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Abou Chaaya J, Abou Chaaya J, Jaafar B, Saab L, Abou Chaaya J, Al Ahmar E, Estephan E. Morphological Changes of the Pituitary Gland in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging. J Imaging 2024; 10:226. [PMID: 39330446 PMCID: PMC11433444 DOI: 10.3390/jimaging10090226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2024] [Revised: 08/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal functional disorder characterized by unclear underlying mechanisms. Several theories propose that hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis leads to elevated cortisol levels and increased sensitivity of gut wall receptors. Given the absence of prior literature on this topic, our study aimed to investigate the potential for diagnosing IBS based on morphological changes in the pituitary gland, specifically its volume and grayscale intensity. Additionally, we aimed to assess whether factors such as gender, age, and body mass index influence these parameters. This retrospective study involved 60 patients, examining the volume and grayscale characteristics of their pituitary glands in the presence of IBS. Our findings revealed a positive correlation between pituitary gland volume and IBS diagnosis, although no significant correlation was observed with grayscale intensity. Due to the limited existing research and the small sample size of our study, further investigation with a larger cohort is warranted to validate these results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Abou Chaaya
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon;
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon;
| | - Jennifer Abou Chaaya
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Public Health Section 2, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon;
| | - Batoul Jaafar
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon;
| | - Lea Saab
- Faculty of Engineering, Sagesse University, Furn El Chebbak, Baabda, Lebanon;
| | - Jad Abou Chaaya
- Lab-STICC, UMR 6285 CNRS, ENIB, 29200 Brest, France;
- Applied Physics Lab, Faculty of Science, Lebanese University, Campus Fanar, Jdeideh, Lebanon
| | - Elie Al Ahmar
- Faculty of Engineering, Sagesse University, Furn El Chebbak, Baabda, Lebanon;
| | - Elias Estephan
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon;
- Faculty of Engineering, Sagesse University, Furn El Chebbak, Baabda, Lebanon;
- Bioengineering Nanoscience Laboratory UR_UM104 (LBN), Montpellier University, 545 Avenue Prof. Viala, 34193 Montpellier Cedex, France
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Pfeifer LS, Heyers K, Wolf OT, Stockhorst U, Güntürkün O, Merz CJ, Ocklenburg S. Using the online version of the Trier Social Stress Test to investigate the effect of acute stress on functional lateralization. Sci Rep 2024; 14:20826. [PMID: 39242764 PMCID: PMC11379872 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71668-w] [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: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024] Open
Abstract
How stress affects functional hemispheric asymmetries is relevant because stress represents a risk factor for the development of mental disorders and various mental disorders are associated with atypical lateralization. Using three lateralization tasks, we investigated whether functional hemispheric asymmetries in the form of hemispheric dominance for language (verbal dichotic listening task), emotion processing (emotional dichotic listening task), and visuo-spatial attention (line bisection task) were affected by acute stress in healthy adults. One hundred twenty right-handed men and women performed these lateralization tasks in randomized order after exposure to a mild online stressor (i.e., an online variant of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), TSST-OL) and a non-stressful online control task (friendly TSST-OL, fTSST-OL) in a within-subjects design. Importantly, the verbal and the emotional dichotic listening tasks were presented online whereas the line bisection task was completed in paper-pencil form. During these tasks, we found the expected hemispheric asymmetries, indicating that online versions of both the verbal and the emotional dichotic listening task can be used to measure functional hemispheric asymmetries in language and emotion processing remotely. Even though subjective and physiological markers confirmed the success of the online stress manipulation, replicating previous studies, we found no stress-induced effect on functional hemispheric asymmetries. Thus, in healthy participants, functional hemispheric asymmetries do not seem to change flexibly in response to acute stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Sophie Pfeifer
- Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Katrin Heyers
- Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Experimental Psychology II and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology, School of Human Sciences, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Ursula Stockhorst
- Experimental Psychology II and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology, School of Human Sciences, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Christian J Merz
- Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Department of Psychology, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Ip KI, Miller AL, Wang L, Felt B, Olson SL, Tardif T. Emotion regulation as a complex system: A multi-contextual and multi- level approach to understanding emotion expression and cortisol reactivity among Chinese and US preschoolers. Dev Sci 2024; 27:e13446. [PMID: 37723994 PMCID: PMC10947525 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13446] [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: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Are children from "Eastern" cultures less emotionally expressive and reactive than children from "Western" cultures? To answer this, we used a multi-level and multi-contextual approach to understand variations in emotion displays and cortisol reactivity among preschoolers living in China and the United States. One hundred two preschoolers from China (N = 58; 55% males) and the United States (N = 44, 48% males) completed three (i.e., control, interpersonal-related, and achievement-related) emotion-challenging paradigms over 3 days. Behavioral emotion expressions were coded, and salivary cortisol was sampled 30 minutes before and across 90 minutes post-task. Without considering context, Chinese preschoolers displayed fewer levels of positive and negative emotion expressions relative to their United States counterparts. However, Chinese preschoolers displayed similar levels of expressions as their United States counterparts during an achievement-related challenge that is more salient to their sociocultural emphases and showed higher negative emotion expressions in this challenge, relative to other contexts. Moreover, only the achievement-related challenge elicited increased cortisol levels among Chinese preschoolers, and this was correlated with higher levels of negative expressions. For US preschoolers, no cortisol increase was observed in any challenging paradigms, nor was cortisol associated with emotional expressions. Findings counter prior notions that East Asian children are generally less emotionally expressive. Instead, an achievement-related challenge elicited higher emotion expression and cortisol reactivity among Chinese preschoolers, suggesting that children's emotion expression and biological reactivity may be most responsive to contexts salient to their socio-cultural environments. We discuss the importance of considering cultural contexts when studying emotion regulation. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Chinese preschoolers displayed lower overall positive and negative expressions relative to their US counterparts without considering situational contexts. Chinese preschoolers displayed similar levels of emotion expressions as their US counterparts during an achievement-related challenge salient to their social-cultural environment. Chinese preschoolers are particularly responsive to achievement-related challenges, relative to other emotion-challenging situations that are less culturally salient. No cortisol increase was observed in any of the emotion-challenging paradigms among US preschoolers. Children's emotion expression and biological reactivity may be most responsive to challenges relevant to their socio-cultural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka I Ip
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | | | - Li Wang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University
| | - Barbara Felt
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School
| | | | - Twila Tardif
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan
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Krempel R, Jarvers I, Ecker A, Schleicher D, Brunner R, Kandsperger S. Sleep quality and the cortisol and alpha-amylase awakening responses in adolescents with depressive disorders. BJPsych Open 2024; 10:e140. [PMID: 39103977 DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2024.730] [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] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depressive disorders in adolescents affect all aspects of life and impose a very large burden of disease. Sleep is frequently affected by depression and is crucial for facing challenges during development. One of the postulated reasons for depression-induced sleep disruption is dysregulation of the physiological stress system. AIMS To investigate the links of adolescent depressive disorders with subjective sleep quality, objective sleep quality, and the course of cortisol and alpha-amylase after awakening. METHOD We compared subjective sleep quality (via daily questionnaires) and objective sleep quality (via actigraphy measurement) of 35 adolescents with depressive disorders and 29 healthy controls over 7 consecutive days. In addition, saliva samples were collected on 3 days to examine cortisol and alpha-amylase patterns after awakening. RESULTS No significant differences in cortisol or alpha-amylase awakening responses were observed between participants with depressive disorders and healthy controls. We found severe reductions in subjective sleep quality in the depression group (Z = -5.19, P < 0.001, d = 1.80) and a prolonged actigraphy-measured sleep onset latency (Z = -2.42, P = 0.015, d = 0.64) compared with controls. Reductions in subjective sleep quality were partially correlated with objective sleep measures (sleep onset latency: r = -0.270, P = 0.004, sleep efficiency: r = 0.215, P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS Sleep onset latency seems to aggravate depressive symptoms and to have an important role in perception of sleep quality. Adolescents with depressive disorders should be supported regarding the establishment of good sleep hygiene and avoiding activities that may impede falling asleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekka Krempel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany
| | - Irina Jarvers
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany
| | - Angelika Ecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Schleicher
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany
| | - Romuald Brunner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany
| | - Stephanie Kandsperger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany
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La Torre D, Dalile B, Vanuytsel T, Van Oudenhove L, Verbeke K. The Leuven Prolonged Acute Stress Test (L-PAST): A novel paradigm to induce a subjective and glucocorticoid stress response for at least ninety minutes. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 165:107047. [PMID: 38636354 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Laboratory stress tests typically administer stress acutely, ranging from 3 to 15 minutes. However, everyday stressors usually last longer than ten minutes (e.g., examination stressors, work stressors, and social stressors. Moreover, in some studies, it may be relevant to induce stress for a longer period to affect certain psychological or physiological parameters. To this end, we developed a novel stress test that intends to induce psychosocial stress for 90 minutes. The Leuven Prolonged Acute Stress Test (L-PAST) combines physical (hand immersion in cold water), cognitive (mental arithmetic), and psychosocial (social evaluation and feelings of failure) stress elements of two well-known laboratory stress tests, the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST) and the Montreal Imaging Stress Test (MIST). Fifty healthy women were subjected to both the L-PAST and a sham (control) test in a randomized and counterbalanced manner. The stress response was determined by salivary cortisol measurements and assessment of subjective stress ratings at regular time points during the time preceding the stress period (5 min), the stress period (90 min), and the recovery period (35 min). Cognitive reactivity to failure and subjective pain levels were also assessed at various time points. The childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ) and the perceived stress scale (PSS) were administered prior to the testing phase. As expected, linear mixed models revealed that the stress response was significantly higher during the L-PAST as indicated by a significant time point by condition interaction effect for both the cortisol response (F(10,450)=12.21, p < 0.0001, ηp2=0.11) and the subjective stress response (F(13,637)=13.98, p < 0.0001, ηp2 = 0.12). Moreover, there was a significant time point by condition interaction effect for cognitive reactivity to failure (F(13,637) = 7.97, p < 0.0001, ηp2 = 0.07) and subjective pain (F(13,637) = 38.52, p < 0.0001, ηp2 = 0.27), indicating that the levels were higher during the L-PAST at most stress induction time points. Lastly, higher CTQ scores were associated with higher subjective pain levels during the L-PAST (F(1,44)=6.05, p = 0.02). Collectively, our results confirm the efficacy of the L-PAST in inducing a prolonged subjective as well as cortisol stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danique La Torre
- Translational Research Center in Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Boushra Dalile
- Translational Research Center in Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tim Vanuytsel
- Translational Research Center in Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leuven University Hospital, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lukas Van Oudenhove
- Translational Research Center in Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Kristin Verbeke
- Translational Research Center in Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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6
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Wang S, Luo X, Zang X, Ma Y, Yang J. Impact of social reward on stress circuit function and regulation: Path differences between value affirmation and emotional support. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2024; 24:100499. [PMID: 39308781 PMCID: PMC11414685 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background As two typical types of social rewards, both value affirmation and emotional support could alleviate acute stress response, but it is not clear whether they can impact stress circuit function and regulation through different neural pathways. Method Sixty-two participants were randomly assigned to the value affirmation, emotional support, and non-reward conditions, then administered an adapted version of the ScanSTRESS paradigm. Participants' subjective reports of uncontrollability and social evaluative threat were measured to explore the mitigation of stress by social rewards at the behavioral level. Meanwhile, their acute salivary cortisol response to stress was compared among different social reward conditions. Furthermore, we computed linear contrasts for performance (vs relaxation) and reward (vs non-reward) and used psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis to explore the impact of social reward on stress circuit function and regulation. Results Both value affirmation and emotional support conditions reduced subjective reports of uncontrollability and social evaluation threat, but not cortisol response to stress. Furthermore, value affirmation reduced uncontrollability by enhancing putamen activation, whereas emotional support reduced social evaluation threat by enhancing putamen activation. More importantly, during stress, value affirmation enhanced the functional connectivity of the putamen-hippocampus and putamen-angular gyrus (AG), whereas emotional support enhanced the functional connectivity of the putamen-ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) and putamen-temporal pole mid, compared to the non-reward condition. Conclusion Value affirmation and emotional support alleviated acute stress response in different neural pathways. These findings suggested a precise categorization of social reward in intervention of a range of adverse psychological and physiological responses caused by stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Wang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xiao Luo
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xinlei Zang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yiqing Ma
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Juan Yang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
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Wesarg-Menzel C, Marheinecke R, Staaks J, Engert V. Associations of diurnal cortisol parameters with cortisol stress reactivity and recovery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 163:106976. [PMID: 38308964 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.106976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Researchers commonly assess the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis by measuring natural fluctuations of its end product cortisol throughout the day or in response to a standardized stressor. Although it is conceivable that an individual releasing relatively more cortisol when confronted with a laboratory stressor does the same in everyday life, inconsistencies remain in the literature regarding associations between diurnal cortisol parameters and cortisol stress responses. Hence, the current meta-analysis aggregated findings of 12 studies to examine overall associations of diurnal cortisol parameters (including total output, diurnal slope, and cortisol awakening response [CAR]) with cortisol stress reactivity and recovery in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). There were no significant overall associations of total output, slope, or CAR with stress reactivity. Lower total diurnal cortisol output was significantly related to better stress recovery, whereas diurnal slope and CAR were unrelated to stress recovery. Moderation analyses revealed that associations between diurnal cortisol and cortisol stress responses were dependent on the computation method of cortisol parameters, questioning the convergence and validity of commonly employed measures of stress reactivity and recovery. Overall, it seems that we cannot predict characteristics of the diurnal cortisol rhythm from a one-time measure of stress reactivity in a standardized psychosocial laboratory paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Wesarg-Menzel
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany.
| | - Ruth Marheinecke
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Janneke Staaks
- University Library, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Veronika Engert
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany; Social Stress and Family Health Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Germany
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8
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Gehrig TW, Berk LS, Dudley RI, Smith JA, Gharibvand L, Lohman EB. The feigned annoyance and frustration test to activate the sympathoadrenal medullary system. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2024; 18:100232. [PMID: 38596409 PMCID: PMC11002885 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2024.100232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
When perceived as threatening, social interactions have been shown to trigger the sympathoadrenal medullary system as well as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis resulting in a physiologic stress response. The allostatic load placed on human health and physiology in the context of acute and chronic stress can have profound health consequences. The purpose of this study was to develop a protocol for a lab-based stress stimulus using social-evaluative threat. While several valid, stress-stimulating protocols exist, we sought to develop one that triggered a physiologic response, did not require significant lab resources, and could be completed in around 10 min. We included 53 participants (29 men and 24 women) and exposed them to a modified version of the Stroop Color-Word Interference Task during which the participants were made to feel they were performing the task poorly while the lead researcher feigned annoyance and frustration. After exposure to this Feigned Annoyance and Frustration (FAF) Test, both the men and women in this study demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful increase in subjective stress on the visual analog scale. Additionally, the men in this study demonstrated a statistically significant increase in heart rate and salivary α-amylase concentrations after exposure to the test. The women in this study did not demonstrate a statistically significant increase in the physiologic stress biomarkers. This protocol for the FAF Test shows promise to researchers with limited time and resources who are interested in experimentally activating the sympathoadrenal medullary system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ted W. Gehrig
- Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions Department of Physical Therapy, 24951 N. Circle Dr., A-620, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Lee S. Berk
- Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions, And School of Medicine, 24951 N. Circle Dr., A-620, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Robert I. Dudley
- Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions Department of Physical Therapy, 24951 N. Circle Dr., A-620, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Jo A. Smith
- Department of Physical Therapy, Chapman University, 9401 Jeronimo Rd., Irvine, CA, 92618, USA
| | - Lida Gharibvand
- Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions, 24951 N. Circle Dr., A-620, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Everett B. Lohman
- Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions Department of Physical Therapy, 24951 N. Circle Dr., A-620, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
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9
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Shah JL, Paquin V, McIlwaine SV, Malla AK, Joober R, Pruessner M. Examining the psychobiological response to acute social stress across clinical stages and symptom trajectories in the early psychosis continuum. Dev Psychopathol 2024; 36:774-786. [PMID: 36852607 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423000056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
The stress-vulnerability model has been repeatedly highlighted in relation to the risk, onset and course of psychosis, and has been independently studied in clinical high-risk (CHR) and first-episode psychosis (FEP) populations. Notable in this literature, however, is that there are few studies directly comparing markers of stress response across progressive stages of illness. Here we examined the psychobiological response to the Trier Social Stress Test in 28 CHR (mean age 19.1) and 61 FEP (age 23.0) patients, in order to understand the stage(s) or trajectories in which differences in subjective stress or physiological response occur. The overall clinical sample had greater perceived stress and blunted cortisol (FEP + CHR, n = 89, age 21.7) compared with healthy controls (n = 45, age 22.9). Additional analyses demonstrated elevated heart rate and systolic blood pressure in FEP compared with CHR, but there were no further differences in physiological parameters (cortisol, heart rate, or blood pressure) between stage- or trajectory-based groups. Together, this suggests that individual stress response markers may differentially emerge at particular stages en route to psychosis - and demonstrates how stage-based analyses can shed light on the emergence and evolution of neurobiological changes in mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jai L Shah
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Vincent Paquin
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Sarah V McIlwaine
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ashok K Malla
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ridha Joober
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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10
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Oppenheimer S, Bond L, Smith C. Social media does not elicit a physiological stress response as measured by heart rate and salivary cortisol over 20-minute sessions of cell phone use. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298553. [PMID: 38568926 PMCID: PMC10990243 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The pervasive use of social media has raised concerns about its potential detrimental effects on physical and mental health. Others have demonstrated a relationship between social media use and anxiety, depression, and psychosocial stress. In light of these studies, we examined physiological indicators of stress (heart rate to measure autonomic nervous system activation and cortisol to assess activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) associated with social media use and investigated possible moderating influences of sex, age, and psychological parameters. We collected physiological data from 59 subjects ranging in age from 13 to 55 across two cell phone treatments: social media use and a pre-selected YouTube playlist. Heart rate was measured using arm-band heart rate monitors before and during cell phone treatments, and saliva was collected for later cortisol analysis (by enzyme immunoassay) before and after each of the two cell phone treatments. To disentangle the effects of cell phone treatment from order of treatment, we used a crossover design in which participants were randomized to treatment order. Our study uncovered a significant period effect suggesting that both heart rate and cortisol decreased over the duration of our experiment, irrespective of the type of cell phone activity or the order of treatments. There was no indication that age, sex, habits of social media use, or psychometric parameters moderated the physiological response to cell phone activities. Our data suggest that 20-minute bouts of social media use or YouTube viewing do not elicit a physiological stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Oppenheimer
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Western Idaho, Boise, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Laura Bond
- Biomolecular Research Center, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Charity Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Western Idaho, Boise, Idaho, United States of America
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11
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Sawyers C, Sheerin C, Moore AA, Neigh G, Hettema JM, Roberson-Nay R. Genetic and environmental influences on alpha amylase stress reactivity and shared genetic covariation with cortisol. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 161:106922. [PMID: 38101095 PMCID: PMC10842877 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Salivary alpha amylase (sAA) is a common measure of stress reactivity, primarily reflecting sympathetic nervous system activity. Salivary cortisol is also a reliable, frequently used biomarker of stress and reflects the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response. This study examined heritability across varying metrics of sAA in response to a social evaluative stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). The goal of this study was to estimate genetic and environmental influences on measurements of sAA stress reactivity. Moreover, we evaluated the shared genetic covariation between sAA and cortisol. Participants included twins aged 15-20 years (54% female). We measured alpha amylase and cortisol reactivity to the TSST via serial salivary cortisol samples collected pre- and post-TSST. Modest to moderate heritability estimates (11-64%) were observed across measures purported to capture alpha amylase stress reactivity (peak, area under the curve, baseline-to-peak change). Findings also indicate that sAA baseline and peak are primarily influenced by a shared genetic factor. There was no evidence of shared genetic influences between sAA and cortisol. These findings suggest the genetic control of the HPA and Sympathetic Adreno-Medullar axis are genetically independent of one another despite both playing a role in response to stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Sawyers
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA.
| | - Christina Sheerin
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
| | - Ashlee A Moore
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Oswego, USA
| | - Gretchen Neigh
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
| | - John M Hettema
- Department of Psychiatry, Texas A&M Health Sciences Center, USA
| | - Roxann Roberson-Nay
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
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12
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Kisker J, Schöne B. Regular use of acupressure mats reduces perceived stress at subjective but not psychophysiological levels: Insights from a three-week relaxation training. Appl Psychol Health Well Being 2024; 16:338-355. [PMID: 37715543 DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12490] [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: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Acupressure mats are promoted as stress management tools for easy and effective self-application, promising reduced stress and increased well-being. However, the scientific evidence for these effects is based on few experimental studies and lacks the examination of acupressure mats as a solitary relaxation tool. Our study aimed to examine which changes in stress and well-being can be expected from the use of acupressure mats by healthy young people on the subjective and psychophysiological level. Unexperienced participants practiced relaxation for three weeks either with an acupressure mat or without any tools (active control group [CG]). As a results, subjective well-being and stress decreased, while sleep quality and concentration endurance increased across groups. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), pain threshold and pain tolerance did not change significantly from pre- to post-training measurements. Most importantly, no significant differences were found between groups, indicating that training with an acupressure mat yielded no superior effects compared with an active control condition in healthy young students. As a conclusion, taking time to relax has some but limited beneficial effects on the subjective levels independent of the specific method for healthy students. Potential beneficial effects of acupressure mats might be bound to specific impairments, such as tension pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kisker
- Experimental Psychology I, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Germany
| | - Benjamin Schöne
- Experimental Psychology I, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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13
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Ai Y, Hummel T, Nie H, Yang J, Han P. Reduced neural responses to pleasant odor stimuli after acute psychological stress is associated with cortisol reactivity. Neuroimage 2023; 284:120474. [PMID: 38008298 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute stress alters olfactory perception. However, little is known about the neural processing of olfactory stimuli after acute stress exposure and the role of cortisol in such an effect. Here, we used an event-related olfactory fMRI paradigm to investigate brain responses to odors of different valence (unpleasant, pleasant, or neutral) in healthy young adults following an acute stress (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) induction (N = 22) or a non-stressful resting condition (N = 22). We obtained the odor pleasantness, intensity, and familiarity ratings after the acute stress induction or resting condition. We also measured the participants' perceived stress and salivary cortisol at four time points during the procedure. We found a stress-related decrease in brain activation in response to the pleasant, but not to the neutral or unpleasant odor stimuli in the right piriform cortex extending to the right amygdala, the right orbitofrontal cortex, and the right insula. In addition, activation of clusters within the regions of interest were negatively associated with individual baseline-to-peak increase in salivary cortisol levels after stress. We also found increased functional connectivity between the right piriform cortex and the right insula after stress when the pleasant odor was presented. The strength of the connectivity was positively correlated with increased perceived stress levels immediately after stress exposure. These results provide novel evidence for the effects of acute stress in attenuating the neural processing of a pleasant olfactory stimulus. Together with previous findings, the effect of acute stress on human olfactory perception appears to depend on both the valence and the concentration (e.g., peri-threshold or suprathreshold levels) of odor stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Ai
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Thomas Hummel
- Interdisciplinary Centre Smell and Taste, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Haoyu Nie
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Juan Yang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Pengfei Han
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
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14
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Henze GI, Konzok J, Kudielka BM, Wüst S, Nichols TE, Kreuzpointner L. Associations between cortisol stress responses and limbic volume and thickness in young adults: An exploratory study. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:3962-3980. [PMID: 37806665 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The investigation of the relationship between neural measures of limbic structures and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis responses to acute stress exposure in healthy young adults has so far focused in particular on task-based and resting state functional connectivity studies. Thus, the present study examined the association between limbic volume and thickness measures and acute cortisol responses to the psychosocial stress paradigm ScanSTRESS. Using Permutation Analysis of Linear Models controlling for sex, age and total brain volume, the associations between (sex-specific) cortisol increases and human connectome project style anatomical variables of limbic structures (i.e. volume and thickness) were investigated in 66 healthy and young (18-33 years) subjects (35 men, 31 women taking oral contraceptives). In addition, exploratory (sex-specific) bivariate correlations between cortisol increases and structural measures were conducted. The present data provide interesting new insights into the involvement of striato-limbic structures in psychosocial stress processing, suggesting that acute cortisol stress responses are also associated with mere structural measures of the human brain. Thus, our preliminary findings suggest that not only situation- and context-dependent reactions of the limbic system (i.e. blood oxygenation level-dependent reactions) are related to acute (sex-specific) cortisol stress responses but also basal and somewhat more constant structural measures. Our study hereby paves the way for further analyses in this context and highlights the relevance of the topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina-Isabelle Henze
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Research Division of Mind and Brain, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Julian Konzok
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Stefan Wüst
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Thomas E Nichols
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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15
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Guy N, Azulay H, Pertzov Y, Israel S. Attenuation of visual exploration following stress. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14330. [PMID: 37171035 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
When we explore our surroundings, we frequently move our gaze to collect visual information. Studies have extensively examined gaze behavior in response to different visual scenes. Here, we examined how differences in an individual's state may affect visual exploration, for example, following acute stress. In this study, participants were exposed to either a psychosocial stressor-performing a public speaking task in front of a two-person committee-or a control condition absent stress induction. Elicitation of stress responses was validated using cortisol levels and subjective reports. Stress also led to an extended increase in pupil diameter (a proxy of arousal responses), suggesting it may also affect eye movements. Gaze behavior measures were taken prior and following the stress or control tasks. Acute stress attenuated visual exploration, reflected by fewer saccades and a smaller scanned area. Stress did not have a significant effect on either the tendency to look at social features or at salient regions of the images. These findings diverge from theoretical predictions suggesting that acute stress may facilitate social affiliative behaviors (e.g., Tend-and-Befriend theory). Reduced saccades and a smaller scanned area may be a possible mechanism explaining previous reports showing stress-related effects on various cognitive processes (e.g., visual working memory) that rely on visual exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitzan Guy
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hagar Azulay
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yoni Pertzov
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Salomon Israel
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Scheinfeld Center of Human Genetics for the Social Sciences, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
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16
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Herzog S, Galfalvy H, Keilp JG, Mann JJ, Sublette ME, Burke A, Oquendo MA, Stanley BH. Relationship of stress-reactive cortisol to suicidal intent of prior attempts in major depression. Psychiatry Res 2023; 327:115315. [PMID: 37542793 PMCID: PMC10530442 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Higher intent suicide attempts carry elevated risk of future suicidal behavior. Abnormal functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is both linked to nonfatal suicidal behavior and suicide deaths in major depressive disorder. Few studies, however, have identified biological markers of a high-intent suicidal subgroup. We examined HPA axis output and reactivity to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) via salivary cortisol in depressed individuals (N=68) with a suicide attempt (SA) history. A median split of higher and lower suicidal intent scores was used to define groups. Individuals with high intent SA had attenuated total cortisol output (AUCg), F(1,60)=10.04, SE=5.095, p=.003, and lower HPA-axis stress responsivity to the TSST (AUCi), F(1,60)=4.50, SE=4.604, p=.039, compared with the low intent SA group. The high intent group also reported more pronounced negative affect than the low intent group (F[1,61]=6.413, SE=10.55, p=.014) both at baseline (meandiff=22.32, p=.038) and in response to the stressor task (meandiff=37.62, p=.003). Vulnerability to suicidal behavior in high-intent individuals may be related to the combined profile of impaired physiological responses to stress and greater negative affectivity. This clinical and biologic subgroup may benefit from targeted suicide prevention interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Herzog
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY.
| | - Hanga Galfalvy
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY; Mental Health Data Science Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY; Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - John G Keilp
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY
| | - J John Mann
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY
| | - M Elizabeth Sublette
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY
| | - Ainsley Burke
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY
| | - Maria A Oquendo
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Barbara H Stanley
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY
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17
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Walther LM, Wirtz PH. Physiological reactivity to acute mental stress in essential hypertension-a systematic review. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1215710. [PMID: 37636310 PMCID: PMC10450926 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1215710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Exaggerated physiological reactions to acute mental stress (AMS) are associated with hypertension (development) and have been proposed to play an important role in mediating the cardiovascular disease risk with hypertension. A variety of studies compared physiological reactivity to AMS between essential hypertensive (HT) and normotensive (NT) individuals. However, a systematic review of studies across stress-reactive physiological systems including intermediate biological risk factors for cardiovascular diseases is lacking. Methods We conducted a systematic literature search (PubMed) for original articles and short reports, published in English language in peer-reviewed journals in November and December 2022. We targeted studies comparing the reactivity between essential HT and NT to AMS in terms of cognitive tasks, public speaking tasks, or the combination of both, in at least one of the predefined stress-reactive physiological systems. Results We included a total of 58 publications. The majority of studies investigated physiological reactivity to mental stressors of mild or moderate intensity. Whereas HT seem to exhibit increased reactivity in response to mild or moderate AMS only under certain conditions (i.e., in response to mild mental stressors with specific characteristics, in an early hyperkinetic stage of HT, or with respect to certain stress systems), increased physiological reactivity in HT as compared to NT to AMS of strong intensity was observed across all investigated stress-reactive physiological systems. Conclusion Overall, this systematic review supports the proposed and expected generalized physiological hyperreactivity to AMS with essential hypertension, in particular to strong mental stress. Moreover, we discuss potential underlying mechanisms and highlight open questions for future research of importance for the comprehensive understanding of the observed hyperreactivity to AMS in essential hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa-Marie Walther
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Petra H. Wirtz
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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18
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Rrapaj A, Landau AM, Winterdahl M. Exploration of possible sex bias in acute social stress research: a semi-systematic review. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2023; 35:205-217. [PMID: 36876342 DOI: 10.1017/neu.2023.16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Stress can have a significant impact on the daily lives of individuals and can increase vulnerability to a number of medical conditions. This study aims to estimate the ratio of male to female participants in acute social stress research in healthy individuals. We examined original research articles published over the last 20 years. Each article was screened to determine the total number of female and male participants. We extracted data from 124 articles involving a total of 9539 participants. A total of 4221 (44.2%) participants were female, 5056 (53.0%) were male and 262 (2.7%) were unreported. Articles incorporating only females were significantly underrepresented compared to articles incorporating only males. Forty articles (63.5%) which presented data from both females and males, failed to analyse and interpret the results by sex, a significant methodological limitation. In conclusion, in the literature published over the last 20 years, female participants are significantly underrepresented. In the studies where females are represented, severe methodological limitations are apparent. Researchers should be conscious of sexual dimorphism, menstrual phase and use of hormonal contraception, which may impact the interpretation of their results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artemida Rrapaj
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Anne M Landau
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET-Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Michael Winterdahl
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET-Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Vanhollebeke G, Kappen M, De Raedt R, Baeken C, van Mierlo P, Vanderhasselt MA. Effects of acute psychosocial stress on source level EEG power and functional connectivity measures. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8807. [PMID: 37258794 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35808-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The usage of EEG to uncover the influence of psychosocial stressors (PSSs) on neural activity has gained significant attention throughout recent years, but the results are often troubled by confounding stressor types. To investigate the effect of PSSs alone on neural activity, we employed a paradigm where participants are exposed to negative peer comparison as PSS, while other possible stressors are kept constant, and compared this with a condition where participants received neutral feedback. We analyzed commonly used sensor level EEG indices (frontal theta, alpha, and beta power) and further investigated whether source level power and functional connectivity (i.e., the temporal dependence between spatially seperated brain regions) measures, which have to our knowledge not yet been used, are more sensitive to PSSs than sensor level-derived EEG measures. Our results show that on sensor level, no significant frontal power changes are present (all p's > 0.16), indicating that sensor level frontal power measures are not sensitive enough to be affected by only PSSs. On source level, we find increased alpha power (indicative of decreased cortical activity) in the left- and right precuneus and right posterior cingulate cortex (all p's < 0.03) and increased functional connectivity between the left- and right precuneus (p < 0.001), indicating that acute, trial based PSSs lead to decreased precuneus/PCC activity, and possibly indicates a temporary disruption in the self-referential neural processes of an individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Vanhollebeke
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent University, C. Heymanslaan 10, Entrance 12 - Floor 13, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
- Medical Image and Signal Processing Group (MEDISIP), Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Mitchel Kappen
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent University, C. Heymanslaan 10, Entrance 12 - Floor 13, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rudi De Raedt
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent University, C. Heymanslaan 10, Entrance 12 - Floor 13, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Chris Baeken
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent University, C. Heymanslaan 10, Entrance 12 - Floor 13, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital (UZBrussel), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pieter van Mierlo
- Medical Image and Signal Processing Group (MEDISIP), Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent University, C. Heymanslaan 10, Entrance 12 - Floor 13, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
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20
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Wright CJ, Milosavljevic S, Pocivavsek A. The stress of losing sleep: Sex-specific neurobiological outcomes. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 24:100543. [PMID: 37252645 PMCID: PMC10209346 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep is a vital and evolutionarily conserved process, critical to daily functioning and homeostatic balance. Losing sleep is inherently stressful and leads to numerous detrimental physiological outcomes. Despite sleep disturbances affecting everyone, women and female rodents are often excluded or underrepresented in clinical and pre-clinical studies. Advancing our understanding of the role of biological sex in the responses to sleep loss stands to greatly improve our ability to understand and treat health consequences of insufficient sleep. As such, this review discusses sex differences in response to sleep deprivation, with a focus on the sympathetic nervous system stress response and activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. We review sex differences in several stress-related consequences of sleep loss, including inflammation, learning and memory deficits, and mood related changes. Focusing on women's health, we discuss the effects of sleep deprivation during the peripartum period. In closing, we present neurobiological mechanisms, including the contribution of sex hormones, orexins, circadian timing systems, and astrocytic neuromodulation, that may underlie potential sex differences in sleep deprivation responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney J. Wright
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Snezana Milosavljevic
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Ana Pocivavsek
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
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21
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Khanduja K, Bould MD, Andrews M, LeBlanc V, Schebesta K, Burns JK, Waldolf R, Nambyiah P, Dale-Tam J, Houzé-Cerfon CH, Boet S. Impact of Unexpected Death in a Simulation Scenario on Skill Retention, Stress, and Emotions: A Simulation-Based Randomized Controlled Trial. Cureus 2023; 15:e39715. [PMID: 37398706 PMCID: PMC10309656 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.39715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The simulation of patient death remains controversial in simulation-based education. We investigated the effect of simulated patient death on learners' skill retention, stress levels, and emotions. Methods After ethics approval, we recruited residents at two Canadian universities. Participants were randomized to manage a simulated cardiac arrest ending with either the unexpected death (intervention group) or survival (control group) of the simulated patient (i.e., manikin). Three months later, all participants performed the same scenario but with the opposite outcome. Blinded video raters assessed participants' non-technical and technical crisis resource management (CRM) skills at both time points. Stress levels (represented by anxiety level, salivary cortisol concentration, and cognitive appraisal) and emotional valence were measured. Outcomes were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) or generalized estimating equations as appropriate. Results The analysis included 46 participants (intervention: n=24; control: n=22). Simulated death neither affected retention of non-technical CRM skills (mean retention Ottawa Global Rating Scale score in the death group [29.4, 95% CI: 27.0, 31.8] versus control group [29.4, 95% CI: 26.8, 32.0; p=0.87]) nor technical CRM skills (mean retention task-specific checklist score in the manikin death group [11.8, 95% CI: 10.5, 13.0] versus the control group [12.5, 95% CI: 11.3, 13.7; p=0.69]). The simulated death had negative effects on participants' anxiety levels, cognitive appraisal, and emotions. Conclusion Simulated patient death did not affect the retention of non-technical or technical CRM skills but led to greater levels of short-term anxiety, stress, and negative emotions among learners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Khanduja
- Department of Anesthesiology, Mount Sinai Hospital/University of Toronto, Toronto, CAN
| | - M Dylan Bould
- Department of Innovation in Medical Education, University of Ottowa, Ottowa, CAN
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, CAN
| | - Meghan Andrews
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Montfort Hospital/University of Ottawa, Ottawa, CAN
| | - Vicki LeBlanc
- Department of Innovation in Medical Education, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, CAN
| | - Karl Schebesta
- Department of Innovation in Medical Education, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, CAN
- Department of Anesthesia, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AUT
| | - Joseph K Burns
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital/University of Ottawa, Ottawa, CAN
| | - Richard Waldolf
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, CAN
- Department of Innovation in Medical Education, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, CAN
| | - Pratheeban Nambyiah
- Department of Anaesthesia, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, GBR
| | - Jennifer Dale-Tam
- Nursing Simulation Education, The Ottawa Hospital/University of Ottawa, Ottawa, CAN
| | | | - Sylvain Boet
- Department of Innovation in Medical Education, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, CAN
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, CAN
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital/University of Ottawa, Ottawa, CAN
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22
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Gellisch M, Morosan-Puopolo G, Wolf OT, Moser DA, Zaehres H, Brand-Saberi B. Interactive teaching enhances students' physiological arousal during online learning. Ann Anat 2023; 247:152050. [PMID: 36693546 DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2023.152050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The pure transfer of face-to-face teaching to a digital learning environment can be accompanied by a significant reduction in the physiological arousal of students, which in turn can be associated with passivity during the learning process, often linked to insufficient levels of concentration and engagement in the course work. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether students' psychobiological stress responses can be enhanced in the context of anatomical online learning and how increased physiological parameters correlate with characteristics of learning experiences in a digital learning environment. Healthy first-year medical students (n = 104) experienced a regular practical course in Microscopic Anatomy either in face-to-face learning, in passive online learning or in an interaction-enhanced version of online learning. Compared to passive online learning, students engaged in the interaction-enhanced version of online learning displayed a significantly reduced Heart Rate Variability (P 0.001, partial η2 = 0.381) along with a strong increase in salivary cortisol (P 0.001, partial η2 = 0.179) and salivary alpha-amylase activity (P 0.001, partial η2 = 0.195). These results demonstrated that the physiological arousal of students engaged in online learning can be enhanced via interactive teaching methods and pointed towards clear correlations between higher physiological responses and elementary criteria of learning experience such as engagement and attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morris Gellisch
- Department of Anatomy and Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Gabriela Morosan-Puopolo
- Department of Anatomy and Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Dirk A Moser
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Holm Zaehres
- Department of Anatomy and Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Beate Brand-Saberi
- Department of Anatomy and Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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23
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Wu J, Liu Y, Zhang L, Wang N, Kohn N, Duan H. Integrating the pattern of negative emotion processing and acute stress response with childhood stress among healthy young adults. Stress 2023; 26:2195503. [PMID: 36974588 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2023.2195503] [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] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Childhood adversity might impair corticolimbic brain regions, which play a crucial role in emotion processing and the acute stress response. The dimensional model of childhood adversity proposed that deprivation and threat dimensions might associated with individuals' development through different mechanisms. However, few studies have explored the relationship between different dimensions of childhood stress, emotion processing, and acute stress reactivity despite the overlapping brain regions of the last two. With the aid of event-related potentials technique, we explore whether negative emotion processing, which might be particularly relevant for adaptive stress responding among individuals with adverse childhood experience, mediates the relationship between dimensional childhood stress and acute stress response. Method: Fifty-one young adults completed a free-viewing task to evaluate neural response to negative stimuli measured by late positive potential (LPP) of ERPs (Event-related potentials). On a separate day, heart rate and salivary cortisol were collected during a social-evaluative stress challenge (i.e., TSST, Trier Social Stress Test). After the TSST, childhood trauma questionnaire was measured to indicate the level of abuse (as a proxy of threat) and neglect (as a proxy of deprivation) dimensions. Multiple linear regression and mediation analysis were used to explore the relationship among the childhood stress, emotion processing and acute stress response. Results: Higher level of childhood abuse (but not neglect) was distinctly related to smaller LPP amplitudes to negative stimuli, as well as smaller heart rate reactivity to acute stress. For these participants, smaller LPP amplitudes were linked with smaller heart rate reactivity to acute stress. Furthermore, decreased LPP amplitudes to negative stimuli mediated the relationship between higher level of childhood abuse and blunted heart rate reactivity to stress. Conclusions: Consistent with the dimensional model of childhood stress, our study showed that childhood abuse is distinctly associated with neural as well as physiological response to threat. Furthermore, the blunted neural response to negative stimuli might be the underlying mechanism in which childhood abuse leads to the blunted acute stress response. Considering that all the participants are healthy in the present study, the blunted processing of negative stimuli might rather reflect adaptation instead of vulnerability, in order to prevent stress overshooting in the face of early-life threatening experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhui Wu
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China
- Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Yutong Liu
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Naiyi Wang
- Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Nils Kohn
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Hongxia Duan
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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24
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Wieland L, Ebrahimi C, Katthagen T, Panitz M, Luettgau L, Heinz A, Schlagenhauf F, Sjoerds Z. Acute stress alters probabilistic reversal learning in healthy male adults. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 57:824-839. [PMID: 36656136 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Behavioural adaptation is a fundamental cognitive ability, ensuring survival by allowing for flexible adjustment to changing environments. In laboratory settings, behavioural adaptation can be measured with reversal learning paradigms requiring agents to adjust reward learning to stimulus-action-outcome contingency changes. Stress is found to alter flexibility of reward learning, but effect directionality is mixed across studies. Here, we used model-based functional MRI (fMRI) in a within-subjects design to investigate the effect of acute psychosocial stress on flexible behavioural adaptation. Healthy male volunteers (n = 28) did a reversal learning task during fMRI in two sessions, once after the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a validated psychosocial stress induction method, and once after a control condition. Stress effects on choice behaviour were investigated using multilevel generalized linear models and computational models describing different learning processes that potentially generated the data. Computational models were fitted using a hierarchical Bayesian approach, and model-derived reward prediction errors (RPE) were used as fMRI regressors. We found that acute psychosocial stress slightly increased correct response rates. Model comparison revealed that double-update learning with altered choice temperature under stress best explained the observed behaviour. In the brain, model-derived RPEs were correlated with BOLD signals in striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Striatal RPE signals for win trials were stronger during stress compared with the control condition. Our study suggests that acute psychosocial stress could enhance reversal learning and RPE brain responses in healthy male participants and provides a starting point to explore these effects further in a more diverse population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Wieland
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Ebrahimi
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Teresa Katthagen
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Panitz
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lennart Luettgau
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, UK
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Florian Schlagenhauf
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Zsuzsika Sjoerds
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
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25
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Hong K. Classification of emotional stress and physical stress using a multispectral based deep feature extraction model. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2693. [PMID: 36792679 PMCID: PMC9931761 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29903-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
A classification model (Stress Classification-Net) of emotional stress and physical stress is proposed, which can extract classification features based on multispectral and tissue blood oxygen saturation (StO2) characteristics. Related features are extracted on this basis, and the learning model with frequency domain and signal amplification is proposed for the first time. Given that multispectral imaging signals are time series data, time series StO2 is extracted from spectral signals. The proper region of interest (ROI) is obtained by a composite criterion, and the ROI source is determined by the universality and robustness of the signal. The frequency-domain signals of ROI are further obtained by wavelet transform. To fully utilize the frequency-domain characteristics, the multi-neighbor vector of locally aggregated descriptors (MN-VLAD) model is proposed to extract useful features. The acquired time series features are finally put into the long short-term memory (LSTM) model to learn the classification characteristics. Through SC-NET model, the classification signals of emotional stress and physical stress are successfully obtained. Experiments show that the classification result is encouraging, and the accuracy of the proposed algorithm is over 90%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kan Hong
- Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanchang, China.
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26
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McQueen SA, Hammond Mobilio M, Moulton CA. Pulling our lens backwards to move forward: an integrated approach to physician distress. MEDICAL HUMANITIES 2022; 48:404-410. [PMID: 34417324 DOI: 10.1136/medhum-2020-012100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The medical community has recently acknowledged physician stress as a leading issue for individual wellness and healthcare system functioning. Unprecedented levels of stress contribute to physician burnout, leaves of absence and early retirement. Although recommendations have been made, we continue to struggle with addressing stress. One challenge is a lack of a shared definition for what we mean by 'stress', which is a complex and idiosyncratic phenomenon that may be examined from a myriad of angles. As such, research on stress has traditionally taken a reductionist approach, parsing out one aspect to investigate, such as stress physiology. In the medical domain, we have traditionally underappreciated other dimensions of stress, including emotion and the role of the environmental and sociocultural context in which providers are embedded. Taking a complementary, holistic approach to stress and focusing on the composite, subjective individual experience may provide a deeper understanding of the phenomenon and help to illuminate paths towards wellness. In this review article, we first examine contributions from unidimensional approaches to stress, and then outline a complementary, integrated approach. We describe how complex phenomena have been tackled in other domains and discuss how holistic theory and the humanities may help in studying and addressing physician stress, with the ultimate goal of improving physician well-being and consequently patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melanie Hammond Mobilio
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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27
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Sahar Y, Wagner M, Barel A, Shoval S. Stress-Adaptive Training: An Adaptive Psychomotor Training According to Stress Measured by Grip Force. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 22:s22218368. [PMID: 36366066 PMCID: PMC9654132 DOI: 10.3390/s22218368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Current training methods show advances in simulation technologies; however, most of them fail to account for changes in the physical or mental state of the trainee. An innovative training method, adaptive to the trainee's stress levels as measured by grip force, is described and inspected. It is compared with two standard training methods that ignore the trainee's state, either leaving the task's level of difficulty constant or increasing it over time. Fifty-two participants, divided into three test groups, performed a psychomotor training task. The performance level of the stress-adaptive group was higher than for both control groups, with a main effect of t = -2.12 (p = 0.039), while the training time was shorter than both control groups, with a main effect of t = 3.27 (p = 0.002). These results indicate that stress-adaptive training has the potential to improve training outcomes. Moreover, these results imply that grip force measurement has practical applications. Future studies may aid in the development of this training method and its outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yotam Sahar
- Department of Industrial Engineering & Management, Ariel University, Ariel 4076414, Israel
- Correspondence:
| | - Michael Wagner
- Department of Industrial Engineering & Management, Ariel University, Ariel 4076414, Israel
| | - Ariel Barel
- The Faculty of Computer Science, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Shraga Shoval
- Department of Industrial Engineering & Management, Ariel University, Ariel 4076414, Israel
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28
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Glier S, Campbell A, Corr R, Pelletier‐Baldelli A, Yefimov M, Guerra C, Scott K, Murphy L, Bizzell J, Belger A. Coordination of autonomic and endocrine stress responses to the Trier Social Stress Test in adolescence. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14056. [PMID: 35353921 PMCID: PMC9339460 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulations in autonomic and endocrine stress responses are linked to the emergence of psychopathology in adolescence. However, most studies fail to consider the interplay between these systems giving rise to conflicting findings and a gap in understanding adolescent stress response regulation. A multisystem framework-investigation of parasympathetic (PNS), sympathetic (SNS), and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis components and their coordination-is necessary to understand individual differences in stress response coordination which contribute to stress vulnerabilities. As the first investigation to comprehensively evaluate these three systems in adolescence, the current study employed the Trier Social Stress Test in 72 typically developing adolescents (mean age = 13) to address how PNS, SNS, and HPA stress responses are coordinated in adolescence. Hypotheses tested key predictions of the Adaptive Calibration Model (ACM) of stress response coordination. PNS and SNS responses were assessed via heart rate variability (HRV) and salivary alpha amylase (sAA) respectively. HPA responses were indexed by salivary cortisol. Analyses utilized piecewise growth curve modeling to investigate these aims. Supporting the ACM theory, there was significant hierarchical coordination between the systems such that those with low HRV had higher sAA and cortisol reactivity and those with high HRV had low-to-moderate sAA and cortisol responsivity. Our novel results reveal the necessity of studying multisystem dynamics in an integrative fashion to uncover the true mechanisms of stress response and regulation during development. Additionally, our findings support the existence of characteristic stress response profiles as predicted by the ACM model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Glier
- School of MedicineUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Alana Campbell
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Carolina Institute for Developmental DisabilitiesUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development InstituteUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Rachel Corr
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Andrea Pelletier‐Baldelli
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Carolina Institute for Developmental DisabilitiesUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development InstituteUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Mae Yefimov
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development InstituteUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Carina Guerra
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Kathryn Scott
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Louis Murphy
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Joshua Bizzell
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Carolina Institute for Developmental DisabilitiesUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development InstituteUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Aysenil Belger
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Carolina Institute for Developmental DisabilitiesUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development InstituteUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
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29
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Gellisch M, Wolf OT, Minkley N, Kirchner WH, Brüne M, Brand-Saberi B. Decreased sympathetic cardiovascular influences and hormone-physiological changes in response to Covid-19-related adaptations under different learning environments. ANATOMICAL SCIENCES EDUCATION 2022; 15:811-826. [PMID: 35968688 DOI: 10.1002/ase.2213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
To examine the implications of the transition from face-to-face to online learning from a psychobiological perspective, this study investigated potential differences in physiological stress parameters of students engaged in online or face-to-face learning and determined whether these can be identified as possible mediators between learning experience and achievement emotions. In a randomized experimental field study, medical students (n = 82) attended either regular face-to-face classes of the microscopic anatomy course or the same practical course online using Zoom videoconferencing platform. The present study investigated Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and salivary cortisol concentration as stress correlates, within the contexts of online and face-to-face learning and compared these parameters with a control group that was measured at rest. Additionally, participants completed a standardized questionnaire about their experienced emotions in relation to task achievement and subjective stress levels. A significant reduction in HRV was found in face-to-face learning, suggesting stronger stress responses in the face-to-face learning environment (η2 = 0.421, P < 0.001). Furthermore, participants engaged in face-to-face learning showed significantly higher cortisol concentrations (η2 = 0.115, P = 0.032). Additionally, increased sympathetic activation correlated with the discrete positive emotion of enjoyment exclusively within the face-to-face condition (r = 0.365, P = 0.043). These results indicate that the transfer of a face-to-face practical course in microscopic anatomy to an online learning environment is associated with decreased sympathetic and enhanced vagal cardiovascular influences, together with lower cortisol concentrations in healthy medical students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morris Gellisch
- Department of Anatomy and Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Nina Minkley
- Behavioral Biology and Biology Education, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Wolfgang H Kirchner
- Behavioral Biology and Biology Education, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Martin Brüne
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry and Psychiatric Preventive Medicine, Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL) University Hospital of Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Beate Brand-Saberi
- Department of Anatomy and Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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30
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Kelly KR, Arrington LJ, Bernards JR, Jensen AE. Prolonged Extreme Cold Water Diving and the Acute Stress Response During Military Dive Training. Front Physiol 2022; 13:842612. [PMID: 35874531 PMCID: PMC9304957 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.842612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Cold water exposure poses a unique physiological challenge to the human body. Normally, water submersion increases activation of parasympathetic tone to induce bradycardia in order to compensate for hemodynamic shifts and reduce oxygen consumption by peripheral tissues. However, elevated stress, such as that which may occur due to prolonged cold exposure, may shift the sympatho-vagal balance towards sympathetic activation which may potentially negate the dive reflex and impact thermoregulation. Objective: To quantify the acute stress response during prolonged extreme cold water diving and to determine the influence of acute stress on thermoregulation. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one (n = 21) subjects tasked with cold water dive training participated. Divers donned standard diving equipment and fully submerged to a depth of ≈20 feet, in a pool chilled to 4°C, for a 9-h training exercise. Pre- and post-training measures included: core and skin temperature; salivary alpha amylase (AA), cortisol (CORT), osteocalcin (OCN), testosterone (TEST) and dehydroepiandosterone (DHEA); body weight; blood glucose, lactate, and ketones. Results: Core, skin, and extremity temperature decreased (p < 0.001) over the 9-h dive; however, core temperature was maintained above the clinical threshold for hypothermia and was not correlated to body size (p = 0.595). There was a significant increase in AA (p < 0.001) and OCN (p = 0.021) and a significant decrease in TEST (p = 0.003) over the duration of the dive. An indirect correlation between changes in cortisol concentrations and changes in foot temperature (ρ = -0.5,p = 0.042) were observed. There was a significant positive correlation between baseline OCN and change in hand temperature (ρ = 0.66, p = 0.044) and significant indirect correlation between changes in OCN concentrations and changes in hand temperature (ρ = -0.59, p = 0.043). Conclusion: These data suggest that long-duration, cold water diving initiates a stress response—as measurable by salivary stress biomarkers—and that peripheral skin temperature decreases over the course of these dives. Cumulatively, these data suggest that there is a relationship between the acute stress response and peripheral thermoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen R. Kelly
- Applied Translational Exercise and Metabolic Physiology Team, Warfighter Performance, Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Karen R. Kelly,
| | - Laura J. Arrington
- Applied Translational Exercise and Metabolic Physiology Team, Warfighter Performance, Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, CA, United States
- Leidos, Inc., San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Jake R. Bernards
- Applied Translational Exercise and Metabolic Physiology Team, Warfighter Performance, Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, CA, United States
- Leidos, Inc., San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Andrew E. Jensen
- Applied Translational Exercise and Metabolic Physiology Team, Warfighter Performance, Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, CA, United States
- Leidos, Inc., San Diego, CA, United States
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31
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Bonapersona, Born FJ, Bakvis P, Branje S, Elzinga B, Evers A, van Eysden M, Fernandez G, Habets PC, Hartman CA, Hermans EJ, Meeus W, van Middendorp H, Nelemans S, Oei NY, Oldehinkel AJ, Roelofs K, de Rooij SR, Smeets T, Tollenaar MS, Joëls M, Vinkers CH. The STRESS-NL database: A resource for human acute stress studies across the Netherlands. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 141:105735. [PMID: 35447495 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Stress initiates a cascade of (neuro)biological, physiological, and behavioral changes, allowing us to respond to a challenging environment. The human response to acute stress can be studied in detail in controlled settings, usually in a laboratory environment. To this end, many studies employ acute stress paradigms to probe stress-related outcomes in healthy and patient populations. Though valuable, these studies in themselves often have relatively limited sample sizes. We established a data-sharing and collaborative interdisciplinary initiative, the STRESS-NL database, which combines (neuro)biological, physiological, and behavioral data across many acute stress studies in order to accelerate our understanding of the human acute stress response in health and disease (www.stressdatabase.eu). Researchers in the stress field from 12 Dutch research groups of 6 Dutch universities created a database to achieve an accurate inventory of (neuro)biological, physiological, and behavioral data from laboratory-based human studies that used acute stress tests. Currently, the STRESS-NL database consists of information on 5529 individual participants (2281 females and 3348 males, age range 6-99 years, mean age 27.7 ± 16 years) stemming from 57 experiments described in 42 independent studies. Studies often did not use the same stress paradigm; outcomes were different and measured at different time points. All studies currently included in the database assessed cortisol levels before, during and after experimental stress, but cortisol measurement will not be a strict requirement for future study inclusion. Here, we report on the creation of the STRESS-NL database and infrastructure to illustrate the potential of accumulating and combining existing data to allow meta-analytical, proof-of-principle analyses. The STRESS-NL database creates a framework that enables human stress research to take new avenues in explorative and hypothesis-driven data analyses with high statistical power. Future steps could be to incorporate new studies beyond the borders of the Netherlands; or build similar databases for experimental stress studies in rodents. In our view, there are major scientific benefits in initiating and maintaining such international efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonapersona
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University,Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - F J Born
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University,Utrecht, The Netherlands; Charité University, Berlin,Germany
| | - P Bakvis
- Clinical Psychology unit, Institute of Psychology and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University,The Netherlands; SEIN, Epilepsy Institute in the Netherlands,Heemstede,The Netherlands
| | - S Branje
- Department of Youth & Family, Utrecht University,Utrecht,The Netherlands
| | - B Elzinga
- Clinical Psychology unit, Institute of Psychology and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University,The Netherlands
| | - Awm Evers
- Health, Medical & Neuropsychology unit, Institute of Psychology and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - M van Eysden
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University,Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - G Fernandez
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center,Nijmegen,The Netherlands
| | - P C Habets
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Psychiatry,DeBoelelaan 1117, Amsterdam,The Netherlands; Amsterdam Neurosciences, Mood, Anxiety, Psychosis, Stress, and Sleep (MAPSS),Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C A Hartman
- Department of Psychiatry and Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen,Groningen,The Netherlands
| | - E J Hermans
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center,Nijmegen,The Netherlands
| | - W Meeus
- Department of Youth & Family, Utrecht University,Utrecht,The Netherlands
| | - H van Middendorp
- Health, Medical & Neuropsychology unit, Institute of Psychology and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - S Nelemans
- Department of Youth & Family, Utrecht University,Utrecht,The Netherlands
| | - N Y Oei
- Amsterdam Brain and Cognition (ABC), University of Amsterdam,Amsterdam,The Netherlands; Department of Developmental Psychology, Addiction Development and Psychopathology(ADAPT)-Lab, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, University of Amsterdam,Amsterdam,The Netherlands
| | - A J Oldehinkel
- Department of Psychiatry and Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen,Groningen,The Netherlands
| | - K Roelofs
- Radboud University Nijmegen: Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour and Behavioural Science Institute
| | - S R de Rooij
- Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC,Amsterdam,The Netherlands
| | - T Smeets
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Center of Research on Psychological disorders and Somatic diseases (CoRPS), Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University,Tilburg,The Netherlands
| | - M S Tollenaar
- Clinical Psychology unit, Institute of Psychology and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University,The Netherlands
| | - M Joëls
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen,Groningen,The Netherlands
| | - C H Vinkers
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Psychiatry,DeBoelelaan 1117, Amsterdam,The Netherlands; Amsterdam Neurosciences, Mood, Anxiety, Psychosis, Stress, and Sleep (MAPSS),Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Stress and risk — Preferences versus noise. JUDGMENT AND DECISION MAKING 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/s1930297500008974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
AbstractWe analyze the impact of acute stress on risky choice in a pre-registered laboratory experiment with 194 participants. We test the causal impact of stress on the stability of risk preferences by separating noise in decision-making from an actual shift in preferences. We find no significant differences in risk attitudes across conditions on the aggregate, using both descriptive analyses as well as structural estimations for risk aversion and different noise structures. Additionally, in line with the previous literature, we find statistically significant evidence for lower cognitive abilities being correlated with more noise in decision-making in general. We do not find a significant interaction effect between cognitive abilities and stress on noise levels.
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Sterina E, Michopoulos V, Linnstaedt SD, Neylan TC, Clifford GD, Ethun KF, Lori A, Wingo AP, Rothbaum BO, Ressler KJ, Stevens JS. Time of trauma prospectively affects PTSD symptom severity: The impact of circadian rhythms and cortisol. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 141:105729. [PMID: 35413575 PMCID: PMC9250148 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A key feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disruption of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis feedback sensitivity and cortisol levels. Despite known diurnal rhythmicity of cortisol, there has been little exploration of the circadian timing of the index trauma and consequent cortisol release. Stress-related glucocorticoid pulses have been shown to shift clocks in peripheral organs but not the suprachiasmatic nucleus, uncoupling the central and peripheral clocks. A sample of 425 participants was recruited in the Emergency Department following a DSM-IV-TR Criterion A trauma. The Zeitgeber time of the trauma was indexed in minutes since sunrise, which was hypothesized to covary with circadian blood cortisol levels (high around sunrise and decreasing over the day). Blood samples were collected M(SD)= 4.0(4.0) hours post-trauma. PTSD symptoms six months post-trauma were found to be negatively correlated with trauma time since sunrise (r(233) = -0.15, p = 0.02). The effect remained when adjusting for sex, age, race, clinician-rated severity, education, pre-trauma PTSD symptoms, and time of the blood draw (β = -0.21, p = 0.00057). Cortisol levels did not correlate with blood draw time, consistent with a masking effect of the acute stress response obscuring the underlying circadian rhythm. Interactions between trauma time and expression of NPAS2 (punadjusted=0.042) and TIMELESS (punadjusted=0.029) predicted six-month PTSD symptoms. The interaction of trauma time and cortisol concentration was significantly correlated with the expression of PER1 (padjusted=0.029). The differential effect of time of day on future symptom severity suggests a role of circadian effects in PTSD development, potentially through peripheral clock disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelina Sterina
- Emory University School of Medicine, 100 Woodruff Circle, Suite 231, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Vasiliki Michopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sarah D Linnstaedt
- Department of Anesthesiology, Institute of Trauma Recovery, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Thomas C Neylan
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Gari D Clifford
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kelly F Ethun
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Adriana Lori
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Aliza P Wingo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Veterans Affairs Atlanta Health Care System, Decatur, GA USA
| | - Barbara O Rothbaum
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Jennifer S Stevens
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Dimitrov-Discher A, Wenzel J, Kabisch N, Hemmerling J, Bunz M, Schöndorf J, Walter H, Veer IM, Adli M. Residential green space and air pollution are associated with brain activation in a social-stress paradigm. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10614. [PMID: 35739150 PMCID: PMC9226020 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14659-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the influence of three major environmental variables at the place of residence as potential moderating variables for neurofunctional activation during a social-stress paradigm. Data from functional magnetic resonance imaging of 42 male participants were linked to publicly accessible governmental databases providing information on amount of green space, air pollution, and noise pollution. We hypothesized that stress-related brain activation in regions important for emotion regulation were associated positively with green space and associated negatively with air pollution and noise pollution. A higher percentage of green space was associated with stronger parietal and insular activation during stress compared with that in the control condition. More air pollution was associated with weaker activation in the same (but also extended) brain regions. These findings may serve as an important reference for future studies in the emerging field of “neuro-urbanism” and emphasize the importance of environmental factors in urban planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Dimitrov-Discher
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Julia Wenzel
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nadja Kabisch
- Department of Geography, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology, Helmholtz Centre of Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Physical Geography and Landscape Ecology, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Schneiderberg 50, 30167, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jan Hemmerling
- Department of Geography, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maxie Bunz
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, Section of Environmental Health and Health Risk Assessment, German Environment Agency, Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonas Schöndorf
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ilya M Veer
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mazda Adli
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.,Center for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Fliedner Klinik Berlin, Markgrafenstrasse 34, 10117, Berlin, Germany
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35
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Double the dose, double the impact? Effects of iTBS on salivary cortisol in stressed healthy volunteers. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2022; 10:100127. [PMID: 35755208 PMCID: PMC9216409 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing interest in applying double-dose repetitive transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) as a therapeutic tool for stress-related psychiatric disorders. Such stimulation protocols may shorten the treatment duration and may result in faster symptom improvement. Currently, theta-burst stimulation (TBS) protocols have gained attention because of their significantly reduced treatment duration, compared to conventional rTMS. However, the effect of one or twice daily rTMS sessions remains unclear in relation to stress. Using a two-period cross-over design, we examined the impact of double-dosed intermittent (TBS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on stress responses (salivary cortisol) in thirty-eight healthy participants after being stressed by a validated psychosocial stress task: the Trier Social Stress Test. After the first active iTBS session, as contrasted to sham, no differential effects on salivary output were observed. However, after the second active session, there was a significantly smaller decrease of salivary cortisol concentrations in the active iTBS condition compared to sham. Our results suggest that double-dosed iTBS after being stressed might differently affect stress recovery compared to a single session of iTBS. Double-dosed iTBS (after being stressed) might differently affect stress-responses compared to a single session of iTBS One session of iTBS in healthy volunteers might not be enough to alter psychophysiological stress-responses Stimulation protocols applying iTBS twice daily with only a short time of intersession interval may produce rather inhibitory effects on stress regulation instead of a facilitation.
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36
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Analysis of the Objective Internal Load in Portuguese Skydivers in the First Jump of the Day. SENSORS 2022; 22:s22093298. [PMID: 35590988 PMCID: PMC9099924 DOI: 10.3390/s22093298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The general objective of this study was to identify the variation in heart rate (HR) of Portuguese skydivers during 6 moments in their first jump of the day, bearing in mind the variable level of experience. Thirty-one Portuguese skydivers, 28 men and 3 women, aged between 19 and 62, participated in the study, 12 had A and B licenses (less experienced) and 19 had C and D licences (more experienced). The instrument used to record the heart rate of the skydivers at the different moments of their first jump of the day was the WIMU PRO. A repeated measures analysis of variance was used to analyse HR at different moments in the jump and its relation with the variables level of experience. Bonferroni multiple comparisons were performed to study the importance of the differences observed in HR at the different moments. The effect size was evaluated with partial eta squared. The results showed that average HR in this group of skydivers was 130 bpm, in the different moments of the jump. HR increases from the value recorded at rest until the moment of jumping from the plane and opening the parachute, reaching the highest average at that moment, then decreasing until contact with the ground. Comparing the variable, we found that the less experienced had higher HR than the more experienced at all moments during the jump. Statistically significant differences were found at the different moments of the jump, regarding HR (Max: p < 0.001, ƞ2p = 0.820; Min: p < 0.001, ƞ2p = 0.821; AVG: p < 0.001, ƞ2p = 0.834) Level of experience with jumping moment interaction, we only verified differences related to HR Min (p = 0.007, ƞ2p = 0.056),. With regard to experience, the identified differences were not statistically significant. Skydiving triggers an acute adaptive cardiovascular response which is reflected in the increase in the HR, between the moment of boarding the plane and the moment at which the parachute opens, thereafter decreasing until contact with the ground. The most experienced parachutists recorded the highest HR at the moment of landing and the least experienced at the moment of free fall.
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37
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Wulsin LR, Sagui-Henson SJ, Roos LG, Wang D, Jenkins B, Cohen BE, Shah AJ, Slavich GM. Stress Measurement in Primary Care: Conceptual Issues, Barriers, Resources, and Recommendations for Study. Psychosom Med 2022; 84:267-275. [PMID: 35067657 PMCID: PMC8976751 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Exposure to stressors in daily life and dysregulated stress responses are associated with increased risk for a variety of chronic mental and physical health problems, including anxiety disorders, depression, asthma, heart disease, certain cancers, and autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorders. Despite this fact, stress exposure and responses are rarely assessed in the primary care setting and infrequently targeted for disease prevention or treatment. METHOD In this narrative review, we describe the primary reasons for this striking disjoint between the centrality of stress for promoting disease and how rarely it is assessed by summarizing the main conceptual, measurement, practical, and reimbursement issues that have made stress difficult to routinely measure in primary care. The following issues will be reviewed: a) assessment of stress in primary care, b) biobehavioral pathways linking stress and illness, c) the value of stress measurements for improving outcomes in primary care, d) barriers to measuring and managing stress, and e) key research questions relevant to stress assessment and intervention in primary care. RESULTS On the basis of our synthesis, we suggest several approaches that can be pursued to advance this work, including feasibility and acceptability studies, cost-benefit studies, and clinical improvement studies. CONCLUSIONS Although stress is recognized as a key contributor to chronic disease risk and mortality, additional research is needed to determine how and when instruments for assessing life stress might be useful in the primary care setting, and how stress-related data could be integrated into disease prevention and treatment strategies to reduce chronic disease burden and improve human health and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawson R Wulsin
- From the Departments of Psychiatry and Family Medicine, University of Cincinnati, and Cincinnati Veterans Administration Medical Center (Wulsin), Cincinnati, Ohio; Osher Center for Integrative Medicine (Sagui-Henson), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Health Psychology PhD Program (Roos), University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina; Center for Economic and Social Research (Wang), University of Southern California, Los Angeles; Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Center on Stress & Health, and Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care (Jenkins), University of California, Irvine; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (Cohen), San Francisco, California; Department of Epidemiology (Shah), Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University; Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology (Shah), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta; and Atlanta Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (Shah), Decatur, Georgia; and Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Slavich), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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38
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Vanhollebeke G, De Smet S, De Raedt R, Baeken C, van Mierlo P, Vanderhasselt MA. The neural correlates of psychosocial stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis of spectral analysis EEG studies. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 18:100452. [PMID: 35573807 PMCID: PMC9095895 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gert Vanhollebeke
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Medical Image and Signal Processing Group (MEDISIP), Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Corresponding author. University Hospital Ghent Ghent, C. Heymanslaan 10, entrance 12 – floor 13, 9000, Belgium.
| | - Stefanie De Smet
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rudi De Raedt
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Chris Baeken
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital (UZBrussel), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pieter van Mierlo
- Medical Image and Signal Processing Group (MEDISIP), Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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39
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Lee MH, Hwang YH, Yun CS, Han BS, Kim DY. Altered small-world property of a dynamic metabolic network in murine left hippocampus after exposure to acute stress. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3885. [PMID: 35273207 PMCID: PMC8913833 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07586-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The acute stress response is a natural and fundamental reaction that balances the physiological conditions of the brain. To maintain homeostasis in the brain, the response is based on changes over time in hormones and neurotransmitters, which are related to resilience and can adapt successfully to acute stress. This increases the need for dynamic analysis over time, and new approaches to examine the relationship between metabolites have emerged. This study investigates whether the constructed metabolic network is a realistic or a random network and is affected by acute stress. While the metabolic network in the control group met the criteria for small-worldness at all time points, the metabolic network in the stress group did not at some time points, and the small-worldness had resilience after the fifth time point. The backbone metabolic network only met the criteria for small-worldness in the control group. Additionally, creatine had lower local efficiency in the stress group than the control group, and for the backbone metabolic network, creatine and glutamate were lower and higher in the stress group than the control group, respectively. These findings provide evidence of metabolic imbalance that may be a pre-stage of alterations to brain structure due to acute stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Hee Lee
- Institute of Human Genomic Study, College of Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon Ho Hwang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Soo Yun
- Department of Radiation Convergence Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Bong Soo Han
- Department of Radiation Convergence Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Youn Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea.
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40
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Krempel R, Schleicher D, Jarvers I, Ecker A, Brunner R, Kandsperger S. Sleep quality and neurohormonal and psychophysiological accompanying factors in adolescents with depressive disorders: study protocol. BJPsych Open 2022; 8:e57. [PMID: 35236539 PMCID: PMC8935910 DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2022.29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depressive disorders are common mental health problems during adolescence. Many adolescents with depression describe difficulties with sleeping. Findings of previous studies regarding changes in objective sleep quality in adolescents with depressive disorders are heterogeneous. AIMS This study aims to investigate differences in objective and subjective sleep quality between adolescents with depressive disorders and healthy peers, and to evaluate if potential changes in sleep occur concurrently with changes in the release of cortisol and alpha-amylase after awakening. METHOD This non-interventional parallel study examines correlations between depressive disorders, sleep quality and release of stress hormones. Sleep quality in the past 2 weeks, severity of depressive symptoms, psychiatric comorbidities and stress response of 30 adolescents with depressive disorders and 30 healthy controls (N = 60) are assessed via questionnaires. In participants' home environments, the objective sleep quality of seven consecutive nights is measured by sleep accelerometry. After awakening, participants answer sleep questionnaires to examine the subjective sleep quality of those nights. Furthermore, salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase are measured three times after awakening (+0 min, +30 min and +45 min after awakening). CONCLUSIONS Sleep is an important factor for prognosis and well-being in adolescents with depression. The results of this study can be highly valuable to integrate a more detailed examination of sleep quality and sleeping impairments in the treatment of adolescent depressive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekka Krempel
- Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Schleicher
- Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany
| | - Irina Jarvers
- Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany
| | - Angelika Ecker
- Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany
| | - Romuald Brunner
- Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany
| | - Stephanie Kandsperger
- Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany
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41
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Thompson LA, Liberty R, Corr A. "Does your baby watch TV?": The associations between at-home TV watching and laboratory challenge cortisol are different for young infants and their mothers. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22236. [PMID: 35191526 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
This longitudinal study examined associations between at-home TV watching and the biological stress response (cortisol) during a laboratory infant cognitive challenge task in 240 3- and 5-month infants and their mothers. Cortisol levels were lower in mothers of 5-month-old infants whose infants were exposed to TV at home, compared to mothers of infants that were not TV-exposed. Cortisol patterns were different across three laboratory sampling intervals for 3-month-old infants as a function of TV watching, revealing a sharp increase in laboratory cortisol only for infants who were exposed to TV at home. In contrast, there was no effect of TV exposure in 5-month-old infants' cortisol. Infant temperament and demographic measures were included as control variables in regression models to predict maternal and infant cortisol. At 3 months, for the T3 cortisol sampling interval, and at 5 months across all three sampling intervals, maternal cortisol levels were significantly predicted by infant TV exposure after accounting for variance due to these control variables. Our findings show the strong influence of the infant TV-exposure factor in the biological stress response of mothers of young infants, and suggest that infant TV exposure may influence self-regulation in 3-month-old infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Thompson
- Clinical Psychology Program, Fielding Graduate University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA.,Psychology Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
| | - Rebecca Liberty
- Clinical Psychology Program, Fielding Graduate University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
| | - Alora Corr
- Clinical Psychology Program, Fielding Graduate University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
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42
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Berretz G, Packheiser J, Wolf OT, Ocklenburg S. Improved interhemispheric connectivity after stress during lexical decision making. Behav Brain Res 2022; 418:113648. [PMID: 34728277 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Functional hemispheric asymmetries emerge as the left and the right hemisphere are dominant for different aspects of task processing. However, the hemispheres do not work independent of each other but share information through the corpus callosum. The integration of information across the corpus callosum is dependent on its structural integrity and functionality. Several hormones, like estradiol and progesterone, can influence this function. Since earlier work has demonstrated that long-term changes in stress hormone levels are accompanied by changes in hemispheric asymmetries in several mental disorders, the aim of the current study was to investigate whether acute stress and the associated changes in stress hormone levels also affect information transfer across the corpus callosum. For this purpose, we collected EEG data from 51 participants while completing a lexical decision task and a Poffenberger paradigm twice, once after stress induction with the Trier Social Stress Test and once after a control-condition. While there were no differences in interhemispheric transfer between the stress and the non-stress condition in the Poffenberger paradigm, we observed shorter latencies to stimuli in the left visual field in the left hemisphere at the CP3-CP4 electrode pair after stress. These results suggest that the transfer of lexical material from the right to the left hemisphere was quicker under stress. Stress may increase callosal excitability and lead to more efficient signal transfer across the corpus callosum between language related areas. Future studies using pharmacological intervention are needed to further examine cooperation of the hemispheres under stress in more detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gesa Berretz
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Julian Packheiser
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Social Brain Lab, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; Department of Psychology, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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43
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Berretz G, Packheiser J, Wolf OT, Ocklenburg S. Acute stress increases left hemispheric activity measured via changes in frontal alpha asymmetries. iScience 2022; 25:103841. [PMID: 35198894 PMCID: PMC8850739 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontal EEG alpha band asymmetries have been linked to affective processing in healthy individuals and affective disorders. As stress provides a strong source of negative affect, the present study investigated how acute stress affects frontal EEG alpha asymmetries. Continuous EEG data were acquired from 51 healthy adult participants during stress induction with the Trier Social Stress Test. EEG data were also collected during a non-stressful control condition. Furthermore, EEG resting state data were acquired after both conditions. Under stress, participants showed stronger left hemispheric activation over frontal electrodes as well as reduced left-hemispheric activation over occipital electrodes compared to the control condition. Our results are in line with predictions of the asymmetric inhibition model which postulates that the left prefrontal cortex inhibits negative distractors. Moreover, the results support the capability model of emotional regulation which states that frontal asymmetries during emotional challenge are more pronounced compared to asymmetries during rest. EEG recording during social stress induction Stronger left hemispheric frontal activation during emotional challenge No stress-related changes in resting state EEG after stress induction Support for asymmetric inhibition and the capability model of emotional regulation
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Affiliation(s)
- Gesa Berretz
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, Room: IB 6/109, 44780 Bochum, Germany
- Corresponding author
| | - Julian Packheiser
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Social Brain Lab, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Oliver T. Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, Room: IB 6/109, 44780 Bochum, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Liu Y, Ren X, Zeng M, Li J, Zhao X, Zhang X, Yang J. Resting-state dynamic functional connectivity predicts the psychosocial stress response. Behav Brain Res 2022; 417:113618. [PMID: 34610370 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Acute stress triggers a complex cascade of psychological, physiological, and neural responses, which show large and enduring individual differences. Although previous studies have examined the relationship between the stress response and dynamic features of the brain's resting state, no study has used the brain's dynamic activity in the resting state to predict individual differences in the psychosocial stress response. In the current study, resting-state scans of forty-eight healthy participants were collected, and then their individual acute stress responses during the Montreal Imaging Stress Test (MIST) paradigm were recorded. Results defined a connectivity state (CS) characterized by positive correlations across the whole brain during resting-state that could negatively predict participants' feelings of social evaluative threat during stress tasks. Another CS characterized by negative correlations between the frontal-parietal network (FPN) and almost all other networks, except the dorsal attentional network (DAN), could predict participants' subjective stress, feelings of uncontrollability, and feelings of social evaluative threat. However, no CS could predict participants' salivary cortisol stress response. Overall, these results suggested that the brain state characterized as attentional regulation, linking self-control, and top-down regulation ability, could predict the psychosocial stress response. This study also developed an objective indicator for predicting human stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadong Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xi Ren
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Mei Zeng
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jiwen Li
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xiaolin Zhao
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xuehan Zhang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Juan Yang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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Thompson L, White B. Neuropsychological correlates of evocative multimodal speech: The combined roles of fearful prosody, visuospatial attention, cortisol response, and anxiety. Behav Brain Res 2022; 416:113560. [PMID: 34461163 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Past research reveals left-hemisphere dominance for linguistic processing and right-hemisphere dominance for emotional prosody processing during auditory language comprehension, a pattern also found in visuospatial attention studies where listeners are presented with a view of the talker's face. Is this lateralization pattern for visuospatial attention and language processing upheld when listeners are experiencing a stress response? To investigate this question, participants completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) between administrations of a visuospatial attention and language comprehension dual-task paradigm. Subjective anxiety, cardiovascular, and saliva cortisol measures were taken before and after the TSST. Higher language comprehension scores in the post-TSST neutral prosody condition were associated with lower cortisol responses, differences in blood pressure, and less subjective anxiety. In this challenging task, visuospatial attention was most focused at the mouth region, both prior to and after stress induction. Greater visuospatial attention on the left side of the face image, compared to the right side, indicated greater right hemisphere activation. In the Fear, but not the Neutral, prosody condition, greater cortisol response was associated with greater visuospatial attention to the left side of the face image. Results are placed into theoretical context, and can be applied to situations where stressed listeners must interpret emotionally evocative language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Thompson
- Clinical Psychology Program, Fielding Graduate University, United States.
| | - Bryan White
- Department of Psychology, New Mexico State University, United States
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Price HL, Tottenham LS, Hatin B, Fitzgerald RJ, Rubínová E. Effects of stress on eyewitness identification in the laboratory. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Heather L. Price
- Department of Psychology Thompson Rivers University Kamloops British Columbia Canada
| | | | - Bianca Hatin
- Department of Psychology University of the West of Scotland Paisley UK
| | - Ryan J. Fitzgerald
- Department of Psychology Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada
| | - Eva Rubínová
- Department of Psychology Thompson Rivers University Kamloops British Columbia Canada
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Hensel L, Rohleder N, Niessen C. Effects of psychosocial stress on prosociality: the moderating role of current life stress and thought control. Stress 2022; 25:235-245. [PMID: 35713555 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2022.2054697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, only a few studies have examined whether and when stressed individuals are still prosocially motivated and willing to help others, which is in contrast to the relevance and importance that helping others has for our society. The present study investigates the impact of affective and biopsychological acute stress responses on prosociality (prosocial motivation, helping behavior) under controlled laboratory conditions. In addition, it was examined whether this relationship is affected by individuals' current life stress and the cognitive ability to keep stress-related thoughts at bay. To induce acute stress responses (heart rate, negative affect, salivary alpha-amylase, cortisol), 55 individuals (28 women, M = 24 years old, SD = 4.53) were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Current life stress (cortisol) was assessed over two days of participants' everyday lives. Thought control ability was assessed with the think/no-think paradigm and was additionally manipulated after the acute stress intervention (TSST) via instructions. The results showed that acute stress was positively associated with prosociality. Specifically, negative affect was positively related to prosocial motivation and salivary alpha-amylase was positively associated with helping behavior. Current life stress moderated the relationship between salivary cortisol and helping behavior: the association was positive at low levels of current life stress. The instruction to control one's thoughts but not participants' general ability to do so reduced stress responses (negative affect). In sum, the findings suggest that prosociality increases following acute stress and that this effect depends on the level of current life stress. Additionally, adopting the strategy of controlling stress-related thoughts was found to be promising for attenuating individuals' stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Hensel
- Department of Psychology, Chair of Work and Organizational Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Rohleder
- Department of Psychology, Chair of Health Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Cornelia Niessen
- Department of Psychology, Chair of Work and Organizational Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Spiga F, Lawton MA, Lightman SL, Smith GD, Ben-Shlomo Y. Socio-demographic and psychosocial predictors of salivary cortisol from older male participants in the Speedwell prospective cohort study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 135:105577. [PMID: 34823140 PMCID: PMC9972784 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105577] [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: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Associations between measures of socio-economic position and cortisol remain controversial. We examined the association between social class and cortisol reactivity in an aging male population. METHODS The Speedwell cohort study recruited 2348 men aged 45-59 years from primary care between 1979 and 1982 (phase I) where occupational social class was used to classify socioeconomic position. Men were seen on four more occasions, the last being between 1997 and 1999 (phase 5) when salivary samples were obtained capturing cortisol reactivity to stressors (cognitive test and venepuncture) and circadian variations (awakening and night-time cortisol levels, circadian slope and area under curve) at morning and afternoon clinic sessions. Longitudinal association between social class at phase 3 and log-transformed salivary cortisol measures at phase 5 was assessed using multivariable linear regression adjusted for variables associated with sampling time and age as a potential confounder, stratified by time of clinic session. We also explored possible mediation by psychosocial factors (e.g. work dislike) and health-related factors (e.g. waist-to-hip ratio and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol). RESULTS From 1768 living men, 1003 men (57%) attended a clinic at phase five, 854 participants (85% of attendees) returned home cortisol samples (mean age 71.7 years). We found little evidence of association between social class and baseline cortisol (i.e. prior to stress), cortisol response to stressors, and cortisol diurnal variation. However, we found lower social class was associated with higher and delayed post-stress recovery cortisol for participants that visited the clinic in the morning (adjusted β coefficient for manual versus non-manual 0.25 ng/ml; 95% CI: 0.06-0.48; P = 0.008). This association did not appear to be mediated by any of the measured psychosocial or health-related factors. CONCLUSION Our data did not show an overall association between social class and cortisol variability either diurnal or in response to a stressor. Lower social class was associated with a slower time to recover from exposure to stress in the morning, thereby increasing overall cortisol exposure. These findings provide some evidence for a mechanism that may contribute to the association between lower social class and a higher risk of adverse health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Spiga
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK; MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | - Michael A. Lawton
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK
| | - Stafford L. Lightman
- Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK
| | - George Davey Smith
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK,MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Yoav Ben-Shlomo
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK
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Distress disorder histories predict HRV trajectories during and after stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 135:105575. [PMID: 34741982 PMCID: PMC8670520 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer survivors face a number of physical health threats including cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death among breast cancer survivors. Low heart rate variability (HRV) represents one well-established risk factor for poor cardiovascular health. Among physically healthy adults and breast cancer survivors, distress disorders may contribute to lower HRV, enhancing morbidity and mortality. This study examined how a distress disorder history altered survivors' HRV trajectories during and after an experimental stressor. METHODS Breast cancer survivors (n = 178; mean age = 51.22) who finished treatment for stages 0-IIIa cancer within the past two years completed a diagnostic interview assessing lifetime presence of psychological disorders. They also participated in a Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). HRV data provided information on survivors' cardiovascular responses at baseline, during the TSST, and during recovery. HRV recovery data at 45 min and 120 min post-TSST was also collected. Survivors also completed questionnaires before and after the TSST assessing task performance, stress levels, ability to cope, and hopelessness. Covariates included body mass index, age, cancer stage, cardiovascular medications, exercise, menopause status, fatigue, current depressive and anxiety symptoms, and physical comorbidities. RESULTS Women with a distress disorder history had significantly lower HRV before, during, and after the TSST compared to women without such a history. Survivors with distress disorders found the TSST to be more threatening, and reported feeling less control over their performance than those without distress disorders. CONCLUSIONS Breast cancer survivors with a distress disorder history may have lower autonomic flexibility before, during, and after stress exposure. Distress disorder histories also heighten several stress-related risk perceptions leading up to and following the TSST. These findings highlight distress disorder histories as a unique correlate of poorer cardiovascular function among survivors.
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Effects of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris YRC3780 daily intake on the HPA axis response to acute psychological stress in healthy Japanese men. Eur J Clin Nutr 2022; 76:574-580. [PMID: 34349248 PMCID: PMC8993685 DOI: 10.1038/s41430-021-00978-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris (YRC3780), which is isolated from kefir, has been associated with anti-allergic effects in humans. However, it remains unknown whether daily intake of YRC3780 attenuates the response to psychological stress in humans in parallel with changes to the gut microbiome. We examined the fundamental role of YRC3780 in the gut microbiome, stress response, sleep, and mental health in humans. METHODS Effects of daily intake of YRC3780 on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to acute psychological stress were investigated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 27 healthy young men (mean age and body mass index: 23.5 years and 21.5 kg/m2) who were randomly assigned to placebo (n = 13) or YRC3780 (n = 14) groups. The HPA axis response to acute psychological stress, the diurnal rhythm of HPA axis activity, and gut microbiome were assessed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS The results showed that daily intake of YRC3780 significantly lowered morning salivary cortisol levels compared with placebo. In addition, salivary cortisol levels following a social stress test significantly decreased +40 min after beginning the TSST in the YRC3780-treated group compared to placebo. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of actigraphy-based sleep quality, but the subjective sleep quality and mental health were significantly improved in the YRC3780-treated group compared to placebo. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that daily intake of YRC3780 improves the HPA axis response to acute psychological stress, which might be associated with a decrease in morning cortisol levels.
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