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Liebert MA, Urlacher SS, Madimenos FC, Gildner TE, Cepon-Robins TJ, Harrington CJ, Bribiescas RG, Sugiyama LS, Snodgrass JJ. Variation in diurnal cortisol patterns among the Indigenous Shuar of Amazonian Ecuador. Am J Hum Biol 2024:e24056. [PMID: 38517108 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its primary end product, the glucocorticoid cortisol, are major components of the evolved human stress response. However, most studies have examined these systems among populations in high-income settings, which differ from the high pathogen and limited resource contexts in which the HPA axis functioned for most of human evolution. METHODS We investigated variability in diurnal salivary cortisol patterns among 298 Indigenous Shuar from Amazonian Ecuador (147 males, 151 females; age 2-86 years), focusing on the effects of age, biological sex, and body mass index (BMI) in shaping differences in diurnal cortisol production. Saliva samples were collected three times daily (waking, 30 minutes post-waking, evening) for three consecutive days to measure key cortisol parameters: levels at waking, the cortisol awakening response, the diurnal slope, and total daily output. RESULTS Age was positively associated with waking levels and total daily output, with Shuar juveniles and adolescents displaying significantly lower levels than adults (p < .05). Sex was not a significant predictor of cortisol levels (p > .05), as Shuar males and females displayed similar patterns of diurnal cortisol production across the life course. Moreover, age, sex, and BMI significantly interacted to moderate the rate of diurnal cortisol decline (p = .027). Overall, Shuar demonstrated relatively lower cortisol concentrations than high-income populations. CONCLUSIONS This study expands the documented range of global variation in HPA axis activity and diurnal cortisol production and provides important insights into the plasticity of human stress physiology across diverse developmental and socioecological settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Liebert
- Department of Anthropology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Samuel S Urlacher
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
- Child and Brain Development Program, CIFAR, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Felicia C Madimenos
- Department of Anthropology, Queens College (CUNY), Flushing, New York, USA
- New York Consortium of Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), CUNY Graduate Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Theresa E Gildner
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Tara J Cepon-Robins
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Springs, Colorado, USA
| | | | | | | | - J Josh Snodgrass
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Center for Global Health, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Global Station for Indigenous Studies and Cultural Diversity, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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Schindler-Gmelch L, Capito K, Steudte-Schmiedgen S, Kirschbaum C, Berking M. Hair Cortisol Research in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - 10 Years of Insights and Open Questions. A Systematic Review. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:1697-1719. [PMID: 37550910 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230807112425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cortisol is one of the most extensively studied biomarkers in the context of trauma/posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For more than a decade, hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) have been measured in this context, leading to a two-staged dysregulation model. Specifically, an elevated secretion during/immediately after trauma exposure eventually reverts to hyposecretion with increasing time since trauma exposure has been postulated. OBJECTIVE The aim of our systematic review was to re-evaluate the two-staged secretion model with regard to the accumulated diagnostic, prognostic, and intervention-related evidence of HCC in lifetime trauma exposure and PTSD. Further, we provide an overview of open questions, particularly with respect to reporting standards and quality criteria. METHOD A systematic literature search yielded 5,046 records, of which 31 studies were included. RESULTS For recent/ongoing (traumatic) stress, the predictions of cortisol hypersecretion could be largely confirmed. However, for the assumed hyposecretion temporally more distal to trauma exposure, the results are more ambiguous. As most studies did not report holistic overviews of trauma history and confounding influences, this may largely be attributable to methodological limitations. Data on the prognostic and intervention-related benefits of HCC remain sparse. CONCLUSION Over the last decade, important insights could be gained about long-term cortisol secretion patterns following lifetime trauma exposure and PTSD. This systematic review integrates these insights into an updated secretion model for trauma/PTSD. We conclude with recommendations for improving HCC research in the context of trauma/PTSD in order to answer the remaining open questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Schindler-Gmelch
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Klara Capito
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Susann Steudte-Schmiedgen
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Matthias Berking
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Klusmann H, Luecking N, Engel S, Blecker MK, Knaevelsrud C, Schumacher S. Menstrual cycle-related changes in HPA axis reactivity to acute psychosocial and physiological stressors - a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 150:105212. [PMID: 37149074 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Sex disparities are evident in the biological response to acute stressors, with a suggested influence of ovarian hormones on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates differences in HPA axis reactivity to acute psychosocial or physiological stressors between menstrual cycle phases. A systematic literature search of six databases resulted in 12 longitudinal studies (n = 182) examining HPA axis reactivity in healthy, naturally-cycling, non-breastfeeding participants aged between 18 and 45 years in at least two cycle phases. The quality of cortisol and menstrual cycle assessment was rated and a descriptive synthesis and meta-analysis of HPA axis reactivity between two broader and five more precise cycle phases was conducted. Three studies provided sufficient data for the meta-analysis and showed a significant, small-sized effect, indicating higher cortisol reactivity in the luteal than in the follicular cycle phase. More primary studies with high-quality menstrual cycle and cortisol assessment are needed. The review did not receive funding and was pre-registered (PROSPERO; CRD42020181632).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Klusmann
- Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendenerstraße 27, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Noemi Luecking
- Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendenerstraße 27, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Sinha Engel
- Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendenerstraße 27, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Meike Katharina Blecker
- Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendenerstraße 27, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Christine Knaevelsrud
- Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendenerstraße 27, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Sarah Schumacher
- Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendenerstraße 27, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute for Mental Health and Behavioral Medicine, Faculty of Health, HMU Health and Medical University, Olympischer Weg 1, 14471 Potsdam, Germany.
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Laufer S, Schulze L, Engel S, Klusmann H, Skoluda N, Nater UM, Knaevelsrud C, Schumacher S. The effect of an internet-based intervention for depression on cortisol and alpha-amylase. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 152:106082. [PMID: 36989562 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Psychotherapeutic interventions for major depressive disorder (MDD) have been suggested to be associated with a normalization of biological stress system (i.e., the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the autonomic nervous system) dysregulation. Furthermore, pre-intervention cortisol parameters have been identified as prescriptive biological markers of treatment success. However, evidence of treatment effects on the biological stress systems is still sparse, and results are heterogeneous. The current study examined the effect of an internet-based intervention for MDD on salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase as well as hair cortisol concentrations. Moreover, the prescriptive capacity of pre-intervention cortisol and alpha-amylase concentrations on treatment response was explored. METHODS Thirty-eight participants suffering from mild to moderate MDD collected saliva and hair samples throughout the intervention. Biological outcome parameters were salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase (awakening response, total diurnal output, diurnal slope) and hair cortisol concentrations. Treatment response was indicated by change in depression severity and perceived chronic stress. RESULTS Treatment response on depression scores or chronic stress was not associated with changes in any of the cortisol or alpha-amylase parameters. Exploratory analysis indicated that non-responders showed a steeper alpha-amylase slope pre-intervention. DISCUSSION The results indicate that changes in depressive symptoms did not correspond to changes of the biological stress systems, contradicting the suggested normalization of dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis or autonomic nervous system activity through a psychotherapeutic intervention. However, the results point to a potential role of pre-intervention alpha-amylase slope as a prescriptive marker of treatment response for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Laufer
- Clinical Psychological Intervention, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendener Straße 27, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute for Mental Health and Behavioral Medicine, Faculty of Health, HMU Health and Medical University, Olympischer Weg 1, 14471 Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Lars Schulze
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sinha Engel
- Clinical Psychological Intervention, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendener Straße 27, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Hannah Klusmann
- Clinical Psychological Intervention, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendener Straße 27, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nadine Skoluda
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria; Research Platform the Stress of Life (SOLE) - Processes and Mechanisms underlying Everyday Life Stress, Austria
| | - Urs M Nater
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria; Research Platform the Stress of Life (SOLE) - Processes and Mechanisms underlying Everyday Life Stress, Austria
| | - Christine Knaevelsrud
- Clinical Psychological Intervention, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendener Straße 27, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarah Schumacher
- Clinical Psychological Intervention, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Schwendener Straße 27, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute for Mental Health and Behavioral Medicine, Faculty of Health, HMU Health and Medical University, Olympischer Weg 1, 14471 Potsdam, Germany
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Zhu X, Zhu Y, Huang J, Zhou Y, Tong J, Zhang P, Luo X, Chen S, Tian B, Tan S, Wang Z, Han X, Tian L, Li CSR, Hong LE, Tan Y. Abnormal cortisol profile during psychosocial stress among patients with schizophrenia in a Chinese population. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18591. [PMID: 36329219 PMCID: PMC9633605 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20808-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction might play an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to explore the cortisol response to psychological stress in patients with schizophrenia. In this study, patients with schizophrenia (n = 104) and healthy volunteers (n = 59) were asked to complete psychological stress challenge tasks, which included the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task and Mirror-Tracing Persistence Task, and pre- and post-task saliva samples were collected to measure cortisol levels. Emotions and psychopathology were assessed by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. The results showed (1) that the cortisol response and negative emotions in patients with schizophrenia differed significantly from those in healthy volunteers, (2) there were significant interactions between the sampling time and diagnosis for saliva cortisol levels, (3) there were significant interactions between the scoring time and diagnosis for the negative affect score of the PANAS, and (4) the changes in salivary cortisol levels and negative affect scores before and after the psychological stress challenge tasks were not correlated with clinical symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. These findings indicated an abnormal cortisol profile in patients with schizophrenia, which might be a biological characteristic of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Zhu
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Zhu
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Junchao Huang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanfang Zhou
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinghui Tong
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingguang Luo
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Song Chen
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Baopeng Tian
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuping Tan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiren Wang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaole Han
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Tian
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - L Elliot Hong
- Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Yunlong Tan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
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Weber J, Angerer P, Apolinário-Hagen J. Physiological reactions to acute stressors and subjective stress during daily life: A systematic review on ecological momentary assessment (EMA) studies. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271996. [PMID: 35895674 PMCID: PMC9328558 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective This review aims to provide an overview of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) studies analyzing stress reactivity during daily life in terms of direct and moderated influence of acute stress on physiological responses. Materials and methods A systematic literature search was performed on November 29, 2021 using Web of Science, MEDLINE and PsycINFO to identify prospective EMA studies targeting acute stressors or stress under naturalistic conditions, without restrictions of publication date or population. Study quality was assessed for multiple EMA-specific sources of bias. Results Out of 4285 non-duplicate records, 107 publications involving 104 unique studies were included. The majority of studies assessed acute physiological stress responses primarily through salivary cortisol (n = 59) and cardiovascular outcomes (n = 32). Most studies performed at least three measurements per day (n = 59), and had a moderate risk of recall bias (n = 68) and confounding (n = 85). Fifty-four studies reported a compliance of ≥80%. Direct, non-moderated positive associations were observed between acute stress exposure and concurrent cortisol levels (44%, n = 11/25), systolic (44%, 8/18) and diastolic blood pressure (53%, 8/15) and heart rate (53%, 9/17). Several inter- and intra-individual moderators were identified, such as age, gender, health status, chronic stress, work-related resources, physical activity and stress coping indicators. Conclusions About half of the reviewed EMA studies demonstrated direct associations between everyday acute stress exposure and physiological responses, including increased cortisol levels, blood pressure and heart rate. Results further suggested various moderator variables that could help develop tailored prevention strategies and identify groups at higher risk for dysfunctional stress responses. Registration PROSPERO—Reg.-No.: PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020163178.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeannette Weber
- Institute of Occupational-, Social- and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Peter Angerer
- Institute of Occupational-, Social- and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jennifer Apolinário-Hagen
- Institute of Occupational-, Social- and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Meier M, Lonsdorf TB, Lupien SJ, Stalder T, Laufer S, Sicorello M, Linz R, Puhlmann LM. Open and reproducible science practices in psychoneuroendocrinology: Opportunities to foster scientific progress. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2022; 11:100144. [PMID: 35757179 PMCID: PMC9216702 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
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Fischer S, Schumacher S, Daniels J. Neurobiological Changes in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Their Reversibility by Psychotherapy. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR KLINISCHE PSYCHOLOGIE UND PSYCHOTHERAPIE 2022. [DOI: 10.1026/1616-3443/a000650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating illness associated with distressing symptoms and a high societal burden. Objective: To investigate the neurobiological underpinnings of PTSD to improve our understanding of this disorder and its treatment. Methods: This article reviews currently researched mechanisms that can explain the development of PTSD symptoms. It presents key findings on neural (i. e., brain functioning and brain structure), neuroendocrine (i. e., noradrenergic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity), and related (epi)genetic changes in individuals with PTSD. Furthermore, it presents preliminary research examining the reversibility of these alterations during psychotherapeutic treatment. Results: PTSD is characterized by specific neurobiological alterations, with preliminary findings indicating that at least some of these may normalize during psychotherapy. Discussion: A multidimensional perspective on the development, maintenance, and treatment of PTSD has the potential to improve our understanding of the causal processes underlying the disorder and may ultimately inform the conception of novel treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Fischer
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Schumacher
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Health, Health and Medical University, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Judith Daniels
- Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
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