental health problems in early adulthood. Although the importance of screening adults for risk factors for mental health problems has been recognised as essential for early intervention, an integrative screening tool has not yet been developed and validated. Such a tool is necessary to facilitate the efficient recruitment of participants for future research to develop early intervention measures for people. Therefore, this research would evaluate the degree to which salivary cortisol secretion is related to ELS, cognitive functioning, and psychiatric history, in addition to the feasibility of incorporating relevant measures into an integrative tool.
This project investigates the effects of the administration of hydrocortisone on cognition and offers a comparison between participants who have ELS vs those without ELS groups.
Healthy volunteer Adults (males and females) aged between 18 to 45 years old would be eligible.
The study will take place in King's College London - the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) testing room.
When the approval has been received, we need around 18 months to 2 years to complete all study processes. 15 participants with ELS and 15 participants ‘Control’ without ELS.
Per-participants: Three to four weeks will pass between the baseline examination and the follow-up point, if the protocol is followed.All participants (n=30) will receive the placebo or hydrocortisone for a continuous duration of three days. After two weeks of washout, we will replicate the whole protocol criteria to be sure that all participants received the placebo or hydrocortisone.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/PR/0513
Date of REC Opinion
4 Jul 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion