Title:Hair Cortisol Concentration as a Biomarker of Symptoms of Depression
in the Perinatal Period
Volume: 22
Issue: 1
Author(s): Nisrin El Mlili, Hanan Ahabrach and Omar Cauli*
Affiliation:
- Department of Nursing, University of Valencia, Valencia 46010, Spain
- Frailty and Cognitive Impairment Group
(FROG), University of Valencia, Valencia 46010, Spain
Keywords:
Depression, hypothalamus, adrenal glands, pregnancy, antidepressant drugs, anxiety, sleep.
Abstract: Pregnancy is a sensitive period when women experience major hormonal and psychological
changes. A high prevalence of the symptoms of depression and manifested major depression rates
have been reported during this period, leading to negative outcomes both for mothers and the offspring.
Despite its prevalence, the aetiology of depression is not yet fully understood. Nonetheless,
alterations in cortisol levels have been proposed as a reliable biomarker to identify pregnant women at
risk of perinatal depression. Hair cortisol has recently been extensively used in bio-psychological studies
as a suitable non-invasive biomarker for several neuropsychiatric disorders. Various studies have
published evidence regarding the relationship between cortisol fluctuations during the perinatal period,
measured both in hair and in other substrates, and the onset of perinatal symptoms of depression. This
current review provides an overview of cortisol level changes measured in women’s hair during pregnancy
or the postpartum period and its association with perinatal symptoms of depression. Further
studies, including repetitive measurement of both hair cortisol and depression throughout the prenatal
period, must be performed to clarify the relationship between cortisol levels and perinatal symptoms
of depression.