The principal purpose of this program is to explore the usefulness of basic psychoendocrine concepts and guiding principles in the development of clinical research strategies for the study of psychiatric and psychosomatic disorders. While a primary emphasis is on the study of mechanisms of pathogenesis of stress-related illnesses, it is hoped that new leverage in the diagnosis and treatment of such disorders may also eventually emerge from this approach. A key and rather unique feature of the research strategy is emphasis on the need to study the neuroendocrine apparatus as nearly as a whole as possible, by measurement of multihormonal patterns, since the many interdependent neuroendocrine systems are apparently coordinated in a broadly organized way by the central integrative machinery. The first project is a psychoendocrine study of bereavement in older men after the death of their wife. An extensive psychological and endocrine assessment of their adjustment 2 months following the loss will provide new information on the grief process itself, as well as a prospective view of high risk factors for the subsequent development of illness. A companion epidemiologic study will provide much subsequent development of illness. A companion epidemiologic study will provide much additional social, psychological, and outcome data for correlation with hormonal findings. A second project is a combined psychological, neuroendocrine, and neurochemical study of the stages of clinical change during the course of schizophrenic psychosis. This study will also provide an opportunity to evalute some concepts concerning the possible role of hormones in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, which were suggested by early clinical psychoendocrine workers, but which remain untested by modern research methods. Another feature of the program is an emphasis on the training of young investigators in psychoneuroendocrine research by involving them in the major projects or guiding them in innovative pilot research aimed at exploring the extent to which our present basic science foundation in psychoneuroendocrinology can be applied to develop useful new strategies for clinical research on both psychiatric and medical disorders.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Scientist Award (K05)
Project #
5K05MH000346-05
Application #
3075706
Study Section
Research Scientist Development Review Committee (MHK)
Project Start
1981-01-01
Project End
1985-12-31
Budget Start
1985-01-01
Budget End
1985-12-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
1985
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Yale University
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
082359691
City
New Haven
State
CT
Country
United States
Zip Code
Yehuda, R; Southwick, S; Giller, E L et al. (1992) Urinary catecholamine excretion and severity of PTSD symptoms in Vietnam combat veterans. J Nerv Ment Dis 180:321-5
Mason, J W; Kosten, T R; Giller, E L (1991) Multidimensional hormonal discrimination of paranoid schizophrenic from bipolar manic patients. Biol Psychiatry 29:457-66
Kosten, T R; Wahby, V; Giller Jr, E et al. (1990) The dexamethasone suppression test and thyrotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test in posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry 28:657-64
Yehuda, R; Southwick, S M; Nussbaum, G et al. (1990) Low urinary cortisol excretion in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. J Nerv Ment Dis 178:366-9
Wexler, B E; Mason, J W; Giller, E L (1989) Possible subtypes of affective disorder suggested by differences in cerebral laterality and testosterone. A preliminary report. Arch Gen Psychiatry 46:429-33
Southwick, S; Mason, J W; Giller, E L et al. (1989) Serum thyroxine change and clinical recovery in psychiatric inpatients. Biol Psychiatry 25:67-74
Mason, J W; Kennedy, J L; Kosten, T R et al. (1989) Serum thyroxine levels in schizophrenic and affective disorder diagnostic subgroups. J Nerv Ment Dis 177:351-8
Mason, J W; Giller, E L; Kosten, T R et al. (1988) Elevation of urinary norepinephrine/cortisol ratio in posttraumatic stress disorder. J Nerv Ment Dis 176:498-502
Mason, J W; Giller, E L; Kosten, T R (1988) Serum testosterone differences between patients with schizophrenia and those with affective disorder. Biol Psychiatry 23:357-66
Kosten, T R; Mason, J W; Giller, E L et al. (1987) Sustained urinary norepinephrine and epinephrine elevation in post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychoneuroendocrinology 12:13-20

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