Regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity in response to cognitive therapy in patients with generalized anxiety disorder
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cognitive therapy (CT) in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), as it would be reflected through both psychological and psychoneuroendocrinological parameters. For this purpose, a group of outpatients with GAD were treated with CT for up to a maximum of 24 sessions. In order to assess psychological and biological changes, anxiety-related symptoms were evaluated according to the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function was determined through assessment of circulating cortisol levels. A significant decrease in the HAM-A scores, along with significant changes in plasma cortisol levels, were observed after completion of treatment with CT. These observations contribute to demonstrate that the effect of certain psychotherapeutic approaches, such as CT, may be observed at both psychological and biological levels.
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Studies on the effect of cognitive-behavioral therapies on inflammatory biomarkers in patients with clinical anxiety have presented mixed results.
“Despite robust evidence as an effective treatment for GAD, research on the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT) in the inflammatory profile of patients with clinical anxiety has presented mixed results.”
From Inflammatory markers changes following acceptance-based behavioral psychotherapy in generalized anxiety disorder patients: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial (2024) · cites this paper as Tafet et al., 2005
The Results and Discussion report changes in cortisol, a measure of HPA-axis activity, after cognitive therapy for GAD. Our copy does not address inflammatory biomarkers or say that studies of therapy’s effects on them have had mixed results (searched for inflammatory biomarkers, cytokines, and mixed results). (LLM, conf=0.77)
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- Authors
- Tafet, G. E., Feder, D. J., Abulafia, D. P., & Roffman, S. S.
- Affiliations
- Universidad Maimónides (AR)
- Corresponding author
- Tafet, Gustavo E.
- ORCID
- Tafet, Gustavo E.
- Venue
- Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience
- Published
- 2005-03
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 37-40
- ISSN
- 1530-7026 (ISSN-L)
- 1531-135X
- OpenAlex
- W2054256503
- Cited by
- 53
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 0.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Cognitive Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- generalized anxiety disorder, cognitive therapy, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, cortisol, psychoneuroendocrinology, anxiety symptoms, psychotherapy efficacy, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anxiety Disorders, Evaluation Studies as Topic, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Male, Middle Aged, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Time Factors, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Multivariate Analysis
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