Sex-specific association between the cortisol awakening response and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in healthy individuals

Melia, Cristian Sebastian; Soria, Virginia; Salvat-Pujol, Neus; Cabezas, Ángel; Nadal, Roser; Urretavizcaya, Mikel; Gutiérrez-Zotes, Alfonso; Monreal, José Antonio; Crespo, José Manuel; Alonso, Pino; Vilella, Elisabet; Palao, Diego; Menchón, José Manuel; Labad, Javier

doi:10.1186/s13293-019-0273-3

Table 3 Sex-stratified correlation analyses exploring the association between psychometric scales and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis measures

From: Sex-specific association between the cortisol awakening response and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in healthy individuals

Men (N = 80)
	Number of SLEs	HRSRS stress score	PSS total score	STAI-state anxiety	STAI-trait anxiety	CAR	Diurnal cortisol slope	DSTR
Number of SLEs	1	0.835^**	0.163	0.109	0.080	0.300^**	0.210	− 0.133
HRSRS stress score	0.835^**	1	0.073	− 0.001	− 0.059	0.290^*	0.225	− 0.147
PSS total score	0.163	0.073	1	0.595^**	0.603^**	0.133	0.202	− 0.145
STAI-state anxiety	0.109	− 0.001	0.595^**	1	0.624^**	− 0.091	0.012	− 0.066
STAI-trait anxiety	0.080	− 0.059	0.603^**	0.624^**	1	0.129	0.219	0.164
CAR	0.300^**	0.290^*	0.133	− 0.091	0.129	1	0.332^**	− 0.064
Diurnal cortisol slope	0.210	0.225	0.202	0.012	0.219	0.332^**	1	0.043
DSTR	− 0.133	− 0.147	− 0.145	− 0.066	0.164	− 0.064	0.043	1
OCI-R total score	0.180	−0.031	0.238^*	0.235^*	0.445^**	0.110	0.185	0.019
OCI-R washing	0.242^*	− 0.012	0.298^**	0.310^**	0.406^**	0.207	0.241^*	− 0.063
OCI-R checking	0.073	− 0.140	0.352^**	0.329^**	0.464^**	0.118	0.004	0.037
OCI-R ordering	0.162	− 0.022	0.153	0.194	0.352^**	0.062	0.135	0.056
OCI-R obsessing	0.070	− 0.023	0.235^*	0.246^*	0.402^**	0.171	0.163	− 0.046
OCI-R hoarding	0.146	0.035	0.060	0.015	0.164	0.151	0.255^*	− 0.186
OCI-R neutralizing	0.292^**	0.045	0.207	0.232^*	0.381^**	0.105	0.149	− 0.039
Women (N = 103)
	Number of SLEs	HRSRS stress score	PSS total score	STAI-state anxiety	STAI-trait anxiety	CAR	Diurnal cortisol slope	DSTR
Number of SLEs	1	0.832^**	0.120	− 0.184	− 0.003	0.091	0.045	− 0.078
HRSRS stress score	0.832^**	1	0.248^*	0.016	0.254^*	0.092	0.080	− 0.013
PSS total score	0.120	0.248^*	1	0.495^**	0.630^**	− 0.067	0.051	0.074
STAI-state anxiety	− 0.184	0.016	0.495^**	1	0.611^**	0.013	− 0.058	0.088
STAI-trait anxiety	− 0.003	0.254^*	0.630^**	0.611^**	1	− 0.147	− 0.017	0.130
CAR	0.091	0.092	− 0.067	0.013	− 0.147	1	0.381^**	0.148
Diurnal cortisol slope	0.045	0.080	0.051	− 0.058	− 0.017	0.381^**	1	0.151
DSTR	− 0.078	− 0.013	0.074	0.088	0.130	0.148	0.151	1
OCI-R total score	0.128	0.270^*	0.354^**	0.131	0.470^**	− 0.176	− 0.013	− 0.036
OCI-R washing	0.066	0.085	0.100	0.019	0.224^*	0.019	0.043	0.057
OCI-R checking	0.042	0.163	0.239^*	− 0.069	0.323^**	− 0.120	− 0.031	0.046
OCI-R ordering	0.087	0.277^**	0.311^**	0.185	0.352^**	− 0.220^*	− 0.046	− 0.127
OCI-R obsessing	− 0.085	0.005	0.455^**	0.224^*	0.561^**	− 0.196	0.110	0.095
OCI-R hoarding	0.232^*	0.298^**	0.168	− 0.014	0.232^*	0.001	0.021	− 0.032
OCI-R neutralizing	0.065	0.238^*	0.406^**	0.145	0.459^**	− 0.138	0.007	− 0.019

Pearson’s correlation coefficients are shown. Significant results are marked with an asterisk (^*p < 0.05; ^**p < 0.01)
Abbreviations: SLEs stressful life events, HRSRS Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Scale, STAI State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, CAR cortisol awakening response, DSTR dexamethasone suppression test ratio, OCI-R Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory—Revised.

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ISSN: 2042-6410

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