Hair-based biomarkers in women with major depressive disorder: Glucocorticoids, endocannabinoids, N-acylethanolamines, and testosterone

Alexander Behnke, Anja M Gumpp, Aniko Krumbholz, Alexandra M Bach, Gustav Schelling, Iris-Tatjana Kolassa, Roberto Rojas. Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol. 2021 Jun 21:7:100068.

Observational studyHumans

Design

Observational study

Subjects

48 women: 21 with a current major depressive episode and 27 non-depressed controls

Dose used in the study

Not stated in the abstract; no treatment was given

Duration

3 cm hair segments, reflecting about three months

What was measured

Hair concentrations of cortisol, cortisone, testosterone, endocannabinoids and N-acylethanolamines including palmitoylethanolamide, by mass spectrometry.

What the authors reported

Women with depression had lower hair cortisol and cortisone than controls. Hair levels of endocannabinoids, N-acylethanolamines (including PEA) and testosterone did not differ between groups.

Limits of this study

A small cross-sectional study that measured natural palmitoylethanolamide in hair; it did not test PEA as a treatment. The authors declare no competing interests.

Source

PubMed 35757050 · doi:10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100068

Entry checked against the abstract on PubMed on 2026-09-22. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.