Altered Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA-Axis) Activity Due To Early Traumatic Stress and Its Relevance for Metabolic Symptoms

Early traumatic stress is associated with alterations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis) indicated by an increased response to stress, a diminished negative feedback and alterations in expression of glucocorticoid receptors. Patients with a history of childhood trauma are more likely to develop metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus type 2 or metabolic syndrome.

The investigators will examine participants with and without early life stress and with and without major depression. The investigators assume that traumatized study participants (1) show an increased endocrine stress reaction to psychosocial stress, (2) display an altered sensitivity of GR, and (3) therefore suffer from an adverse cardiovascular risk profile in comparison to not-traumatized participants.

The investigators study will increase current knowledge on possible sequel of early traumatic stress. The results will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of stress-related eating behaviour and its implications.