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Killanin AD, Ward TW, Embury CM, Calhoun VD, Wang Y, Stephen JM, Picci G, Heinrichs‐Graham E, Wilson TW. Effects of endogenous testosterone on oscillatory activity during verbal working memory in youth. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26774. [PMID: 38949599 PMCID: PMC11215982 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26774] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Testosterone levels sharply rise during the transition from childhood to adolescence and these changes are known to be associated with changes in human brain structure. During this same developmental window, there are also robust changes in the neural oscillatory dynamics serving verbal working memory processing. Surprisingly, whereas many studies have investigated the effects of chronological age on the neural oscillations supporting verbal working memory, none have probed the impact of endogenous testosterone levels during this developmental period. Using a sample of 89 youth aged 6-14 years-old, we collected salivary testosterone samples and recorded magnetoencephalography during a modified Sternberg verbal working memory task. Significant oscillatory responses were identified and imaged using a beamforming approach and the resulting maps were subjected to whole-brain ANCOVAs examining the effects of testosterone and sex, controlling for age, during verbal working memory encoding and maintenance. Our primary results indicated robust testosterone-related effects in theta (4-7 Hz) and alpha (8-14 Hz) oscillatory activity, controlling for age. During encoding, females exhibited weaker theta oscillations than males in right cerebellar cortices and stronger alpha oscillations in left temporal cortices. During maintenance, youth with greater testosterone exhibited weaker alpha oscillations in right parahippocampal and cerebellar cortices, as well as regions across the left-lateralized language network. These results extend the existing literature on the development of verbal working memory processing by showing region and sex-specific effects of testosterone, and are the first results to link endogenous testosterone levels to the neural oscillatory activity serving verbal working memory, above and beyond the effects of chronological age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham D. Killanin
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain HealthBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- College of MedicineUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Thomas W. Ward
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain HealthBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Department of Pharmacology and NeuroscienceCreighton UniversityOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Christine M. Embury
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain HealthBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri‐Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS)Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Yu‐Ping Wang
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringTulane UniversityNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| | | | - Giorgia Picci
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain HealthBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Department of Pharmacology and NeuroscienceCreighton UniversityOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Elizabeth Heinrichs‐Graham
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain HealthBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Department of Pharmacology and NeuroscienceCreighton UniversityOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Tony W. Wilson
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain HealthBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- College of MedicineUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
- Department of Pharmacology and NeuroscienceCreighton UniversityOmahaNebraskaUSA
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Schaefer JK, Engert V, Valk SL, Singer T, Puhlmann LM. Mapping pathways to neuronal atrophy in healthy, mid-aged adults: From chronic stress to systemic inflammation to neurodegeneration? Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 38:100781. [PMID: 38725445 PMCID: PMC11081785 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100781] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence implicates systemic inflammation in the loss of structural brain integrity in natural ageing and disorder development. Chronic stress and glucocorticoid exposure can potentiate inflammatory processes and may also be linked to neuronal atrophy, particularly in the hippocampus and the human neocortex. To improve understanding of emerging maladaptive interactions between stress and inflammation, this study examined evidence for glucocorticoid- and inflammation-mediated neurodegeneration in healthy mid-aged adults. N = 169 healthy adults (mean age = 39.4, 64.5% female) were sampled from the general population in the context of the ReSource Project. Stress, inflammation and neuronal atrophy were quantified using physiological indices of chronic stress (hair cortisol (HCC) and cortisone (HEC) concentration), systemic inflammation (interleukin-6 (IL-6), high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)), the systemic inflammation index (SII), hippocampal volume (HCV) and cortical thickness (CT) in regions of interest. Structural equation models were used to examine evidence for pathways from stress and inflammation to neuronal atrophy. Model fit indices indicated good representation of stress, inflammation, and neurological data through the constructed models (CT model: robust RMSEA = 0.041, robust χ2 = 910.90; HCV model: robust RMSEA <0.001, robust χ2 = 40.95). Among inflammatory indices, only the SII was positively associated with hair cortisol as one indicator of chronic stress (β = 0.18, p < 0.05). Direct and indirect pathways from chronic stress and systemic inflammation to cortical thickness or hippocampal volume were non-significant. In exploratory analysis, the SII was inversely related to mean cortical thickness. Our results emphasize the importance of considering the multidimensionality of systemic inflammation and chronic stress, with various indicators that may represent different aspects of the systemic reaction. We conclude that inflammation and glucocorticoid-mediated neurodegeneration indicated by IL-6 and hs-CRP and HCC and HEC may only emerge during advanced ageing and disorder processes, still the SII could be a promising candidate for detecting associations between inflammation and neurodegeneration in younger and healthy samples. Future work should examine these pathways in prospective longitudinal designs, for which the present investigation serves as a baseline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia K. Schaefer
- Cognitive Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
| | - Veronika Engert
- Research Group “Social Stress and Family Health”, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Clinic, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Sofie L. Valk
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, FZ Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lara M.C. Puhlmann
- Research Group “Social Stress and Family Health”, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Mainz, Germany
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Qi D, Wang W, Chu L, Wu Y, Wang W, Zhu M, Yuan L, Gao W, Deng H. Associations of schizophrenia with the activities of the HPA and HPG axes and their interactions characterized by hair-based biomarkers. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 165:107049. [PMID: 38657340 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107049] [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: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Past studies on schizophrenia (SCZ) and the stress-sensitive neuroendocrine systems have mostly focused on a single system and traditionally utilized acute biomarkers (e.g., biomarkers from blood, urine and saliva) that poorly match the chronic course of schizophrenia in time span. Using eight biomarkers in hair, this study aimed to explore the functional characteristics of SCZ patients in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axes and the interaction between the two axes. METHODS Hair samples were taken from 137 SCZ patients and 73 controls. The SCZ patients were diagnosed by their attending physician according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV and were clinically stable after treatment. Gender, age, BMI, frequency of hair washing, marital status, education level, family history of mental illness and clozapine dosage were concurrently collected as covariates. The 10-item perceived stress scale (PSS-10) and the social readjustment rating scale were used to assess chronic stress status in SCZ patients. Eight hair biomarkers, cortisol, cortisone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), testosterone, progesterone, cortisol/cortisone, cortisol/DHEA and cortisol/testosterone, were measured by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometer. Among them, cortisol, cortisone, DHEA and cortisol/DHEA reflected the functional activity of the HPA axis, and testosterone and progesterone reflected the functional activity of the HPG axis, and cortisol/cortisone reflected the activity of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase types 2 (11β-HSD 2), and cortisol/testosterone reflected the HPA-HPG interaction. RESULTS SCZ patients showed significantly higher cortisone and cortisol/testosterone than controls (p<0.001, η²p=0.180 and p=0.015, η²p=0.031), lower testosterone (p=0.009, η²p=0.034), progesterone (p<0.001, η²p=0.069) and cortisol/cortisone (p=0.001, η²p=0.054). There were significant intergroup differences in male and female progesterone (p=0.003, η²p=0.088 and p=0.030, η²p=0.049) and female testosterone (p=0.028, η²p=0.051). In SCZ patients, cortisol, cortisol/cortisone, cortisol/DHEA and cortisol/testosterone were positively associated with PSS-10 score (ps<0.05, 0.212 CONCLUSION The function of the HPA and HPG axes, the activity of 11β-HSD 2 and the HPA-HPG interaction were abnormal in SCZ patients. The abnormality of neuroendocrine systems was associated with chronic stress status in SCZ patients. This study provided evidence for abnormalities in the neuroendocrine systems in SCZ patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyi Qi
- Department of Brain and Learning Science, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science (Southeast University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing 211189, China; Institute of Child Development and Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Weiliang Wang
- School of Nursing, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 163319, China.
| | - Liuxi Chu
- Department of Brain and Learning Science, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science (Southeast University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing 211189, China; Institute of Child Development and Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Yan Wu
- Department of Brain and Learning Science, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science (Southeast University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing 211189, China; Institute of Child Development and Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Brain and Learning Science, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science (Southeast University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing 211189, China; Institute of Child Development and Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Minhui Zhu
- Department of Brain and Learning Science, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science (Southeast University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing 211189, China; Institute of Child Development and Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Lin Yuan
- Department of Brain and Learning Science, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science (Southeast University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing 211189, China; Institute of Child Development and Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Institute of Child Development and Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210024, China
| | - Huihua Deng
- Department of Brain and Learning Science, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science (Southeast University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing 211189, China; Institute of Child Development and Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China.
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Juvinao-Quintero DL, Künzel RG, Larrabure-Torrealva G, Duncan L, Kirschbaum C, Sanchez SE, Gelaye B. Characterization of hair cortisol concentration pre-conception and during pregnancy. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 167:107089. [PMID: 38850884 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107089] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis is a system involved in stress and pregnancy regulation, and hair cortisol concentration (HCC) is a promising biomarker of its activity. Assessing factors that influence HCC in the prenatal period is critical to understand whether and how HPA axis (dys-)regulation influences maternal health and child development, particularly in high-risk populations from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). AIMS This study aimed at characterizing preconception and pregnancy HCC with respect to multiple sociodemographic, pregnancy-related, and hair-related factors. METHODS In a sample of N = 2581 pregnant women in Perú, participants from two cohort studies provided a 6 cm scalp hair sample at three prenatal timepoints. Each hair sample was cut into two segments of 3 cm that represent cortisol secretion at four times: preconception, first-, second- and third trimester of pregnancy. Hair cortisol was extracted using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Spearman correlations, paired t-tests, and ANOVA were used to assess differences in log-transformed values of HCC (logHCC) across maternal sociodemographic, pregnancy-related, and hair-related factors. Multivariable linear regressions were used to examine independent associations of HCCs with selected correlates. RESULTS Mean logHCC values showed an increase across the four prenatal periods. Preconception BMI was consistently associated with HCC in all three trimesters, while difficulty accessing basic foods, education, hair dyeing, and infant sex showed time-specific associations with HCCs. In sensitivity analyses, we detected no substantial segment effects in the associations of HCCs with maternal characteristics. CONCLUSION This study is the largest to characterize HCC in pregnant women from a LMIC. Our findings provide a foundation for the use of HCC as a biomarker of prenatal HPA axis activity for future studies. This foundation may contribute to finding valid biomarkers of stress-response systems to promote maternal and child health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana L Juvinao-Quintero
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, 677 Huntington Avenue, Kresge 500, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Richard G Künzel
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, 677 Huntington Avenue, Kresge 500, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Ostenstraße 26, Eichstätt 85072, Germany.
| | - Gloria Larrabure-Torrealva
- Instituto Nacional Materno Perinatal, Lima 15024, Peru; Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas, Lima 15081, Peru
| | - Laramie Duncan
- Stanford University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Clemens Kirschbaum
- Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 19, Dresden 01069, Germany
| | - Sixto E Sanchez
- Universidad de San Martin de Porres, Facultad de Medicina Humana, Instituto de Investigacion, Lima 15024, Peru; Asociación Civil PROESA, Lima 15024, Peru
| | - Bizu Gelaye
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, 677 Huntington Avenue, Kresge 500, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, The Chester M. Pierce, M.D. Division of Global Psychiatry, 151 Merrimac Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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Murray AL, Xie T, Power L, Condon L. Recruitment and retention of adolescents for an ecological momentary assessment measurement burst mental health study: The MHIM engagement strategy. Health Expect 2024; 27:e14065. [PMID: 38711174 DOI: 10.1111/hex.14065] [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: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recruitment and long-term retention of adolescent participants in longitudinal research are challenging and may be especially so in studies involving remote measurement and biosampling components. The ability to effectively recruit and retain participants can be supported by the use of specific evidence-based engagement strategies that are built in from the earliest stages. METHODS Informed by a review of the evidence on effective engagement strategies and consultations with adolescents (via two Young Person Advisory Groups [YPAGs]; ages 11-13 and 14-17), the current protocol describes the planned participant engagement strategy for the Mental Health in the Moment Study: a multimodal measurement burst study of adolescent mental health across ages 11-19. RESULTS The protocol incorporates engagement strategies in four key domains: consultations/co-design with the target population, incentives, relationship-building and burden/barrier reduction. In addition to describing general engagement strategies in longitudinal studies, we also discuss specific concerns regarding engagement in data collection methods such as biosampling and ecological momentary assessment where a paucity of evidence exists. CONCLUSION Engagement strategies for adolescent mental health studies should be based on existing evidence and consultations with adolescents. We present our approach in developing the planned engagement strategies and also discuss limitations and future directions in engaging adolescents in longitudinal research. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION The study design for this project places a strong emphasis on the active engagement of adolescents throughout its development. Specifically, the feedback and suggestions provided by the YPAGs have been instrumental in refining our strategies for maximising the recruitment and retention of participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aja L Murray
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tong Xie
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Luke Power
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lucy Condon
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration West, Bristol, UK
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Peng FJ, Palazzi P, Mezzache S, Adelin E, Bourokba N, Bastien P, Appenzeller BMR. Glucocorticoid hormones in relation to environmental exposure to bisphenols and multiclass pesticides among middle aged-women: Results from hair analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 348:123839. [PMID: 38522601 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Bisphenols and pesticides have been shown to alter circulating glucocorticoids levels in animals, but there is limited human data. Moreover, measurements from biological fluids may not be able to reflect long-term status of non-persistent pollutants and glucocorticoids due to the high variability in their levels. Using hair analysis, we examined the associations between glucocorticoid hormones and environmental exposure to multi-class organic pollutants among a healthy female population aged 25-45 years old. Concentrations of four glucocorticoids, four polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCBs), seven polybrominated diphenyl ether congeners (PBDEs), two bisphenols and 140 pesticides and their metabolites were measured in hair samples collected from 196 Chinese women living in urban areas. Due to the low detection frequency of some pollutants, associations were explored only on 54 pollutants, i.e. PCB 180, bisphenol A, bisphenol S and 51 pesticides and their metabolites. Using stability-based Lasso regression, there were associations of cortisol, tetrahydrocortisol, cortisone, and tetrahydrocortisone with 14, 10, 13 and 17 biomarkers of exposure to pollutants, respectively, with bisphenol S, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, diethyl phosphate, 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, fipronil, tebuconazole, trifluralin, pyraclostrobin and 1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-methylurea being associated with at least three of the four hormones. There were also associations between cortisone/cortisol molar ratio and pollutants, namely dimethyl phosphate, 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol, carbofuran, λ-cyhalothrin, permethrin, fipronil, flusilazole, prometryn and fenuron. Some of these relationships were confirmed by single-pollutant linear regression analyses. Overall, our results suggest that background level of exposure to bisphenols and currently used pesticides may interfere with the glucocorticoid homeostasis in healthy women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Jiao Peng
- Human Biomonitoring Research Unit, Department of Precision Health, Luxembourg Institute of Health, 1 A-B Rue Thomas Edison, 1445, Strassen, Luxembourg
| | - Paul Palazzi
- Human Biomonitoring Research Unit, Department of Precision Health, Luxembourg Institute of Health, 1 A-B Rue Thomas Edison, 1445, Strassen, Luxembourg
| | - Sakina Mezzache
- L'Oréal Research and Innovation, 1 Avenue Eugène Schueller BP22, 93601, Aulnay Sous Bois, France
| | - Emilie Adelin
- L'Oréal Research and Innovation, 1 Avenue Eugène Schueller BP22, 93601, Aulnay Sous Bois, France
| | - Nasrine Bourokba
- L'Oréal Research and Innovation, Biopolis Drive, Synapse, 138623, Singapore
| | - Philippe Bastien
- L'Oréal Research and Innovation, 1 Avenue Eugène Schueller BP22, 93601, Aulnay Sous Bois, France
| | - Brice M R Appenzeller
- Human Biomonitoring Research Unit, Department of Precision Health, Luxembourg Institute of Health, 1 A-B Rue Thomas Edison, 1445, Strassen, Luxembourg.
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Schmalbach I, Steudte-Schmiedgen S, Osmers A, Witthöft M, Drees P, Petrowski K. Longitudinal Assessment of Hair Cortisol as a Predictor of Psychological Symptoms During COVID-19. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 163:106991. [PMID: 38412741 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.106991] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a lack of evidence regarding enduring psychoneuroendocrine changes following an initial traumatic event, particular in the presence of an ongoing stressor. The coronavirus pandemic presents an opportunity to explore this matter. Consequently, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the impact of the ongoing pandemic (2021) on individuals, who experienced a first-time motor vehicle crash (MVC) at least 6 years earlier. To this end, we hypothesized that hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) following a first-time traumatic event positively predict symptoms of depression. METHOD We investigated N = 69 individuals (18 - 65 yrs.), who were victims of a MVC during 2010 - 2014. Hair strands were collected 10 days (t1) and 3 months after the MVC (t2), as well during the pandemic in 2021 (t3). To assess symptoms of depression, the participants filled out the Beck Depression Inventory at t1 - t3 and were additionally interviewed (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I) at t1 and t2. Exclusion criteria conveyed a lifetime or acute mental disorder (incl. past trauma exposure). RESULTS Elevated pre-pandemic HCC following adversity (i.e., MVC) significantly predicted symptoms of depression in adults during the coronavirus pandemic (BDI: ß =.44, p =.010, R2 =.20), even after controlling for confounders. HCC significantly decreased over time, while in average psychological symptoms remained consistent. CONCLUSION Cortisol dysregulation in the past presents an enduring vulnerability to ongoing stress. In this regard, vulnerable groups may benefit from preventive measures. This finding validates the predictive power of HCC and extended past evidence in this regard, at the same time reinforcing the concept of the diathesis-stress model.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Schmalbach
- Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Johannes-Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - S Steudte-Schmiedgen
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - A Osmers
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - M Witthöft
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Experimental Psychopathology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - P Drees
- University Hospital of the University Johannes-Gutenberg Mainz, Department for Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Mainz, Germany
| | - K Petrowski
- Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Johannes-Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany; Dresden University of Technology, Carl Gustav Carus Medical Faculty, Department of General Medicine/MK3, Dresden, Germany.
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Chan II, Wu AM. Assessing the Role of Cortisol in Anxiety, Major Depression, and Neuroticism: A Mendelian Randomization Study Using SERPINA6/ SERPINA1 Variants. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:100294. [PMID: 38525495 PMCID: PMC10959652 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100294] [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: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Previous evidence informed by the toxic stress model suggests that higher cortisol causes anxiety and major depression, but clinical success is lacking. To clarify the role of cortisol, we used Mendelian randomization to estimate its associations with anxiety, major depression, and neuroticism, leveraging the largest available genome-wide association studies including from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, the UK Biobank, and FinnGen. Methods After meta-analyzing 2 genome-wide association studies on morning plasma cortisol (n = 32,981), we selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at p < 5 × 10-8 and r2 < 0.3 in the SERPINA6/SERPINA1 gene region encoding proteins that influence cortisol bioavailability. We applied these SNPs to summary genetic associations with the outcomes considered (n = 17,310-449,484), and systolic blood pressure as a positive outcome, using inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis accounting for correlation. Sensitivity analyses addressing SNP correlation and confounding by childhood maltreatment and follow-up analyses using only SNPs that colocalized with SERPINA6 expression were conducted. Results Cortisol was associated with anxiety (pooled odds ratio [OR] 1.16 per cortisol z score; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.31), but not major depression (pooled OR 1.02, 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.10) or neuroticism (β -0.025; 95% CI, -0.071 to 0.022). Sensitivity analyses yielded similar estimates. Cortisol was positively associated with systolic blood pressure, as expected. Using rs9989237 and rs2736898, selected using colocalization, cortisol was associated with anxiety in the UK Biobank (OR 1.32; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.74) but not with major depression in FinnGen (OR 1.14; 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.37). Conclusions Cortisol was associated with anxiety and may be a potential target for prevention. Other targets may be more relevant to major depression and neuroticism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Io Ieong Chan
- Department of Public Health and Medicinal Administration, Faculty of Health Science, University of Macau, Macao, China
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Anise M.S. Wu
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macao, China
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Boswell L, Vega-Beyhart A, Blasco M, Quintana LF, Rodríguez G, Díaz-Catalán D, Vilardell C, Claro M, Mora M, Amor AJ, Casals G, Hanzu FA. Hair cortisol and changes in cortisol dynamics in chronic kidney disease. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1282564. [PMID: 38638132 PMCID: PMC11024788 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1282564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective We compared hair cortisol (HC) with classic tests of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and assessed its association with kidney and cardiometabolic status. Design and methods A cross-sectional study of 48 patients with CKD stages I-IV, matched by age, sex, and BMI with 24 healthy controls (CTR) was performed. Metabolic comorbidities, body composition, and HPA axis function were studied. Results A total of 72 subjects (age 52.9 ± 12.2 years, 50% women, BMI 26.2 ± 4.1 kg/m2) were included. Metabolic syndrome features (hypertension, dyslipidaemia, glucose, HOMA-IR, triglycerides, waist circumference) and 24-h urinary proteins increased progressively with worsening kidney function (p < 0.05 for all). Reduced cortisol suppression after 1-mg dexamethasone suppression (DST) (p < 0.001), a higher noon (12:00 h pm) salivary cortisol (p = 0.042), and salivary cortisol AUC (p = 0.008) were seen in CKD. 24-h urinary-free cortisol (24-h UFC) decreased in CKD stages III-IV compared with I-II (p < 0.001); higher midnight salivary cortisol (p = 0.015) and lower suppressibility after 1-mg DST were observed with declining kidney function (p < 0.001). Cortisol-after-DST cortisol was >2 mcg/dL in 23% of CKD patients (12.5% in stage III and 56.3% in stage IV); 45% of them had cortisol >2 mcg/dL after low-dose 2-day DST, all in stage IV (p < 0.001 for all). Cortisol-after-DST was lineally inversely correlated with eGFR (p < 0.001). Cortisol-after-DST (OR 14.9, 95% CI 1.7-103, p = 0.015) and glucose (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.5, p = 0.003) were independently associated with eGFR <30 mL/min/m2). HC was independently correlated with visceral adipose tissue (VAT) (p = 0.016). Cortisol-after-DST (p = 0.032) and VAT (p < 0.001) were independently correlated with BMI. Conclusion Cortisol-after-DST and salivary cortisol rhythm present progressive alterations in CKD patients. Changes in cortisol excretion and HPA dynamics in CKD are not accompanied by significant changes in long-term exposure to cortisol evaluated by HC. The clinical significance and pathophysiological mechanisms explaining the associations between HPA parameters, body composition, and kidney damage warrant further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Boswell
- Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Group of Endocrine Disorders, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Althaia University Health Network, Manresa, Spain
| | - Arturo Vega-Beyhart
- Group of Endocrine Disorders, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miquel Blasco
- Group of Nephrology and Transplantation, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Nephrology Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis F. Quintana
- Group of Nephrology and Transplantation, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Nephrology Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gabriela Rodríguez
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniela Díaz-Catalán
- Group of Endocrine Disorders, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carme Vilardell
- Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Althaia University Health Network, Manresa, Spain
| | - María Claro
- Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mireia Mora
- Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Group of Endocrine Disorders, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabo´ licas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio J. Amor
- Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gregori Casals
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Felicia A. Hanzu
- Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Group of Endocrine Disorders, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabo´ licas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
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10
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van der Valk ES, Mohseni M, Iyer AM, van den Hurk M, Lengton R, Kuckuck S, Wester VL, Leenen PJM, Dik WA, Visser JA, Kavousi M, Mirzaian M, van den Berg SAA, van Rossum EFC. Long-term glucocorticoid exposure and incident cardiovascular diseases - the Lifelines cohort. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2024:dgae081. [PMID: 38500477 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgae081] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
CONTEXT Long-term glucocorticoid levels in scalp hair (HairGCs), including cortisol and the inactive form cortisone, represent the cumulative systemic exposure to glucocorticoids over months. HairGCs have repeatedly shown associations with cardiometabolic and immune parameters, but longitudinal data are lacking. DESIGN We investigated 6341 hair samples of participants from the Lifelines cohort study for cortisol and cortisone levels, and associated these to incident cardiovascular diseases (CVD) during 5-7 years of follow-up. We computed the odds ratio (OR) of HairGC levels for incident CVD via logistic regression, adjusting for classical cardiovascular risk factors, and performed a sensitivity analysis in subcohorts of participants <60 years and >= 60 years. Also, we associated HairGC levels to immune parameters (total leukocytes and subtypes). RESULTS Hair cortisone levels (available in n = 4701) were independently associated with incident CVD (p < 0.001), particularly in younger individuals (multivariate-adjusted OR 4.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.91-9.07 per point increase in 10-log cortisone concentration (pg/mg), p < 0.001). All immune parameters except eosinophils were associated with hair cortisone (all multivariate-adjusted p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS In this large, prospective cohort study, we found that long-term cortisone levels, measured in scalp hair, represent a relevant and significant predictor for future cardiovascular diseases in younger individuals. These results highlight glucocorticoid action as possible treatment target for CVD prevention, where hair glucocorticoid measurements could help identify individuals that may benefit from such treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline S van der Valk
- Obesity Centre CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mostafa Mohseni
- Obesity Centre CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anand M Iyer
- Obesity Centre CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maartje van den Hurk
- Obesity Centre CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Robin Lengton
- Obesity Centre CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Susanne Kuckuck
- Obesity Centre CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Vincent L Wester
- Department of Internal Medicine, division of Geriatric Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pieter J M Leenen
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Willem A Dik
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jenny A Visser
- Obesity Centre CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maryam Kavousi
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mina Mirzaian
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd A A van den Berg
- Obesity Centre CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth F C van Rossum
- Obesity Centre CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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11
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Slesnick N, Brakenhoff B, Chavez LJ, Cuthbertson CL, Famelia R, Feng X, Ford J, Holowacz E, Jaderlund S, Kelleher K, Luthy E, Mallory AM, Pizzulo A, Slesnick TD, Yilmazer T. Suicide prevention for substance using youth experiencing homelessness: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2024; 25:174. [PMID: 38461275 PMCID: PMC10924986 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-024-07997-y] [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: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While research on substance using youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) is increasing, there is a dearth of information regarding effective prevention interventions for these youth. Suicide is the leading cause of death among YEH and most youth do not access services that may be available to them. Therefore, this study seeks to address this gap in the research literature with the goal to identify an effective suicide prevention intervention that can be readily adopted by communities that serve these youth. METHODS Three hundred (N = 300) YEH with recent substance use and suicidal ideation or a recent suicide attempt will be recruited from the streets as well as a drop-in center serving YEH. After the baseline assessment, all youth will be randomly assigned to Cognitive Therapy for Suicide Prevention (CTSP) + Services as Usual (SAU) (N = 150) or to SAU alone (N = 150). SAU includes outreach, advocacy, and service linkage whereas YEH who receive CTSP will also receive ten CTSP sessions and an optional nine booster sessions. Follow-up assessments will be conducted at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-baseline. Theoretically derived mediators (e.g., cognitive distortions) will be tested to shed light on mechanisms associated with change, and the moderating effects of sex, race, sexual orientation, and baseline service connection will be examined. In order to ease future dissemination of the intervention to agencies serving YEH, we will rigorously assess acceptability, feasibility, fidelity, and cost associated with the delivery of our intervention approach using a mixed-methods approach. DISCUSSION This study adds to a very small number of clinical trials seeking to prevent lethal suicide among a very high-risk group by addressing suicidal ideation directly rather than underlying conditions. It is hypothesized that youth receiving CTSP + SAU will show greater reductions in suicidal ideation (primary outcome), substance use, and depressive symptoms (secondary outcomes) over time compared to SAU alone, as well as improved risk and protective factors. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT05994612. Date of Registration: August 16, 2023.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Slesnick
- Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, 1787 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
| | - Brittany Brakenhoff
- Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, 1787 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Laura J Chavez
- Center for Child Health Equity and Outcomes Research, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, 370 W 9th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Caleb L Cuthbertson
- Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, 1787 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Ruri Famelia
- Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, 1787 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Xin Feng
- Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, 1787 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Jodi Ford
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, 1577 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Eugene Holowacz
- Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, 1787 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Soren Jaderlund
- Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, 1787 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Kelly Kelleher
- Center for Child Health Equity and Outcomes Research, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
| | - Ellison Luthy
- Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, 1787 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Allen M Mallory
- Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, 1787 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Alexis Pizzulo
- Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, 1787 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Tatiana D Slesnick
- College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Science, School of Environment and National Resources, 2021 Fyffe Rd, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Tansel Yilmazer
- Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, 1787 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
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12
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Shan W, Zhang Y, Zhao J, Zhao L, Hall BJ, Tucker JD, Jiang F. Association between maltreatment, hair cortisol concentration, positive parent-child interaction, and psychosocial outcomes in Chinese preschool children. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024:10.1007/s00787-023-02355-w. [PMID: 38182921 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-023-02355-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Children now are facing an increasing risk of early life stress (ELS), which leads to detrimental psychosocial outcomes. Behavior studies suggested that positive parental interactions might moderate the negative impact of ELS, but the related biological alteration remains unclear. This study aims to investigate whether positive parent-child interactions moderate the association between maltreatment (as a severe form of ELS) and hair cortisol concentration (HCC), as well as between HCC and psychosocial outcomes in young children. Participants were 6-year-old Chinese children (N = 257, Mage = 6.2, 121 were male) selected by stratified cluster random sampling from a Shanghai population representative cohort. Proximal 3 cm hair strands were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry for HCC. Children's psychosocial outcome was evaluated using the parental report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Parents also reported the frequency of positive parent-child interactions using the Chinese Parent-Child Interaction Scale (CPCIS) as well as the history of maltreatment. Multi-level logistic regression models adjusting for individual, kindergarten, and district confounders were used to evaluate the associations between maltreatment, HCC, and psychosocial outcomes. Interactions terms tested whether more frequent positive parent-child interactions moderates the association between maltreatment and HCC, as well as between HCC and psychosocial outcomes. Maltreated children exhibited higher levels of HCC (B = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.38,2.02; p = 0.004), and children with higher HCC exhibited poorer psychosocial outcomes (B = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.18,0.51; p < 0.001). Positive parent-child interactions did not have a moderating effect on the association between maltreatment and HCC, but they demonstrated a moderating effect on the association between increased HCC and psychosocial outcomes (interaction term: B = -0.42, 95% CI: -0.75,-0.10; p = 0.01). These findings provide evidence that positive parental interaction may serve as a moderator between chronic cortisol exposure and psychosocial problems. It highlights the importance of frequent parent-child interactions, especially among children under a high risk of ELS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Shan
- Department of International Clinic, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Child Health Advocacy Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunting Zhang
- Child Health Advocacy Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Zhao
- Child Health Advocacy Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Zhao
- Department of International Clinic, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Brian J Hall
- Center for Global Health Equity, NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
- School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph D Tucker
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Clinical Research Department, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Fan Jiang
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Shanghai, China.
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13
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Igboanugo S, O'Connor C, Zitoun OA, Ramezan R, Mielke JG. A systematic review of hair cortisol in healthy adults measured using immunoassays: Methodological considerations and proposed reference values for research. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14474. [PMID: 37950380 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14474] [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: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) has shown remarkable promise as a stable, non-invasive measure of systemic cortisol; however, despite methodological advances, the value that would typically be seen in healthy adults has not been established. Therefore, we sought to review the relevant literature to determine a reference value for HCC in healthy (i.e., non-clinical) adults. To this end, we conducted a systematic review of the PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL databases for studies that measured healthy adult HCC using immunoassay methods, given that these are the most widely accessible analytical tools. To be eligible, studies were required to have been published in English, to have provided relevant descriptive statistics (i.e., means and standard deviations), and to have used a healthy adult human sample. We found 17 studies that met our inclusion criteria; the reports involved 1348 participants with a mean age of about 38 years. Since we identified a large amount of between-study heterogeneity, we completed a random-effect meta-regression analysis and found that test kit vendor was the only significant variable of the model. As a result, when using methodologies from traditional finite mixture distributions to determine reference values for mean and elevated HCC in individual healthy adults, we calculated these estimates for each of the major test kit vendors. Future work will need to determine whether our estimated reference values need to be modified, and these efforts will be greatly assisted by studies that account for potential moderating factors, such as age, sex, and ethnicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somkene Igboanugo
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Claire O'Connor
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Osama A Zitoun
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Reza Ramezan
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G Mielke
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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14
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Merz EC, Myers B, Hansen M, Simon KR, Strack J, Noble KG. Socioeconomic Disparities in Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Regulation and Prefrontal Cortical Structure. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:83-96. [PMID: 38090738 PMCID: PMC10714216 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic disadvantage during childhood predicts an increased risk for mental health problems across the life span. Socioeconomic disadvantage shapes multiple aspects of children's proximal environments and increases exposure to chronic stressors. Drawing from multiple literatures, we propose that childhood socioeconomic disadvantage may lead to adaptive changes in the regulation of stress response systems including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. These changes, in turn, affect the development of prefrontal cortical (PFC) circuitry responsible for top-down control over cognitive and emotional processes. Translational findings indicate that chronic stress reduces dendritic complexity and spine density in the medial PFC and anterior cingulate cortex, in part through altered HPA axis regulation. Socioeconomic disadvantage has frequently been associated with reduced gray matter in the dorsolateral and ventrolateral PFC and anterior cingulate cortex and lower fractional anisotropy in the superior longitudinal fasciculus, cingulum bundle, and uncinate fasciculus during middle childhood and adolescence. Evidence of socioeconomic disparities in hair cortisol concentrations in children has accumulated, although null findings have been reported. Coupled with links between cortisol levels and reduced gray matter in the PFC and anterior cingulate cortex, these results support mechanistic roles for the HPA axis and these PFC circuits. Future longitudinal studies should simultaneously consider multiple dimensions of proximal factors, including cognitive stimulation, while focusing on epigenetic processes and genetic moderators to elucidate how socioeconomic context may influence the HPA axis and PFC circuitry involved in cognitive and emotional control. These findings, which point to modifiable factors, can be harnessed to inform policy and more effective prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C. Merz
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Brent Myers
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Melissa Hansen
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Katrina R. Simon
- Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Jordan Strack
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Kimberly G. Noble
- Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York
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15
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Aizpurua-Perez I, Arregi A, Labaka A, Martinez-Villar A, Perez-Tejada J. Psychological resilience and cortisol levels in adults: A systematic review. Am J Hum Biol 2023; 35:e23954. [PMID: 37395446 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23954] [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: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Resilience or the capacity to "bend but not break" refers to the ability to maintain or regain psychobiological equilibrium during or after exposure to stressful life events. Specifically, resilience has been proposed as a potential resource for staving off pathological states that often emerge after exposure to repeated stress and that are related to alterations in circulating cortisol. The aim of this systematic review of the literature was to gather evidence related to the relationship between psychological resilience and cortisol levels in adult humans. An extensive systematic search was carried out following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method in the PubMed and Web of Science databases. In total, 1256 articles were identified and, of these, 35 peer-reviewed articles were included in the systematic review. We categorized findings according to (1) the short and long-term secretion period covered by the cortisol matrices selected by studies and also according to (2) the differentiated diurnal, phasic (acute), and tonic (basal) components of the HPA output to which they refer and their relationships with resilience. Reported relationships between psychological resilience and distinct cortisol output parameters varied widely across studies, finding positive, negative, and null associations between the two variables. Notably, several of the studies that found no relationship between resilience and cortisol used a single morning saliva or plasma sample as their assessment of HPA axis activity. Despite limitations such as the great variability of the instruments and methods used by the studies to measure both resilience and cortisol, together with their high heterogeneity and small sample sizes, the evidence found in this systematic review points to the potential of resilience as a modifiable key factor to modulate the physiological response to stress. Therefore, further exploration of the interaction between the two variables is necessary for the eventual development of future interventions aimed at promoting resilience as an essential component of health prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibane Aizpurua-Perez
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, University of the Basque Country, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Amaia Arregi
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, University of the Basque Country, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Ainitze Labaka
- Department of Nursing II, University of the Basque Country, San Sebastian, Spain
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16
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Picci G, Ott LR, Penhale SH, Taylor BK, Johnson HJ, Willett MP, Okelberry HJ, Wang Y, Calhoun VD, Stephen JM, Wilson TW. Developmental changes in endogenous testosterone have sexually-dimorphic effects on spontaneous cortical dynamics. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:6043-6054. [PMID: 37811842 PMCID: PMC10619376 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26496] [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: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The transition from childhood to adolescence is associated with an influx of sex hormones, which not only facilitates physical and behavioral changes, but also dramatic changes in neural circuitry. While previous work has shown that pubertal hormones modulate structural and functional brain development, few of these studies have focused on the impact that such hormones have on spontaneous cortical activity, and whether these effects are modulated by sex during this critical developmental window. Herein, we examined the effect of endogenous testosterone on spontaneous cortical activity in 71 typically-developing youth (ages 10-17 years; 32 male). Participants completed a resting-state magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recording, structural MRI, and provided a saliva sample for hormone analysis. MEG data were source-reconstructed and the power within five canonical frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma) was computed. The resulting power spectral density maps were analyzed via vertex-wise ANCOVAs to identify spatially specific effects of testosterone and sex by testosterone interactions, while covarying out age. We found robust sex differences in the modulatory effects of testosterone on spontaneous delta, beta, and gamma activity. These interactions were largely confined to frontal cortices and exhibited a stark switch in the directionality of the correlation from the low (delta) to high frequencies (beta/gamma). For example, in the delta band, greater testosterone related to lower relative power in prefrontal cortices in boys, while the reverse pattern was found for girls. These data suggest testosterone levels are uniquely related to the development of spontaneous cortical dynamics during adolescence, and such levels are associated with different developmental patterns in males and females within regions implicated in executive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Picci
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Lauren R. Ott
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Samantha H. Penhale
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Brittany K. Taylor
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Hallie J. Johnson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Madelyn P. Willett
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Hannah J. Okelberry
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Yu‐Ping Wang
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringTulane UniversityNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri‐Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of TechnologyEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | | | - Tony W. Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Department of Pharmacology & NeuroscienceCreighton UniversityOmahaNebraskaUSA
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17
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Knezevic E, Nenic K, Milanovic V, Knezevic NN. The Role of Cortisol in Chronic Stress, Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Psychological Disorders. Cells 2023; 12:2726. [PMID: 38067154 PMCID: PMC10706127 DOI: 10.3390/cells12232726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortisol, a critical glucocorticoid hormone produced by the adrenal glands, plays a pivotal role in various physiological processes. Its release is finely orchestrated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus, governing the circadian rhythm and activating the intricate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a vital neuroendocrine system responsible for stress response and maintaining homeostasis. Disruptions in cortisol regulation due to chronic stress, disease, and aging have profound implications for multiple bodily systems. Animal models have been instrumental in elucidating these complex cortisol dynamics during stress, shedding light on the interplay between physiological, neuroendocrine, and immune factors in the stress response. These models have also revealed the impact of various stressors, including social hierarchies, highlighting the role of social factors in cortisol regulation. Moreover, chronic stress is closely linked to the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, driven by excessive cortisol production and HPA axis dysregulation, along with neuroinflammation in the central nervous system. The relationship between cortisol dysregulation and major depressive disorder is complex, characterized by HPA axis hyperactivity and chronic inflammation. Lastly, chronic pain is associated with abnormal cortisol patterns that heighten pain sensitivity and susceptibility. Understanding these multifaceted mechanisms and their effects is essential, as they offer insights into potential interventions to mitigate the detrimental consequences of chronic stress and cortisol dysregulation in these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilija Knezevic
- Department of Anesthesiology, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60657, USA; (E.K.); (K.N.); (V.M.)
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - Katarina Nenic
- Department of Anesthesiology, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60657, USA; (E.K.); (K.N.); (V.M.)
- Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32826, USA
| | - Vladislav Milanovic
- Department of Anesthesiology, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60657, USA; (E.K.); (K.N.); (V.M.)
- College of Medicine Rockford, University of Illinois, Rockford, IL 61107, USA
| | - Nebojsa Nick Knezevic
- Department of Anesthesiology, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60657, USA; (E.K.); (K.N.); (V.M.)
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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18
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Robertson O, Rolan E, Wang W, Shirtcliff E, Marceau K. Within-person associations of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, and testosterone hair hormone concentrations and psychological distress in pregnant and non-pregnant women. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2023; 16:100214. [PMID: 37928315 PMCID: PMC10623163 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal hair cortisol concentration is inconsistently associated with maternal psychological distress. However, prior studies have not often measured hair cortisol and maternal psychological distress prospectively over time, examined within-person associations, nor concurrently considered the complex hormonal milieu in which cortisol operates during pregnancy. We addressed these limitations and tested associations against a similar non-pregnant comparison group. Participants included 68 women (34 pregnant and 34 non-pregnant; Mage = 29.14 and 83 % White) from the Midwestern United States. Pregnant women were assessed each trimester, at 12, 26, and 38 weeks and non-pregnant women were assessed three times on the same schedule. At each assessment, participants completed measures of psychological distress and provided hair samples. The first 3 cm (from the scalp) of hair was assayed using enzyme immune-assay kits to reflect cumulative levels within the given trimester/3-month time period of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and testosterone. Within-person associations of hair cortisol and ratio of hair cortisol-to-DHEA and cortisol-to-testosterone with psychological distress were assessed using multilevel models. There were positive within-person associations of hair cortisol with cumulative psychological distress (γ = 0.01, s.e. = 0.003, p = .049), anxiety (γ = 0.09, s.e. = 0.04, p = .046), and pregnancy-related anxiety symptoms (γ = 0.10, s.e. = 0.05, p = .041) in the pregnant sample such that on occasions when hair cortisol was higher than average so were psychological distress symptoms. No within-person associations of hair cortisol were supported in non-pregnant women although there was a negative within-person association, such that on occasions of having lower testosterone level than typical, depression symptoms were higher. There were no within-person associations of psychological distress and cortisol-to-DHEA ratio or cortisol-to-testosterone ratio in either the pregnant or non-pregnant sample. At the between person-level for pregnant women, lower cortisol levels were associated with higher perceived stress (γ = -0.28, s.e. = 0.09, p = .003) and depression symptoms (γ = -0.11, s.e. = 0.06, p = .039), whereas higher cortisol levels were associated with higher psychological distress (γ = 0.03, s.e. = 0.01, p = .010), state anxiety (γ = 0.33, s.e. = 0.13, p = .010), and depression symptoms (γ = 0.23, s.e. = 0.09, p = .017) in non-pregnant women. Modeling hair cortisol at the within-person and between-person level revealed differential findings in pregnant and non-pregnant women. Hair cortisol concentration, psychological distress, pregnancy, hormone coupling, within-person associations.
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19
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Troller-Renfree SV, Sperber JF, Hart ER, Costanzo MA, Gennetian LA, Meyer JS, Fox NA, Noble KG. Associations between maternal stress and infant resting brain activity among families residing in poverty in the U.S. Biol Psychol 2023; 184:108683. [PMID: 37716521 PMCID: PMC10842437 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that maternal experiences of stress shape children's functional brain activity in the first years of life. Individuals living in poverty are more likely to experience stress from a variety of sources. However, it is unclear how stress is related to resting brain activity among children born into poverty. The present study examines whether infants born into households experiencing poverty show differences in brain activity associated with maternal reports of experiencing stress. The analytic sample comprised 247 mother-infant dyads who completed maternal questionnaires characterizing stress, and for whom recordings of infant resting brain activity were obtained at 1 year of age (M=12.93 months, SD=1.66; 50% female). Mothers (40% Black, non-Hispanic, 40% Hispanic, 12% White, non-Hispanic) who reported higher stress had infants who showed more resting brain activity in the lower end of the frequency spectrum (relative theta power) and less resting brain activity in the middle range of the frequency spectrum (relative alpha power). While statistically detectable at the whole-brain level, follow-up exploratory analyses revealed that these effects were most apparent in electrodes over frontal and parietal regions of the brain. These findings held after adjusting for a variety of potentially confounding variables. Altogether, the present study suggests that, among families experiencing low economic resources, maternal reports of stress are associated with differences in patterns of infant resting brain activity during the first year of life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Emma R Hart
- Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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20
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Preinbergs JK, Sundström-Poromaa I, Theodorsson E, Ström JO, Ingberg E. Effect of cosmetic hair treatment and natural hair colour on hair testosterone concentrations. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291812. [PMID: 37819888 PMCID: PMC10566713 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291812] [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: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Testosterone analysis in hair allows for retrospective evaluation of endogenous testosterone concentrations, but studies devoted to investigating confounders in hair testosterone analysis have hitherto been scarce. The current study examined the stability of testosterone concentrations between two hair samples collected three months apart and investigated two potential confounding factors: natural hair colour and cosmetic hair treatments. METHODS Testosterone was analysed with an in-house radioimmunoassay with a limit of detection adequate for the purpose. RESULTS The testosterone concentrations from the two samplings, at baseline and three months later, had an intra-individual correlation of moderate strength (rho = 0.378, p<0.001, n = 146). Hair treatment, such as colouring or bleaching, seemed to increase testosterone concentrations (p = 0.051, n = 191, and in a paired analysis in a subset of the cohort p = 0.005, n = 24), while no effect of natural colour in untreated hair (p = 0.133) could be detected. CONCLUSION The current results suggest that cosmetic hair treatments need to be considered in hair testosterone analyses and demonstrate the utility of a radioimmunoassay to reliably measure testosterone concentrations in small hair samples in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia K. Preinbergs
- Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Inger Sundström-Poromaa
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elvar Theodorsson
- Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jakob O. Ström
- Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Edvin Ingberg
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
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21
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Murray AL, Xiao Z, Zhu X, Speyer LG, Yang Y, Brown RH, Katus L, Eisner M, Ribeaud D. Psychometric evaluation of an adapted version of the perceived stress scale for ecological momentary assessment research. Stress Health 2023; 39:841-853. [PMID: 36697362 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodologies are commonly used to illuminate the predictors and impacts of experiencing subjective stress in the course of daily life. The validity of inferences from this research is contingent on the availability of measures of perceived momentary stress that can provide valid and reliable momentary stress scores. However, studies of the development and validation of such measures have been lacking. In this study, we use an EMA data collection design to examine the within- and between- person reliability and criterion validity and between-person gender measurement invariance of a brief EMA-adapted measure of a widely used trait measure of stress: the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Scores showed high internal consistency reliability and significant correlations with a range of criterion validity measures at both the within- and between-person level. Gender measurement invariance up to the scalar level also held for scores. Findings support the use of the EMA-adapted PSS presented in the current study for use in community-ascertained samples to address research questions relating to the influences on and effects of momentary stress and their gender differences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhouni Xiao
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Xinxin Zhu
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Yi Yang
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Laura Katus
- Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- School of Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, UK
| | - Manuel Eisner
- Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Denis Ribeaud
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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22
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Singh Solorzano C, Serwinski B, Grano C, Steptoe A. Longitudinal association between saliva and hair cortisol concentration: A systematic comparison. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 156:106340. [PMID: 37524026 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106340] [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: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Cortisol assays from hair have become increasingly common in psychoneuroendocrinological research as indicators of long-term output relevant to stress and health outcomes. Comparisons of hair cortisol concentration (HCC) with salivary samples have produced mixed findings, and it remains unclear which aspects of the diurnal salivary profile correspond most closely to HCC, and what time intervals between saliva and hair sampling are most relevant, taking the rate of hair growth into account. This longitudinal study aimed to evaluate the correspondence between HCC and parameters of total salivary cortisol output in the morning (CARauc and CARi) and during the rest of the day excluding the early morning period (DAYauc), by systematically studying three time periods - two weeks, four weeks, and six weeks - before hair sampling. At each time period, 54 female university students (mean age: 20.85 ± 1.16 years) provided three saliva cortisol samples on day 1 at 11 am, 3 pm, at bedtime, then two samples the following day on waking and 30 min after awakening. Hair strand collection (1 cm nearest the scalp) took place two weeks after the last saliva sample. Results of multivariable regressions indicate that HCC was consistently associated with DAYauc for all three time periods and with the aggregate DAYauc across days after adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking, oral contraceptive use, hair washing frequency and hair treatments. The strongest associations were found for DAYauc two weeks before hair sampling (β = 0.578, p < 0.001) and the aggregated DAYauc across all three time periods (β = 0.596, p < 0.001), although the confidence intervals overlapped those for four and six week analyses. There was no significant association between HCC and either CARauc or CARi. Our study confirms that hair cortisol could be a reliable retrospective biomarker of basal and long-term cortisol output secretion at least up to six weeks earlier. The results contribute to a better understanding of the different associations between HCC and salivary cortisol in the morning and the rest of the day, while also having implications for the use of HCC as an outcome measure in intervention and treatment research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Singh Solorzano
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Via dei Marsi 78, Rome 00185, Italy.
| | - Bianca Serwinski
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Northeastern University London, Devon House, 58 St Katharine's Way, London E1W 1LP, UK
| | - Caterina Grano
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Via dei Marsi 78, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Andrew Steptoe
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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23
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Johnsen AM, Theodorsson E, Broström A, Wagman P, Fransson EI. Work-related factors and hair cortisol concentrations among men and women in emergency medical services in Sweden. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12877. [PMID: 37553457 PMCID: PMC10409737 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40076-x] [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: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Ambulance personnel in emergency medical services are exposed to physical demands and stress during work, and an increased prevalence of ill health has been observed in this group. The aim was to compare hair cortisol concentration (HCC) among Swedish ambulance personnel with HCC in a population-based reference sample, to analyse differences between women and men, and differences due to work-related factors. Samples of hair 1 cm closest to the skin (5-10 mg) were collected and analysed for cortisol by radioimmunoassay. Moreover, the participants responded to a questionnaire regarding their work environment. The HCC among the ambulance personnel did not differ from the HCC in the population-based reference sample (median 19.2 vs. 22.2 pg/mg, p = 0.319), nor were there statistically significant differences between women and men. Furthermore, no associations were found between HCC and physical and psychosocial work demands, work stress, or rest and recovery from work. However, occupational balance was positively correlated with HCC (rp = 0.240; p = 0.044). The association remained statistically significant after adjustment for sex, age, hair bleaching, and corticosteroid treatment in a linear regression model. This study adds knowledge regarding HCC among ambulance personnel, and thus contributes to the overall picture of work environment and health for this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Johnsen
- Department of Nursing, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden.
| | - Elvar Theodorsson
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Science, Clinical Chemistry, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Anders Broström
- Department of Nursing, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Petra Wagman
- Department of Rehabilitation, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden
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24
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La Marca R, Schneider S, Jenni G, Kühne F, Holtforth MG, Wettstein A. Associations between stress, resources, and hair cortisol concentration in teachers. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 154:106291. [PMID: 37196382 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106291] [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: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Challenging interactions are the main source of teacher' stress in the classroom. We investigated the association of chronic stress and characteristics of teacher-student interactions with teachers' Hair Cortisol Concentration (HCC). Forty-one teachers (27 women; Mage = 39.65 ± 12.14 years; Mlesson number = 23.15 ± 3.99 lessons per week; grade: elementary, secondary, high, and vocational school teachers) participated in the present study, with participation lasting over the length of one year. HCC was assessed from a 3 cm hair segment near the scalp. Self-reported chronic stress in the last three months was further assessed using the 'Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress' (TICS). Additionally, four consecutive, same-day lectures of each teacher were videotaped and coded offline in an event sampling procedure by trained external observers. The videos were analyzed for two stressors, i.e., classroom disruptions and total student aggression, as well as two resources, i.e., teacher-student relationship and classroom management. Overall, hair samples were collected M = 120.34 days (SD = 84.39) after the distribution of the questionnaires, and M = 67.63 days (SD = 18.40) prior to the observations. Lesson number, classroom disruptions, as well as total student aggression were all significantly positively correlated with HCC. In addition, both teacher-student relationship and classroom management were significantly negatively related to HCC. With regard to self-rated chronic stress, only the TICS subscale 'Pressure to perform' was positively related to HCC. Exploratory moderation analyses revealed that an increasingly good, observed teacher-student relationship buffered the positive association between lesson number and HCC. Our findings show significant associations between HCC and mainly objectively assessable stress, supporting HCC as a biological indicator of chronic stress. In this association, a good relationship between teachers and students acts as a buffer. While the findings underline the importance of examining objective and behavioral data for better understanding the psychobiology of stress, they also support the importance of boostering teachers' (social) resources to increase their overall resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto La Marca
- Department of Research and Development, University of Teacher Education Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Clinica Holistica Engiadina, Centre for Stress-Related Disorders, Susch, Switzerland; Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Schneider
- Department of Research and Development, University of Teacher Education Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gabriel Jenni
- Department of Research and Development, University of Teacher Education Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Fabienne Kühne
- Department of Research and Development, University of Teacher Education Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Martin Grosse Holtforth
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Switzerland; Psychosomatic Medicine, Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Wettstein
- Department of Research and Development, University of Teacher Education Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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25
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Fowler N, Mikhail ME, Neale M, Keel PK, Katzman DK, Sisk CL, Burt SA, Klump KL. Between- and within-person effects of stress on emotional eating in women: a longitudinal study over 49 days. Psychol Med 2023; 53:5167-5176. [PMID: 37650340 PMCID: PMC10471857 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722002185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress is associated with binge eating and emotional eating (EE) cross-sectionally. However, few studies have examined stress longitudinally, limiting understanding of how within-person fluctuations in stress influence EE over time and whether stress is a risk factor or consequence of EE. Additionally, little is known regarding how the biological stress response relates to EE. METHODS We used an intensive, longitudinal design to examine between-person and within-person effects of major life stress, daily stress, and cortisol on EE in a population-based sample of women (N = 477; ages 15-30; M = 21.8; s.d. = 3.0) from the Michigan State University Twin Registry. Participants reported past year major life stress, then provided daily ratings of EE and stress for 49 consecutive days. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) was collected as a longitudinal biological stress measure. RESULTS Women reported greater EE when they experienced greater mean stress across days (between-person effects) or greater stress relative to their own average on a given day (within-person effects). Daily stress was more strongly associated with EE than major life stress. However, the impact of daily stress on EE was amplified in women with greater past year major life stress. Finally, participants with lower HCC had increased EE. CONCLUSIONS Findings confirm longitudinal associations between stress and EE in women, and highlight the importance of within-person shifts in stress in EE risk. Results also highlight HCC as a novel biological stress measure that is significantly associated with EE and may overcome limitations of prior physiological stress response indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Fowler
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Megan E. Mikhail
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Michael Neale
- Department of Psychiatry, Human Genetics, and Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Pamela K. Keel
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Debra K. Katzman
- Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cheryl L. Sisk
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - S. Alexandra Burt
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Kelly L. Klump
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
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26
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Wright K, van Rossum EFC, Zan E, Werner N, Harris A, Feelders RA, Agrawal N. Emerging diagnostic methods and imaging modalities in cushing's syndrome. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1230447. [PMID: 37560300 PMCID: PMC10407789 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1230447] [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: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Endogenous Cushing's syndrome (CS) is a rare disease characterized by prolonged glucocorticoid excess. Timely diagnosis is critical to allow prompt treatment and limit long-term disease morbidity and risk for mortality. Traditional biochemical diagnostic modalities each have limitations and sensitivities and specificities that vary significantly with diagnostic cutoff values. Biochemical evaluation is particularly complex in patients whose hypercortisolemia fluctuates daily, often requiring repetition of tests to confirm or exclude disease, and when delineating CS from physiologic, nonneoplastic states of hypercortisolism. Lastly, traditional pituitary MRI may be negative in up to 60% of patients with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting pituitary adenomas (termed "Cushing's disease" [CD]) whereas false positive pituitary MRI findings may exist in patients with ectopic ACTH secretion. Thus, differentiating CD from ectopic ACTH secretion may necessitate dynamic testing or even invasive procedures such as bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling. Newer methods may relieve some of the diagnostic uncertainty in CS, providing a more definitive diagnosis prior to subjecting patients to additional imaging or invasive procedures. For example, a novel method of cortisol measurement in patients with CS is scalp hair analysis, a non-invasive method yielding cortisol and cortisone values representing long-term glucocorticoid exposure of the past months. Hair cortisol and cortisone have both shown to differentiate between CS patients and controls with a high sensitivity and specificity. Moreover, advances in imaging techniques may enhance detection of ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas. While conventional pituitary MRI may fail to identify microadenomas in patients with CD, high-resolution 3T-MRI with 3D-spoiled gradient-echo sequence has thinner sections and superior soft-tissue contrast that can detect adenomas as small as 2 mm. Similarly, functional imaging may improve the identification of ACTH-secreting adenomas noninvasively; Gallium-68-tagged corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) combined with PET-CT can be used to detect CRH receptors, which are upregulated on corticotroph adenomas. This technique can delineate functionality of adenomas in patients with CD from patients with ectopic ACTH secretion and false positive pituitary lesions on MRI. Here, we review emerging methods and imaging modalities for the diagnosis of CS, discussing their diagnostic accuracy, strengths and limitations, and applicability to clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyla Wright
- New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Elisabeth F. C. van Rossum
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus Medical College (MC), University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Elcin Zan
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nicole Werner
- New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Alan Harris
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Richard A. Feelders
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus Medical College (MC), University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Nidhi Agrawal
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
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Browning CR, Ford JL, Tarrence J, Kertes DA, Pickler RH, Way BM, Calder CA. Everyday perceptions of safety and racial disparities in hair cortisol concentration. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 153:106088. [PMID: 37058913 PMCID: PMC10905975 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106088] [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: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Black-White disparities in physiological stress during adolescence are increasingly evident but remain incompletely understood. We examine the role of real-time perceptions of safety in the context of everyday routines to gain insight into the sources of observed adolescent racial differences in chronic stress as measured by hair cortisol concentration (HCC). METHOD We combined social survey, ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and hair cortisol data on 690 Black and White youth ages 11-17 from wave 1 of the Adolescent Health and Development in Context (AHDC) study to investigate racial differences in physiological stress. Individual-level, reliability-adjusted measures of perceived unsafety outside the home were drawn from a week-long smartphone-based EMA and tested for association with hair cortisol concentration. RESULTS We observed a statistically significant interaction (p < .05) between race and perceptions of unsafety. For Black youth, perceived unsafety was associated with higher HCC (p < .05). We observed no evidence of an association between perceptions of safety and expected HCC for White youth. For youth who perceive their out-of-home activity locations to be consistently safe, the racial difference in expected HCC was not statistically significant. At the high end of perceived unsafety, however, Black-White differences in HCC were pronounced (0.75 standard deviations at the 95th percentile on perceived unsafety; p < .001). DISCUSSION These findings call attention to the role of everyday perceptions of safety across non-home routine activity contexts in explaining race differences in chronic stress as assessed by hair cortisol concentrations. Future research may benefit from data on in situ experiences to capture disparities in psychological and physiological stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jodi L Ford
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jake Tarrence
- Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Darlene A Kertes
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Rita H Pickler
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Baldwin M Way
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Catherine A Calder
- Department of Statistics and Data Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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28
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Rinne GR, Hartstein J, Guardino CM, Dunkel Schetter C. Stress before conception and during pregnancy and maternal cortisol during pregnancy: A scoping review. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 153:106115. [PMID: 37119659 PMCID: PMC10936734 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress before conception and during pregnancy is associated with less favorable maternal and child health. Alterations in prenatal cortisol levels may serve as a central biological pathway linking stress to adverse maternal and child health. Research examining associations between maternal stress from childhood through pregnancy and prenatal cortisol has not been comprehensively reviewed. METHOD The current scoping review of 48 papers synthesizes studies reporting on associations between stress before conception and during pregnancy with maternal cortisol in pregnancy. Eligible studies measured childhood, the proximal preconception period, pregnancy, or lifetime stress based on stress exposures or appraisals and measured cortisol in saliva or hair during pregnancy. RESULTS Higher maternal childhood stress was associated with higher cortisol awakening responses and alterations in typical pregnancy-specific changes in diurnal cortisol patterns across studies. In contrast, most studies of preconception and prenatal stress reported null associations with cortisol and those reporting significant effects were inconsistent in direction. A few studies found that the associations between stress and cortisol during pregnancy varied as a function of several moderators including social support and environmental pollution. CONCLUSIONS Although many studies have evaluated effects of maternal stress on prenatal cortisol, this scoping review is the first to synthesize existing literature on this topic. The association between stress before conception and during pregnancy and prenatal cortisol may depend on the developmental timing of stress and several moderators. Maternal childhood stress was more consistently associated with prenatal cortisol than proximal preconception or pregnancy stress. We discuss methodological and analytic factors that may contribute to mixed findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle R Rinne
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Jenna Hartstein
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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29
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Brandes-Aitken A, Pini N, Weatherhand M, Brito NH. Maternal hair cortisol predicts periodic and aperiodic infant frontal EEG activity longitudinally across infancy. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22393. [PMID: 37338255 PMCID: PMC10316429 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22393] [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: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Maternal stress is known to be an important factor in shaping child development, yet the complex pattern of associations between stress and infant brain development remains understudied. To better understand the nuanced relations between maternal stress and infant neurodevelopment, research investigating longitudinal relations between maternal chronic physiological stress and infant brain function is warranted. In this study, we leveraged longitudinal data to disentangle between- from within-person associations of maternal hair cortisol and frontal electroencephalography (EEG) power at three time points across infancy at 3, 9, and 15 months. We analyzed both aperiodic power spectral density (PSD) slope and traditional periodic frequency band activity. On the within-person level, maternal hair cortisol was associated with a flattening of frontal PSD slope and an increase in relative frontal beta. However, on the between-person level, higher maternal hair cortisol was associated with steeper frontal PSD slope, increased relative frontal theta, and decreased relative frontal beta. The within-person findings may reflect an adaptive neural response to relative shifts in maternal stress levels, while the between-person results demonstrate the potentially detrimental effects of chronically elevated maternal stress. This analysis offers a novel, quantitative insight into the relations between maternal physiological stress and infant cortical function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicolò Pini
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Natalie H. Brito
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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30
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Portella MJ, González-González I, Jubero M, Trujols J, Pérez V. Depressive-Like Effects of Foreclosing: A Cross-Sectional Study of Hair Cortisol Concentration. Psychopathology 2023; 57:10-17. [PMID: 37331349 DOI: 10.1159/000530706] [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: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Foreclosing and home eviction have been associated with various negative health outcomes, probably due to exposure to such stressful circumstance, but there is no evidence about foreclosure and home eviction to elicit cortisol responses. METHODS Participants who recently had received a court eviction notice were compared to subjects suffering a depressive disorder and to healthy controls in terms of hair cortisol concentrations. RESULTS Subjects under the stressful circumstance of foreclosure and patients with depression showed comparable concentrations in most of the hair segments while healthy subjects displayed the lowest levels of cortisol. CONCLUSION The findings show that foreclosure and home eviction are associated with increased cumulative hair cortisol and with depressive-like symptoms. Foreclosing procedures yielded to maintain high levels of cortisol which may increase the risk to develop major depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J Portella
- Mental Health, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Miriam Jubero
- Mental Health, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Trujols
- Mental Health, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor Pérez
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
- INAD Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain
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31
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Delagneau G, Twilhaar ES, Testa R, van Veen S, Anderson P. Association between prenatal maternal anxiety and/or stress and offspring's cognitive functioning: A meta-analysis. Child Dev 2023; 94:779-801. [PMID: 36582056 PMCID: PMC10952806 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This meta-analysis examined the relationship between prenatal maternal stress and/or anxiety and the outcomes of children aged 3 months to 9 years. Of the 8754 studies published before June 2021 that were synthesized, 17 conducted in Western countries were included in the meta-analysis (Ntotal = 23,307; Mmales 54%; Methnicity White 77%, Pacific 15%, African American/Black 10%, Middle Eastern 7%, Eastern 8%). Effect sizes ranged from -0.41 to 0.15. A weak negative association was found between prenatal stress and/or anxiety exposure and children's general intellectual development. Associations varied based on the type of exposure. Findings are limited to developed counties and cannot be generalized to low- and middle-income countries. Directions for maternal prenatal intervention and future studies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garance Delagneau
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVictoriaAustralia
| | - E. Sabrina Twilhaar
- Obstetrical Perinatal and Pediatric Epidemiology Research TeamInstitute of Health and Medical ResearchCentre of Research in Epidemiology and StatisticsUniversité Paris CitéParisFrance
| | - Renee Testa
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVictoriaAustralia
- Murdoch Children's Research InstituteRoyal Children's Hospital (Dept of Mental Health)ParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Sarit van Veen
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVictoriaAustralia
| | - Peter Anderson
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVictoriaAustralia
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Barrea L, Verde L, Camajani E, Šojat AS, Marina L, Savastano S, Colao A, Caprio M, Muscogiuri G. Effects of very low-calorie ketogenic diet on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. J Endocrinol Invest 2023:10.1007/s40618-023-02068-6. [PMID: 37017918 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-023-02068-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a neuroendocrine system involved in controlling stress responses in humans under physiological and pathological conditions; cortisol is the main hormone produced by the HPA axis. It is known that calorie restriction acts as a stressor and can lead to an increase in cortisol production. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is a complex endocrine network regulating blood pressure and hydrosaline metabolism, whose final hormonal effector is aldosterone. RAAS activation is linked to cardiometabolic diseases, such as heart failure and obesity. Obesity has become a leading worldwide pandemic, associated with serious health outcomes. Calorie restriction represents a pivotal strategy to tackle obesity. On the other hand, it is well known that an increased activity of the HPA may favour visceral adipose tissue expansion, which may jeopardize a successful diet-induced weight loss. Very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) is a normoprotein diet with a drastic reduction of the carbohydrate content and total calorie intake. Thanks to its sustained protein content, VLCKD is extremely effective to reduce adipose tissue while preserving lean body mass and resting metabolic rate. PURPOSE The purpose of this narrative review is to gain more insights on the effects of VLCKD on the HPA axis and RAAS, in different phases of weight loss and in different clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Barrea
- Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche, Università Telematica Pegaso, Via Porzio, Centro Direzionale, Isola F2, 80143, Naples, Italy
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Endocrinology Unit, Centro Italiano per la cura e il Benessere del Paziente con Obesità (C.I.B.O), University Medical School of Naples, Via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - L Verde
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Endocrinology Unit, Centro Italiano per la cura e il Benessere del Paziente con Obesità (C.I.B.O), University Medical School of Naples, Via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy
- Department of Public Health, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - E Camajani
- Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Roma Open University, 00166, Rome, Italy
| | - A S Šojat
- Department for Obesity, Metabolic and Reproductive Disorders, Clinic for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - L Marina
- Department for Obesity, Metabolic and Reproductive Disorders, Clinic for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - S Savastano
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Endocrinology Unit, Centro Italiano per la cura e il Benessere del Paziente con Obesità (C.I.B.O), University Medical School of Naples, Via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Diabetologia ed Andrologia, Unità di Endocrinologia, Università Federico II, Via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - A Colao
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Endocrinology Unit, Centro Italiano per la cura e il Benessere del Paziente con Obesità (C.I.B.O), University Medical School of Naples, Via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Diabetologia ed Andrologia, Unità di Endocrinologia, Università Federico II, Via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy
- Cattedra Unesco "Educazione Alla Salute E Allo Sviluppo Sostenibile", University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - M Caprio
- Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Roma Open University, 00166, Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Endocrinology, IRCCS San Raffaele Roma, 00166, Rome, Italy
| | - G Muscogiuri
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Endocrinology Unit, Centro Italiano per la cura e il Benessere del Paziente con Obesità (C.I.B.O), University Medical School of Naples, Via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Diabetologia ed Andrologia, Unità di Endocrinologia, Università Federico II, Via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.
- Cattedra Unesco "Educazione Alla Salute E Allo Sviluppo Sostenibile", University Federico II, Naples, Italy.
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Cannavale CN, Mysonhimer AR, Bailey MA, Cohen NJ, Holscher HD, Khan NA. Consumption of a fermented dairy beverage improves hippocampal-dependent relational memory in a randomized, controlled cross-over trial. Nutr Neurosci 2023; 26:265-274. [PMID: 35282787 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2022.2046963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: We aimed to determine whether consumption of a fermented dairy beverage containing probiotic microorganisms influences negative mood states, stress, and hippocampal memory performance in healthy adults. Methods: Adults (25-45 yrs, N = 26) free of gastrointestinal and mental illness were enrolled in a single-blind, randomized, controlled, crossover trial. Participants completed testing prior to and after 4-week consumption, with a 2-4 week washout between treatments of: (1) 8 oz of a dairy-based fermented beverage containing 25-30 billion colony forming units of live and active kefir cultures or (2) 8 oz isocaloric, non-fermented, 1% low-fat lactose-free dairy-based control beverage. Hippocampal-dependent relational memory was assessed using a spatial reconstruction task. Negative mood states of depression and anxiety were assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-42 (DASS-42). Pooled 24-hour urine samples were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine urinary free-cortisol (UFC) concentrations. Fecal microbiota composition was assessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results: Lactobacillus was increased by 235% following fermented dairy consumption compared to the control (p < .01). Furthermore, the fermented dairy beverage improved performance on two metrics of relational memory, misplacement (p = .04) and object-location binding (p = .03). UFC and DASS-42 scores (all p's > .08) were not significantly changed by either arm of the intervention. No correlations were observed between the change in Lactobacillus and memory performance. Conclusions: Fermented dairy consumption increased the presence of certain microorganisms in the gut and improved relational memory in healthy adults. However, the benefits observed for relational memory were not related to changes in Lactobacillus.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02849275.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne N Cannavale
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Annemarie R Mysonhimer
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Melisa A Bailey
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Neal J Cohen
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Interdisciplinary Health Science Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Hannah D Holscher
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Division of Nutritional Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Naiman A Khan
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Division of Nutritional Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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Rodríguez-Rabassa M, Torres-Marrero E, López P, Muniz-Rodriguez K, Borges-Rodríguez M, Appleton AA, Avilés-Santa L, Alvarado-Domenech LI. Stressors and Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Vulnerable Hispanic Caregivers and Children. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1838. [PMID: 36767218 PMCID: PMC9914744 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Psychological sequelae are important elements of the burden of disease among caregivers. Recognition of the impact of adversity and stress biomarkers is important to prevent mental health problems that affect rearing practices and child well-being. This cross-sectional study explored social determinants of health (SDoH)-mediated stressors during COVID-19 and risks for mental health problems among caregivers of children with prenatal Zika virus exposure. Twenty-five Hispanic caregivers completed surveys assessing SDoH vulnerabilities, COVID-exposures and impact, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology, and provided a hair sample for cortisol concentration (HCC). Most caregivers had low education, household income < $15,000/year, and were unemployed. Stressors included disrupted child education and specialized services, and food insecurity. While most reported PTSD symptomatology, multivariate linear regression models adjusted for the caregiver's age, education, and the child's sex, revealed that caregivers with high symptomatology had significantly lower HCC than those with low symptomatology and those with food insecurity had significantly higher HCC than participants without food insecurity. The impact of COVID-19 on daily life was characterized on average between worse and better, suggesting variability in susceptibility and coping mechanisms, with the most resilient identifying community support and spirituality resources. SDoH-mediators provide opportunities to prevent adverse mental health outcomes for caregivers and their children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Rodríguez-Rabassa
- Clinical Psychology Program, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, PR 00732, USA
- RCMI Center for Research Resources, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, PR 00732, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, PR 00732, USA
| | - Estefanía Torres-Marrero
- Clinical Psychology Program, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, PR 00732, USA
| | - Pablo López
- RCMI Center for Research Resources, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, PR 00732, USA
| | | | | | - Allison A. Appleton
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany School of Public Health, State University of New York, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
| | - Larissa Avilés-Santa
- Division of Clinical and Health Services Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, 6707 Democracy Blvd. Suite 800, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Brief Report: Above and Beyond Safety: Psychosocial and Biobehavioral Impact of Autism-Assistance Dogs on Autistic Children and their Families. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:468-483. [PMID: 34984639 PMCID: PMC8726517 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05410-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Autism-Assistance Dogs (AADs) are highly-skilled service animals trained primarily to ensure the safety of an autistic child by preventing elopement and mitigating 'meltdowns'. Although anecdotal accounts and case-studies have indicated that AADs confer benefits above and beyond safety, empirical support anchored in validated clinical, behavioral, and physiological measures is lacking. To address this gap, we studied children and their families before and after receiving a well-trained AAD using a within-subject, repeated-measures design. Notably, this study is the first to assess change in a biomarker for chronic stress in both autistic children and their parents. Final analyses included pre-/post-AAD data from 11 triads (parent/handler-dog-child) demonstrating significantly positive psychosocial and biobehavioral effects of AADs.
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36
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Lawes M, Hetschko C, Schöb R, Stephan G, Eid M. Unemployment and hair cortisol as a biomarker of chronic stress. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21573. [PMID: 36517557 PMCID: PMC9751113 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25775-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Unemployment is widely considered an important chronic stressor. Using longitudinal data of initially employed German jobseekers, the present study examines whether unemployment is related to changes in hair cortisol concentration (HCC), a reliable biomarker for chronic stress. The results indicate that HCC is the highest initially when individuals are insecurely employed and decreases as people gain certainty about whether they enter unemployment or not. We find no effects when comparing the average changes in HCC between individuals who entered unemployment to those of continuously employed individuals. However, medium-term unemployment was associated with a stronger mean increase in HCC if re-employment expectations were low compared to when re-employment expectations were high. Taken together, our results support two key conclusions. First, experiencing the uncertainty of looming unemployment is associated with more pronounced cortisol secretion than unemployment itself. Second, whether working or being unemployed is associated with higher HCC is highly context-dependent, with poor re-employment prospects during unemployment being a key predictor of increased HCC. Overall, our study provides further evidence that the physiological stress system is especially sensitive to uncontrollable situations and unfamiliar challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Lawes
- grid.14095.390000 0000 9116 4836Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Clemens Hetschko
- grid.9909.90000 0004 1936 8403Economics Department, Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK ,grid.14095.390000 0000 9116 4836Department of Economics, School of Business & Economics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany ,grid.469877.30000 0004 0397 0846CESifo, Munich, Germany
| | - Ronnie Schöb
- grid.14095.390000 0000 9116 4836Department of Economics, School of Business & Economics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany ,grid.469877.30000 0004 0397 0846CESifo, Munich, Germany
| | - Gesine Stephan
- grid.425330.30000 0001 1931 2061Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg, Germany ,grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311School of Business, Economics and Society, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Michael Eid
- grid.14095.390000 0000 9116 4836Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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Fung MH, Heinrichs-Graham E, Taylor BK, Frenzel MR, Eastman JA, Wang YP, Calhoun VD, Stephen JM, Wilson TW. The development of sensorimotor cortical oscillations is mediated by pubertal testosterone. Neuroimage 2022; 264:119745. [PMID: 36368502 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119745] [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: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Puberty is a period of substantial hormonal fluctuations, and pubertal hormones can modulate structural and functional changes in the developing brain. Many previous studies have characterized the neural oscillatory responses serving movement, which include a beta event-related desynchronization (ERD) preceding movement onset, gamma and theta responses coinciding with movement execution, and a post-movement beta-rebound (PMBR) response following movement offset. While a few studies have investigated the developmental trajectories of these neural oscillations serving motor control, the impact of pubertal hormone levels on the maturation of these dynamics has not yet been examined. Since the timing and tempo of puberty varies greatly between individuals, pubertal hormones may uniquely impact the maturation of motor cortical oscillations distinct from other developmental metrics, such as age. In the current study we quantified these oscillations using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and utilized chronological age and measures of endogenous testosterone as indices of development during the transition from childhood to adolescence in 69 youths. Mediation analyses revealed complex maturation patterns for the beta ERD, in which testosterone predicted both spontaneous baseline and ERD power through direct and indirect effects. Age, but not pubertal hormones, predicted motor-related theta, and no relationships between oscillatory responses and developmental metrics were found for gamma or PMBR responses. These findings provide novel insight into how pubertal hormones affect motor-related oscillations, and highlight the continued development of motor cortical dynamics throughout the pubertal period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison H Fung
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Brittany K Taylor
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Michaela R Frenzel
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Jacob A Eastman
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Yu-Ping Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | - Tony W Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA.
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Ghassemi Nejad J, Ghaffari MH, Ataallahi M, Jo JH, Lee HG. Stress Concepts and Applications in Various Matrices with a Focus on Hair Cortisol and Analytical Methods. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12223096. [PMID: 36428324 PMCID: PMC9686725 DOI: 10.3390/ani12223096] [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: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
When studying stress in animals, it is important to understand the types of stress and their classification, and how to assess the stress levels in different animal species using different matrices accurately and precisely. The classification of stress types helps to distinguish between good stress (eustress) and bad stress (distress). Hence, first, it is crucial to assess the animal's level of stress in a non-intrusive manner and second to identify the type of stress that is best suited to its environment. Third, it is also important to analyze the obtained samples using a suitable method to increase the validity of stress hormone measurements. Therefore, in this review, we aim to: (1) explain the classification of stress, (2) discuss the wide range of body matrices (e.g., saliva, milk, hair, urine, feces, sweat, fins, etc.) that can be used as samples to evaluate stress levels, as well as their comparisons and limitations, and present the reliable matrices for measuring stress hormones with special emphasis on hair, (3) compare the analytical methods for measuring stress hormones after sample preparation. Despite some literature that does not include hair as a reliable matrix for evaluating stress levels, hair is one of the matrices for measuring long-term stress hormone accumulations. This review discusses some factors that influence the level of stress hormones in the hair. By understanding these issues, the scientific community will not only be able to improve the understanding of stress and biomarker evaluation but also suggest how to deal with the consequences of stress in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mohammad Ataallahi
- College of Animal Life Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea
| | - Jang-Hoon Jo
- Department of Animal Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Hong-Gu Lee
- Department of Animal Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-2-450-0523
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Penhale SH, Picci G, Ott LR, Taylor BK, Frenzel MR, Eastman JA, Wang YP, Calhoun VD, Stephen JM, Wilson TW. Impacts of adrenarcheal DHEA levels on spontaneous cortical activity during development. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 57:101153. [PMID: 36174268 PMCID: PMC9519481 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) production is closely associated with the first pubertal hormonal event, adrenarche. Few studies have documented the relationships between DHEA and functional brain development, with even fewer examining the associations between DHEA and spontaneous cortical activity during the resting-state. Thus, whether DHEA levels are associated with the known developmental shifts in the brain's idling cortical rhythms remains poorly understood. Herein, we examined spontaneous cortical activity in 71 typically-developing youth (9-16 years; 32 male) using magnetoencephalography (MEG). MEG data were source imaged and the power within five canonical frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta, gamma) was computed to identify spatially- and spectrally-specific effects of salivary DHEA and DHEA-by-sex interactions using vertex-wise ANCOVAs. Our results indicated robust increases in power with increasing DHEA within parieto-occipital cortices in all frequency bands except alpha, which decreased with increasing DHEA. In the delta band, DHEA and sex interacted within frontal and temporal cortices such that with increasing DHEA, males exhibited increasing power while females showed decreasing power. These data suggest that spontaneous cortical activity changes with endogenous DHEA levels during the transition from childhood to adolescence, particularly in sensory and attentional processing regions. Sexually-divergent trajectories were only observed in later-developing frontal cortical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha H Penhale
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Giorgia Picci
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Lauren R Ott
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Brittany K Taylor
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Michaela R Frenzel
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Jacob A Eastman
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Yu-Ping Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Tony W Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA.
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40
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Taylor BK, Fung MH, Frenzel MR, Johnson HJ, Willett MP, Badura-Brack AS, White SF, Wilson TW. Increases in Circulating Cortisol during the COVID-19 Pandemic are Associated with Changes in Perceived Positive and Negative Affect among Adolescents. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2022; 50:1543-1555. [PMID: 36048374 PMCID: PMC9435427 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-022-00967-5] [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] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread across the world and resulted in over 5 million deaths to date, as well as countless lockdowns, disruptions to daily life, and extended period of social distancing and isolation. The impacts on youth in particular are astounding, with shifts in learning platforms, limited social outlets, and prolonged uncertainty about the future. Surveys have shown that mental health among youth has severely suffered during the pandemic. However, limited research to date has reported on physiological indices of stress surrounding the pandemic, such as cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone that typically increases during stressful situations and can have deleterious effects on mental and physical health when chronically heightened. The present study leveraged hair cortisol concentration measurements, which allowed the retrospectiveinvestigation of circulating cortisol prior to- versus after pandemic-related local lockdowns during the first wave of the pandemic. A final sample of 44 youth ages 10- to 18-years-old provided hair samples and reported on their perceived affective well-being and level of concern regarding pandemic-related stressors between May and June of 2020. We found significant levels of concern and decreases in affective well-being following local lockdowns. Moreover, we saw that cortisol robustly increased following local lockdowns, and those increases were predictive of changes in affect. These findings provide critical insights into the underlying neuroendocrinology of stress during the pandemic and support the need for resources to support youths’ mental health and well-being during this globally significant event.
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Lynch T, Davis SL, Johnson AH, Gray L, Coleman E, Phillips SR, Soistmann HC, Rice M. Definitions, theories, and measurement of stress in children. J Pediatr Nurs 2022; 66:202-212. [PMID: 35868219 PMCID: PMC10085063 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
PROBLEM Stress in children remains a complex concept to examine due to the inherent subjectivity and lack of specific manifestations, as well as the multiple ways stress can be defined and measured in children. Because stress is multifactorial,is experienced daily by children, and undergirds adolescent health and early mental illness, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of stress and the effects of stress in children from infancy through age twelve years. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA To be included in this review, literature must pertain to and highlight theories, definitions/classifications, and measurements of stress in children from infancy to 12 years of age. SAMPLE The most pertinent articles identified through database searches (PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Google Scholar), gray literature sources (e.g., child health websites), and reference lists of identified articles were included in this narrative overview. RESULTS The results of this review are organized by themes and include: classifications and definitions of stress, stress-related theories, and tools to measure stress in children. CONCLUSIONS Research addressing stressors and stress in children is limited, and there is wide variation in how researchers define and classify stress in children. Existing measures of stress in children younger than 12 address physiological, psychological, and observational components, but may be inconsistent and threaten validity of otherwise well-designed and well-executed studies. IMPLICATIONS Improving the understanding and accurate measurement of stress in children enables researchers and clinicians to curtail undesirable health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuy Lynch
- University of Alabama in Huntsville, 301 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35899, USA.
| | - Sara L Davis
- University of South Alabama, 5721 USA Drive, N., Mobile, AL 36688, USA.
| | - Ann Hammack Johnson
- Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Texas Christian University, 2800 S. University Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76109, USA.
| | - Laura Gray
- Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences and Nursing, Belmont University, 1900 Belmont Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Coleman
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1701 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | | | - Heather C Soistmann
- Penn State Health Children's Hospital, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Marti Rice
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1701 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
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Michaud DS, Thomson EM, van Oosterhout P, McNamee JP. Hair cortisol as a viable tool for the assessment of an association between environmental noise exposure and chronic stress. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 152:866. [PMID: 36050175 DOI: 10.1121/10.0012887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Entrenched in the well-established link between stress and health, noise exposure as a potential contributor to stress-related health effects receives tremendous attention. Indeed, exposure to noise can act as a stressor as evidenced through increased heart rate, blood pressure, adrenaline, epinephrine, and cortisol. Cortisol is secreted from the adrenal glands in response to stressor-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. For assessment of environmental noise and stress, repeated sampling in blood, saliva, or urine is necessary to evaluate the association between environmental noise exposure and protracted changes in cortisol. Controlling for the many variables that influence the secretion of cortisol at discrete sampling intervals is challenging. Studies suggest that systemically produced cortisol integrates and remains in hair as it grows, providing a measure that integrates a cortisol response over a longer period, circumventing several limitations associated with multiple sampling. Robust evidence supports the integration of cortisol into hair, yet recent studies call into question the notion that cortisol is retained with growth. The current paper discusses the strengths and limitations of hair cortisol analysis with an emphasis on its utility as a measure of chronic stress in environmental noise studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Michaud
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Errol M Thomson
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, 251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Priya van Oosterhout
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - James P McNamee
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
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Cortisol levels in rural Latina breast cancer survivors participating in a peer-delivered cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention: The Nuevo Amanecer-II RCT. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2022; 11:100153. [PMID: 35967922 PMCID: PMC9363644 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Compared to their White counterparts, Latina breast cancer survivors have poorer survival rates and health-related quality of life, and higher rates of depression and anxiety which may be a result of chronic stress. Chronic stress impacts the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in cortisol dysregulation which may be associated with breast cancer survival. However, cortisol levels and cortisol profiles of Latina breast cancer survivors are poorly characterized due to their underrepresentation in biomedical research. Objective The objective of this study was to describe cortisol levels and patterns of cortisol secretions in rural Latina breast cancer survivors participating in an RCT study of Nuevo Amanecer-II, an evidence-based peer-delivered cognitive behavioral stress management intervention. Methods Participant-centered recruitment and collection strategies were used to obtain biospecimens for cortisol analysis. Nine saliva samples (3/day for 3 days) and a hair sample were obtained at baseline and 6-months (3-months post-intervention). We describe cortisol levels and profiles, explore correlations of biomarkers with self-report measures of stress and psychological distress, and compare women who received the intervention with a delayed intervention group on biomarkers of stress. Mean hair cortisol concentration (HCC) was used to assess chronic stress. Based on daily measures of cortisol (awakening, 30 min post-awakening, and bedtime), we calculated three summary measures of the dynamic nature of the cortisol awakening response (CAR): 1) the CAR slope, 2) whether CAR demonstrates a percent change ≥40, and 3) total daily cortisol output (AUCg). Linear and log-binomial regression, accounting for multiple samples per participant, were used to compare cortisol measures at 6-month follow-up by treatment arm. Results Participants (n = 103) were from two rural California communities; 76 provided at least one saliva sample at baseline and follow-up and were included in the analysis. At baseline, mean age was 57 years, mean years since diagnosis was 2 years, 76% had a high school education or less, and 34% reported financial hardship. The overall median CAR slope was 0.10, and median cortisol AUCg (in thousands) was 11.34 (range = 0.93, 36.66). Mean hair cortisol concentration was 1751.6 pg/mg (SD = 1148.6). Forty-two percent of samples had a ≥40% change in CAR. We found no statistically significant correlations between the cortisol measures and self-reported measures of stress and psychological distress. At follow-up, no differences were seen in HCC (mean difference between intervention and control: −0.11, 95% CI -0.48, 0.25), CAR slope (0.001, 95% CI -0.005, 0.008), cortisol AUCg (−0.15, 95% CI -0.42, 0.13), or ≥40% change in CAR (prevalence ratio 0.87, 95% CI 0.42, 1.77) between treatment arms. Conclusion Our findings of flattened cortisol profiles among more than half of the sample suggest potential HPA-axis dysregulation among rural Spanish-speaking Latina breast cancer survivors that merits further study due to its implications for long-term survival. Trial registration http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02931552. Latina breast cancer survivors displayed flattened cortisol profiles. Hair cortisol levels, a measure of chronic stress, were found to be elevated. Stress biomarkers and self-report measures did not substantially correlate. Latina breast cancer survivors are vulnerable to the repercussion of HPA-axis dysregulation.
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Fung MH, Rahman RL, Taylor BK, Frenzel MR, Eastman JA, Wang Y, Calhoun VD, Stephen JM, Wilson TW. The impact of pubertal DHEA on the development of visuospatial oscillatory dynamics. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:5154-5166. [PMID: 35778797 PMCID: PMC9812248 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25991] [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: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The adolescent brain undergoes tremendous structural and functional changes throughout puberty. Previous research has demonstrated that pubertal hormones can modulate sexually dimorphic changes in cortical development, as well as age-related maturation of the neural activity underlying cognitive processes. However, the precise impact of pubertal hormones on these functional changes in the developing human brain remains poorly understood. In the current study, we quantified the neural oscillatory activity serving visuospatial processing using magnetoencephalography, and utilized measures of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) as an index of development during the transition from childhood to adolescence (i.e., puberty). Within a sample of typically developing youth (ages 9-15), a novel association between pubertal DHEA and theta oscillatory activity indicated that less mature children exhibited stronger neural responses in higher-order prefrontal cortices during the visuospatial task. Theta coherence between bilateral prefrontal regions also increased with increasing DHEA, such that network-level theta activity became more distributed with more maturity. Additionally, significant DHEA-by-sex interactions in the gamma range were centered on cortical regions relevant for attention processing. These findings suggest that pubertal DHEA may modulate the development of neural oscillatory activity serving visuospatial processing and attention functions during the pubertal period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison H. Fung
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalOmahaNebraskaUSA,Institute of Child DevelopmentUniversity of Minnesota‐Twin CitiesMinneapolisMinnesotaUSA
| | - Raeef L. Rahman
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Brittany K. Taylor
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Michaela R. Frenzel
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Jacob A. Eastman
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Yu‐Ping Wang
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringTulane UniversityNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri‐institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | | | - Tony W. Wilson
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalOmahaNebraskaUSA
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van der Laan JE, Vinke CM, Arndt SS. Evaluation of hair cortisol as an indicator of long-term stress responses in dogs in an animal shelter and after subsequent adoption. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5117. [PMID: 35449215 PMCID: PMC9023568 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09140-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Shelter dogs are exposed to a variety of stressors. Among non-invasive techniques, hair cortisol concentration (HCC) is suggested an easy to collect biomarker for giving insight into long-term stress responses. We evaluated HCC as an indicator of long-term cortisol responses in dogs in an animal shelter over different chronological time points during sheltering and after adoption. Hair samples were collected from the neck region following a shave/re-shave protocol of shelter dogs (total n = 52) at four different time periods: T1 intake at shelter (pre-shelter period, n = 51); T2 after 6 weeks in the shelter (n = 23); T3 6 weeks after adoption (n = 24); T4 6 months after adoption (n = 22). HCC at T2 was significantly higher than HCC at T1, T3 and T4 (effect of sample collection moment: F3,41 = 12.78, p < 0.0001). The dog’s weight class, age class, sex, reason for admission, kennel history and melanin type also explained HCC variability. No significant difference in HCC was found between shelter dogs T1 and control pet dogs in their own homes (n = 20, one sample, t = − 1.24, p = 0.219). A significant but moderate positive correlation between HCC and urinary cortisol:creatinine ratios was found (т = 0.3, p < 0.001). As HCC increased in the shelter, the use of this non-invasive parameter appears a useful additional tool in dog welfare research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janneke Elisabeth van der Laan
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Population Health Sciences - Division of Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80166, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Claudia Maureen Vinke
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Population Health Sciences - Division of Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80166, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Stefanie Arndt
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Population Health Sciences - Division of Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80166, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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van der Valk E, Abawi O, Mohseni M, Abdelmoumen A, Wester V, van der Voorn B, Iyer A, van den Akker E, Hoeks S, van den Berg S, de Rijke Y, Stalder T, van Rossum E. Cross-sectional relation of long-term glucocorticoids in hair with anthropometric measurements and their possible determinants: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Rev 2022; 23:e13376. [PMID: 34811866 PMCID: PMC9285618 DOI: 10.1111/obr.13376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-term glucocorticoids (HairGC) measured in scalp hair have been associated with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-hip-ratio (WHR) in several cross-sectional studies. We aimed to investigate the magnitude, strength, and clinical relevance of these relations across all ages. METHODS We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO registration CRD42020205187) searching for articles relating HairGC to measures of obesity. Main outcomes were bivariate correlation coefficients and unadjusted simple linear regression coefficients relating hair cortisol (HairF) and hair cortisone (HairE) to BMI, WC, and WHR. RESULTS We included k = 146 cohorts (n = 34,342 individuals). HairGC were positively related to all anthropometric measurements. The strongest correlation and largest effect size were seen for HairE-WC: pooled correlation 0.18 (95%CI 0.11-0.24; k = 7; n = 3,158; I2 = 45.7%) and pooled regression coefficient 11.0 cm increase in WC per point increase in 10-log-transformed HairE (pg/mg) on liquid-chromatography-(tandem) mass spectrometry (LC-MS) (95%CI 10.1-11.9 cm; k = 6; n = 3,102). Pooled correlation for HairF-BMI was 0.10 (95%CI 0.08-0.13; k = 122; n = 26,527; I2 = 51.2%) and pooled regression coefficient 0.049 kg/m2 per point increase in 10-log-transformed HairF (pg/mg) on LC-MS (95%CI 0.045-0.054 kg/m2 ; k = 26; n = 11,635). DISCUSSION There is a consistent positive association between HairGC and BMI, WC, and WHR, most prominently and clinically relevant for HairE-WC. These findings overall suggest an altered setpoint of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis with increasing central adiposity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline van der Valk
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Obesity Center CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ozair Abawi
- Obesity Center CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Pediatrics, division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mostafa Mohseni
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Obesity Center CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Amir Abdelmoumen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Obesity Center CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent Wester
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Obesity Center CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bibian van der Voorn
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Obesity Center CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Pediatrics, division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anand Iyer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Obesity Center CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erica van den Akker
- Obesity Center CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Pediatrics, division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sanne Hoeks
- Department of Anesthesiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd van den Berg
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Chemistry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yolanda de Rijke
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tobias Stalder
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
| | - Elisabeth van Rossum
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Obesity Center CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Larsson G, Smaliukienė R, Mažeikienė A, Vaičaitienė R, Bekešienė S, Mazgelytė E, Karčiauskaitė D. Perceived stress and hair cortisol levels amongst conscripts during basic military training: A repeated measures study. MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2021.2018902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gerry Larsson
- Department of Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Department of Security, Strategy and Leadership, Swedish Defence University, Karlstad, Sweden
- Department of Health and Welfare, Inland University College of Applied Sciences, Elverum, Norway
| | - Rasa Smaliukienė
- The General Jonas Zemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Asta Mažeikienė
- Department of Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Ramutė Vaičaitienė
- The General Jonas Zemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Svajonė Bekešienė
- The General Jonas Zemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Eglė Mazgelytė
- Department of Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Dovilė Karčiauskaitė
- Department of Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
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Basso L, Boecking B, Neff P, Brueggemann P, Peters EMJ, Mazurek B. Hair-cortisol and hair-BDNF as biomarkers of tinnitus loudness and distress in chronic tinnitus. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1934. [PMID: 35121746 PMCID: PMC8817043 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-04811-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of stress and its neuroendocrine mediators in tinnitus is unclear. In this study, we measure cortisol as an indicator of hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis alterations and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as a marker of adaptive neuroplasticity in hair of chronic tinnitus patients to investigate relationships with tinnitus-related and psychological factors. Cross-sectional data from chronic tinnitus inpatients were analyzed. Data collection included hair sampling, pure tone audiometry, tinnitus pitch and loudness matching, and psychometric questionnaires. Elastic net regressions with n-fold cross-validation were performed for cortisol (N = 91) and BDNF (N = 87). For hair-cortisol (R2 = 0.10), the strongest effects were sampling in autumn and body-mass index (BMI) (positive), followed by tinnitus loudness (positive) and smoking (negative). For hair-BDNF (R2 = 0.28), the strongest effects were hearing aid use, shift work (positive), and tinnitus loudness (negative), followed by smoking, tinnitus-related distress (Tinnitus Questionnaire), number of experienced traumatic events (negative), and physical health-related quality of life (Short Form-12 Health Survey) (positive). These findings suggest that in chronic tinnitus patients, higher perceived tinnitus loudness is associated with higher hair-cortisol and lower hair-BDNF, and higher tinnitus-related distress with lower hair-BDNF. Regarding hair-BDNF, traumatic experiences appear to have additional stress-related effects, whereas hearing aid use and high physical health-related quality of life appear beneficial. Implications include the potential use of hair-cortisol and hair-BDNF as biomarkers of tinnitus loudness or distress and the need for intensive future research into chronic stress-related HPA axis and neuroplasticity alterations in chronic tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Basso
- Tinnitus Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Benjamin Boecking
- Tinnitus Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Patrick Neff
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.,University Research Priority Program 'Dynamics of Healthy Aging', University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Petra Brueggemann
- Tinnitus Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eva M J Peters
- Psychoneuroimmunology Laboratory, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.,Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Charité Center 12 Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Birgit Mazurek
- Tinnitus Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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Stern J, Arslan RC, Penke L. Stability and validity of steroid hormones in hair and saliva across two ovulatory cycles. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2022; 9:100114. [PMID: 35755924 PMCID: PMC9216405 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Steroid hormones are often assessed via saliva samples, as they are noninvasive and easy to collect. However, hormone levels in saliva can fluctuate from moment-to-moment, are influenced by factors such as momentary emotional states and food intake, and some vary strongly across women's ovulatory cycle. In contrast, hormone levels in hair seem to be more robust against these influences and were previously suggested to be a good alternative to obtain women's baseline hormone levels. In the current study, we investigated whether hormone levels are stable across multiple assays and whether hormone levels from saliva and hair samples correlate. We collected saliva and hair samples from N = 155 naturally cycling women across two ovulatory cycles. All samples were analyzed for progesterone, testosterone and cortisol levels via mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Results showed that both averaged saliva and hair hormone levels were moderately stable across cycles. Hair progesterone levels showed higher stability than the respective levels from saliva. Saliva and hair levels for progesterone and testosterone were moderately correlated, whereas cortisol levels from saliva and hair were only weakly correlated. Results suggest that the type of sample from which baseline hormone levels are assessed and the cycle phase in which saliva samples are collected may have a high impact on the obtained results. Implications for future studies are suggested. Testosterone, progesterone, and cortisol were analyzed from repeated saliva and hair samples via LC-MS/MS. Hormone levels are moderately stable in both saliva and hair samples. Progesterone levels are significantly more stable in hair samples as compared to saliva samples. Hair and saliva hormone samples correlate moderately for progesterone and testosterone, but only weakly for cortisol.
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King LS, Humphreys KL, Cole DA, Gotlib IH. Hair cortisol concentration across the peripartum period: Documenting changes and associations with depressive symptoms and recent adversity. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2022; 9:100102. [PMID: 35755930 PMCID: PMC9216355 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100102] [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: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Women experience dramatic physiological changes during pregnancy, including changes in the production of the “stress hormone,” cortisol. Evidence has been mixed regarding whether hair cortisol concentration (HCC) can be used to accurately capture the trajectory of cortisol during this period and whether factors related to psychosocial stress are related to HCC in pregnant and postpartum women. In the current study, we collected hair samples from 85 individuals during the peripartum period (with collection occasions in pregnancy [12–37 weeks], at 3–8 weeks postpartum, and at 5–8 months postpartum) from which we derived 783 monthly observations of HCC. In addition, at each assessment individuals reported their current depressive symptoms and experiences of recent psychosocial adversity. Using piecewise mixed effects modeling, we identified significant increases in HCC across pregnancy (approximately a 2-fold rise) followed by significant decreases in HCC postpartum. Beyond these effects, however, there was substantial within-individual variability in HCC. Disaggregating between- from within-individual associations of depressive symptoms and adversity with HCC, we found that within-individual fluctuations in adversity were positively coupled with levels of HCC. Overall, the current findings suggest that measurement of cortisol in human hair captures its trajectory from conception through six months postpartum, including prenatal increases and gradual recovery of typical levels following childbirth. In addition to the overall severity of psychosocial adversity, change in women's experiences of adversity during the peripartum period merit attention. We analyzed monthly estimates of hair cortisol concentration (HCC) across the peripartum period. HCC increased across pregnancy and decreased through six months postpartum. There was substantial within-person variability in HCC. Within-person fluctuations in recent adversity were positively coupled with HCC. Depressive symptoms were not significantly associated with HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy S. King
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Corresponding author. Tulane University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
| | - Kathryn L. Humphreys
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - David A. Cole
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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