Endocrine, Electrodermal, and Cardiac Responses to Trier Social Stress Test in Healthy Adults With a History of Child Maltreatment

Objective: Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have long-lasting physiological consequences, including those on the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis regulation. However, the impact on the HPA axis can be varied, manifesting as either hyper- or hypo-activation, and few studies have investigated the physiological effects of moderate ACE exposure in healthy adults. The study aimed to compare endocrine, electrodermal, and cardiac responses in healthy adults with and without a history of moderate ACEs during a stress inoculation task. Method: Thirty-six college students, with no presence or history of mental disorder, with an average age of 24 years were included. Fifteen participants had a history of ACE (ACE+), and 21 participants had no history of ACE (ACE−). ACE was assessed using the Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology of Exposure. All the participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test. Salivary cortisol reactivity, heart rate variability, and electrodermal responses were assessed throughout the stress inoculation. Results: Basal cortisol levels did not differ between the groups. A difference was found regarding the reactivity of cortisol levels, with the ACE+ group showing a blunted response compared to the ACE− group. Nevertheless, when examining stress responses among women, the ACE+ group exhibited greater reactivity. No statistical differences regarding subjective, cardiac, and electrodermal responses were found. Conclusions: ACE is associated with blunted HPA axis reactivity in healthy individuals. However, the gender effect should be more thoroughly examined in studies with larger sample sizes. Resilience processes after moderate ACE should be investigated longitudinally to shed light on psychophysiological pathways to health vulnerability.