HPA Axis Stress Reactivity and Hair Cortisol Concentrations in Recently Detoxified Alcoholics and Healthy Controls With and Without Childhood Maltreatment

The study investigated the relationship between childhood maltreatment (CM), alcohol dependence (AD), and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning by examining hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) and stress responses in 130 participants divided into four groups: AD patients with and without CM, and healthy controls with and without CM. Results showed that AD patients, regardless of CM history, had higher HCCs and lower adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol levels before and after a stress test compared to healthy controls. Healthy controls with CM had lower plasma cortisol levels than those without CM. The findings suggested that AD significantly affected HPA axis functioning, potentially overshadowing differences between AD patients with and without CM. The study recommended further research to identify biologically distinct subtypes of AD related to CM.