Apples for Health- Stress hormone linked to mental illness

Stress hormone linked to mental illness

ATLANTA, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers hypothesize that changes in stress hormones that occur in at-risk teenagers influence gene expression in the brain linked to mental illness.

A five-year, $25-million study joins the resources of Emory University in Atlanta and seven other major research universities, with the goal of identifying more precise predictors for psychosis.

"This is a critical, watershed study," Elaine Walker of Emory University said in a statement. "To date, no one has systematically studied brain development, patterns of electrical brain activity and changes in gene expression in youth at risk for psychosis."

Schizophrenia affects about 1 percent of the population and most people diagnosed are unable to hold a job or live independently for most of their lives.

The typical onset of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders is about 21 years of age, with warning signs beginning, on average, around age 17.

Walker recently completed a study that tracked changes in the stress hormone cortisol that found much sharper increases in cortisol levels in the participants who were eventually diagnosed with a psychosis.

"This suggests that youth who are vulnerable to psychosis may be especially sensitive to elevations in cortisol selection," Walker said.
"All neurons in the brain have receptors for hormones and research on animals has shown that cortisol can change how these neurons function."