Stress hormone, personality and cognition in people who experienced early life stress

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, personality, and cognition in subjects with early life stress

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN17890361

Enrollment

Registered

2022-08-15

Start date

2024-10-10

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-09-08

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Early life stress Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Interventions

To minimize potential selection bias, we will use a computer random number generator as a randomization technique. The researchers will verify participants' eligibility and randomly assign them during

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Current participant inclusion criteria as of 25/07/2023: 1. Aged 18 to 45 years old 2. Physically healthy Previous participant inclusion criteria: 1. Aged 18 years old and over 2. Physically healthy

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Current DSM-5 psychiatric disorders measured using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) at the first experimental session 5. New psychotropic medication or in receipt of any other type of pharmacological or psychological treatment 6. Pregnancy or/and breastfeeding 7. Hormonal medications 8. Any type of allergy

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Screen participants for eligibility: 1. Current mental disorders are measured using a Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) for DSM-5 at baseline 2. Cognitive impairment is measured using the Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP) test at baseline 3. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is measured using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 at baseline 4. Early life stress is measured using Childhood Trauma Questionnaire at baseline After screening participants' eligibility to enter the trial, they will be assigned to the ‘Early life stress’ and ‘without Early life stress’ groups and undergo further assessments before and after placebo or hydrocortisone administration (at baseline and on day 4): 1. Levels of anxiety measured using Maudsley Visual Analogue Scales 2. Levels of depression measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology 3. Spatial Working Memory measured using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) 4. The neuropsychological assessments are measured using Cognitive Remediation in Bipolar (CRiB) Battery 5. Salivary levels of HPA axis activity biomarker cortisol measured using ELISA immediately upon awakening, half an hour later, and one hour afterwards	—

Measure

Time frame

Screen participants for eligibility: 1. Current mental disorders are measured using a Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) for DSM-5 at baseline 2. Cognitive impairment is measured using the Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP) test at baseline 3. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is measured using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 at baseline 4. Early life stress is measured using Childhood Trauma Questionnaire at baseline After screening participants' eligibility to enter the trial, they will be assigned to the ‘Early life stress’ and ‘without Early life stress’ groups and undergo further assessments before and after placebo or hydrocortisone administration (at baseline and on day 4): 1. Levels of anxiety measured using Maudsley Visual Analogue Scales 2. Levels of depression measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology 3. Spatial Working Memory measured using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) 4. The neuropsychological assessments are measured using Cognitive Remediation in Bipolar (CRiB) Battery 5. Salivary levels of HPA axis activity biomarker cortisol measured using ELISA immediately upon awakening, half an hour later, and one hour afterwards

—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
There are no secondary outcome measures	—

Countries

England, United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026