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Anderson AM, Sherman J, Fitzpatrick MM, Browning C, Kertes DA, Mackos A, Pickler RH, Smith L, Ford JL. Associations between adolescent perceived loneliness and hair cortisol concentration. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 170:107184. [PMID: 39332136 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107184] [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: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 09/13/2024] [Accepted: 09/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Adolescents experience high levels of loneliness, which is linked to poor health in adulthood. Loneliness may contribute to poor health through chronic dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In this analysis, we examined the associations between survey- and ecological momentary assessment (EMA)-based measures of loneliness and hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) in a sample of 1102 adolescents and assessed sex differences in this relationship. METHODS Data came from wave 1 of the Adolescent Health and Development in Context study. We conducted a series of multivariable linear regression models to examine the associations between loneliness and HCC. Models were adjusted for adolescent and caregiver demographics, adolescent clinical factors, adolescent hair care practices, and adolescent lifetime mental health diagnosis and current psychotropic medication use. An interaction term between sex and loneliness was added to assess for effect moderation. RESULTS In our sample, the mean HCC was 1.35 pg/mg (SD=1.1). The mean for the unstandardized survey loneliness measure was 1.79 (SD=0.79) for the total analytic sample. The unstandardized mean for the EMA loneliness measure was - 0.02 (SD=2.1) for the total analytic sample. In model one testing the bivariate linear relationship between loneliness and HCC, higher loneliness via survey and EMA measures was associated with lower HCC (Survey: b= - 0.10, SE=0.03, p=.004; EMA: b= - 0.09, SE=0.03, p=.005). In model two, higher loneliness remained significantly associated with lower HCC (Survey: b= - 0.07, SE=0.03, p=.023; EMA: b= - 0.07, SE=0.03, p=.037), after controlling for the following covariates: sociodemographic factors, pubertal development and BMI, corticosteroid use, hair care practices, season of collection and assayed hair length. In model 3, youth lifetime mental health diagnosis and current psychotropic medication use were added into the regression model, and higher loneliness remained significantly associated with lower HCC (Survey: b= - 0.07, SE=0.03, p=.029; EMA: b= - 0.07, SE=0.03, p=.039). There was no effect modification by sex (Survey: b=0.04, SE=0.06, p=.552; EMA: b= - 0.01, SE=0.06, p=.843). CONCLUSIONS In our analysis, both survey- and EMA-reported loneliness measures were associated with lower HCC. No evidence of an interaction between sex and loneliness was observed. Future research is needed to validate these findings and investigate longitudinal relationships among adolescent loneliness, stress physiology, and downstream health sequelae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica Sherman
- The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | | | - Darlene A Kertes
- University of Florida Department of Psychology, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Amy Mackos
- The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Rita H Pickler
- The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Lindsay Smith
- The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jodi L Ford
- The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus, OH, USA
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Chatzi G, Chandola T, Shlomo N, Cernat A, Hannemann T. Is social disadvantage a chronic stressor? Socioeconomic position and HPA axis activity among older adults living in England. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 168:107116. [PMID: 38981200 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107116] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Living in socioeconomic disadvantage has been conceptualised as a chronic stressor, although this contradicts evidence from studies using hair cortisol and cortisone as a measure of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)1 axis activity. These studies used complete case analyses, ignoring the impact of missing data for inference, despite the high proportion of missing biomarker data. The methodological limitations of studies investigating the association between socioeconomic position (SEP)2 defined as education, wealth, and social class and hair cortisol and cortisone are considered in this study by comparing three common methods to deal with missing data: (1) Complete Case Analysis (CCA),3 (2) Inverse Probability Weighting (IPW) 4and (3) weighted Multiple Imputation (MI).5 This study examines if socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with higher levels of HPA axis activity as measured by hair cortisol and cortisone among older adults using three approaches for compensating for missing data. METHOD Cortisol and cortisone levels in hair samples from 4573 participants in the 6th wave (2012-2013) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)6 were examined, in relation to education, wealth, and social class. We compared linear regression models with CCA, weighted and multiple imputed weighted linear regression models. RESULTS Social groups with certain characteristics (i.e., ethnic minorities, in routine and manual occupations, physically inactive, with poorer health, and smokers) were less likely to have hair cortisol and hair cortisone data compared to the most advantaged groups. We found a consistent pattern of higher levels of hair cortisol and cortisone among the most socioeconomically disadvantaged groups compared to the most advantaged groups. Complete case approaches to missing data underestimated the levels of hair cortisol in education and social class and the levels of hair cortisone in education, wealth, and social class in the most disadvantaged groups. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that social disadvantage as measured by disadvantaged SEP is associated with increased HPA axis activity. The conceptualisation of social disadvantage as a chronic stressor may be valid and previous studies reporting no associations between SEP and hair cortisol may be biased due to their lack of consideration of missing data cases which showed the underrepresentation of disadvantaged social groups in the analyses. Future analyses using biosocial data may need to consider and adjust for missing data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Chatzi
- Department of Social Statistics, School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
| | - Tarani Chandola
- Department of Social Statistics, School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Natalie Shlomo
- Department of Social Statistics, School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Alexandru Cernat
- Department of Social Statistics, School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Tina Hannemann
- Department of Social Statistics, School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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Arregi A, Vegas O, Lertxundi A, García-Baquero G, Ibarluzea J, Andiarena A, Babarro I, Subiza-Pérez M, Lertxundi N. Hair cortisol determinants in 11-year-old children: Environmental, social and individual factors. Horm Behav 2024; 164:105575. [PMID: 38851169 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Children's exposure to chronic stress is associated with several health problems. Measuring hair cortisol concentration is particularly useful for studying chronic stress but much is unknown about hair cortisol determinants in children and adolescents, and previous research has often not considered the simultaneous exposure of multiple variables. This research is focused on investigating the relationship between environmental, social and individual factors with hair cortisol concentration in children. METHODS The data used in this study are from the INMA prospective epidemiological cohort study. The assessment of chronic stress was made on the basis of hair samples taken at the age of 11 years in the INMA-Gipuzkoa cohort (n = 346). A metamodel summarizing the hypothesized relationships among environmental, social and individual factors and hair cortisol concentration was constructed based on previous literature. Structural Equation Modelling was performed to examine the relationships among the variables. RESULTS In the general model higher behavioural problems were associated with higher cortisol levels and an inverse relationship between environmental noise and cortisol levels was observed, explaining 5 % of the variance in HCC. Once stratified by sex these associations were only hold in boys, while no significant effect of any of the study variables was related with cortisol levels in girls. Importantly, maternal stress was positively related to behavioural difficulties in children. Finally, higher traffic-related air pollution and lower exposure to neighborhood greenness were related to higher environmental noise. DISCUSSION This study highlights that simultaneous exposure to different environmental, social and individual characteristics may determine the concentration of hair cortisol. More research is needed and future studies should include this complex view to better understanding of hair cortisol determinants in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ane Arregi
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20008 San Sebastian, Spain; Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain.
| | - Oscar Vegas
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20008 San Sebastian, Spain; Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Aitana Lertxundi
- Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Gonzalo García-Baquero
- Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; Faculty of Biology, University of Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Avda Licenciado Méndez Nieto s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Jesus Ibarluzea
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20008 San Sebastian, Spain; Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Ministry of Health of the Basque Government, Sub-Directorate for Public Health and Addictions of Gipuzkoa, 20013 San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Ainara Andiarena
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20008 San Sebastian, Spain; Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Izaro Babarro
- Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; Faculty of Medicine and Nursing of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20014 Donostia/San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Mikel Subiza-Pérez
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20008 San Sebastian, Spain; Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford BD9 6RJ, UK
| | - Nerea Lertxundi
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20008 San Sebastian, Spain; Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Stroud CB, Chen FR, Navarro E, Gim H, Benjamin I, Doane LD. Unique and interactive effects of threat and deprivation on latent trait cortisol among emerging adults. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22494. [PMID: 38698641 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Though considerable work supports the Dimensional Model of Adversity and Psychopathology, prior research has not tested whether the dimensions-threat (e.g., abuse) and deprivation (e.g., neglect)-are uniquely related to salivary trait indicators of hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activity. We examined the unique and interactive effects of threat and deprivation on latent trait cortisol (LTC)-and whether these effects were modified by co-occurring adversities. Emerging adults (n = 90; Mage = 19.36 years; 99.88% cisgender women) provided salivary cortisol samples four times a day (waking, 30 min and 45 min postwaking, bedtime) over three 3-day measurement waves over 13 weeks. Contextual life stress interviews assessed early adversity. Though the effects varied according to the conceptualization of early adversity, overall, threat-but not deprivation, nor other co-occurring adversities-was uniquely associated with the across-wave LTC. Specifically, the incidence and frequency of threat were each negatively related to the across-wave LTC. Threat severity was also associated with the across-wave LTC, but only among those with no deprivation. Finally, the effects of threat were modified by other co-occurring adversities. Findings suggest that threat has unique implications for individual differences in HPA axis activity among emerging adults, and that co-occurring adversities modify such effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine B Stroud
- Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Frances R Chen
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Esmeralda Navarro
- Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Haelynn Gim
- Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Isabel Benjamin
- Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Leah D Doane
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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Abouseta N, Gomaa N, Tassi A, Elzagallaai AA, Rieder MJ, Dixon SJ, Pani SC. Relationships among Cortisol, Perceived Stress, and Dental Caries Experience in Adolescents and Young Adults. Caries Res 2024; 58:421-430. [PMID: 38657570 DOI: 10.1159/000539041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Stress can impact mental and physical health, especially during adolescence and young adulthood, but the extent of its contribution to dental caries is poorly understood. The present study assessed the association between perceived stress, cortisol levels (in hair and saliva), and overall caries experience of adolescents and young adults aged 15-25 years. METHODS Hair and saliva samples were obtained from 93 participants free of periodontal disease. Cortisol in hair and saliva was determined using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Participants completed a perceived stress questionnaire and underwent full-mouth oral examination by a calibrated examiner. Dental caries experience was based on the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. Sociodemographic variables were also recorded. RESULTS There were significantly higher hair cortisol levels and perceived stress scale (PSS) scores in individuals with dental caries experience (DMFT≥1) than in those without (DMFT = 0). However, there was no significant difference in salivary cortisol concentration. A binary logistic regression revealed that higher hair cortisol levels and greater scores on the perceived stress scale were associated with increased odds of having experienced dental caries. In contrast, no significant association was found between salivary cortisol concentration and dental caries. Using multivariable regression models, caries experience was found to be significantly associated with both hair cortisol levels and PSS scores. These associations remained statistically significant even after adjusting for sociodemographic variables. CONCLUSION Hair cortisol levels and perceived stress have a significant association with dental caries experience, whereas salivary cortisol concentrations do not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naima Abouseta
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Noha Gomaa
- Oral Diagnostic Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Children's Health Research Institute, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ali Tassi
- Graduate Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Abdelbaset A Elzagallaai
- Drug Safety Lab, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael J Rieder
- Departments of Paediatrics, Physiology and Pharmacology, and Medicine, Schulich Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - S Jeffrey Dixon
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sharat Chandra Pani
- Schulich Dentistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Pediatric Dentistry, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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6
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Li C, Shi S. Gut microbiota and metabolic profiles in chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced rats: disease-associated dysbiosis and metabolic disturbances. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 14:1224396. [PMID: 38283743 PMCID: PMC10811599 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1224396] [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: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Aim Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is a key characteristic of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome, a chronic respiratory disorder. The mechanisms of CIH-induced metabolic disturbance and histopathological damage remain unclear. Methods CIH-induced rats underwent daily 8-h CIH, characterized by oxygen levels decreasing from 21% to 8.5% over 4 min, remaining for 2 min, and quickly returning to 21% for 1 min. The control rats received a continuous 21% oxygen supply. The levels of hypersensitive C reactive protein (h-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) were measured by ELISA. Histological analysis of the soft palates was conducted using HE staining. The microbial profiling of fecal samples was carried out by Accu16STM assay. Untargeted metabolomics of serum and soft palate tissue samples were analyzed by UPLC-MS. The protein expression of cAMP-related pathways in the soft palate was determined by Western blot. Results After 28 h of CIH induction, a significant increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines was observed in the serum, along with mucosal layer thickening and soft palate tissue hypertrophy. CIH induction altered the diversity and composition of fecal microbiota, specifically reducing beneficial bacteria while increasing harmful bacteria/opportunistic pathogens. Notably, CIH induction led to a significant enrichment of genera such as Dorea, Oscillibacter, Enteractinococcus, Paenibacillus, Globicatella, and Flaviflexus genera. Meanwhile, Additionally, CIH induction had a notable impact on 108 serum marker metabolites. These marker metabolites, primarily involving amino acids, organic acids, and a limited number of flavonoids or sterols, were associated with protein transport, digestion and absorption, amino acid synthesis and metabolism, as well as cancer development. Furthermore, these differential serum metabolites significantly affected 175 differential metabolites in soft palate tissue, mainly related to cancer development, signaling pathways, amino acid metabolism, nucleotide precursor or intermediate metabolism, respiratory processes, and disease. Importantly, CIH induction could significantly affect the expression of the cAMP pathway in soft palate tissue. Conclusions Our findings suggest that targeting differential metabolites in serum and soft palate tissue may represent a new approach to clinical intervention and treatment of OSA simulated by the CIH.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Song Shi
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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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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Nebe S, Reutter M, Baker DH, Bölte J, Domes G, Gamer M, Gärtner A, Gießing C, Gurr C, Hilger K, Jawinski P, Kulke L, Lischke A, Markett S, Meier M, Merz CJ, Popov T, Puhlmann LMC, Quintana DS, Schäfer T, Schubert AL, Sperl MFJ, Vehlen A, Lonsdorf TB, Feld GB. Enhancing precision in human neuroscience. eLife 2023; 12:e85980. [PMID: 37555830 PMCID: PMC10411974 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Human neuroscience has always been pushing the boundary of what is measurable. During the last decade, concerns about statistical power and replicability - in science in general, but also specifically in human neuroscience - have fueled an extensive debate. One important insight from this discourse is the need for larger samples, which naturally increases statistical power. An alternative is to increase the precision of measurements, which is the focus of this review. This option is often overlooked, even though statistical power benefits from increasing precision as much as from increasing sample size. Nonetheless, precision has always been at the heart of good scientific practice in human neuroscience, with researchers relying on lab traditions or rules of thumb to ensure sufficient precision for their studies. In this review, we encourage a more systematic approach to precision. We start by introducing measurement precision and its importance for well-powered studies in human neuroscience. Then, determinants for precision in a range of neuroscientific methods (MRI, M/EEG, EDA, Eye-Tracking, and Endocrinology) are elaborated. We end by discussing how a more systematic evaluation of precision and the application of respective insights can lead to an increase in reproducibility in human neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Nebe
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Mario Reutter
- Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-UniversityWürzburgGermany
| | - Daniel H Baker
- Department of Psychology and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of YorkYorkUnited Kingdom
| | - Jens Bölte
- Institute for Psychology, University of Münster, Otto-Creuzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral NeuroscienceMünsterGermany
| | - Gregor Domes
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of TrierTrierGermany
- Institute for Cognitive and Affective NeuroscienceTrierGermany
| | - Matthias Gamer
- Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-UniversityWürzburgGermany
| | - Anne Gärtner
- Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Carsten Gießing
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of OldenburgOldenburgGermany
| | - Caroline Gurr
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe UniversityFrankfurtGermany
- Brain Imaging Center, Goethe UniversityFrankfurtGermany
| | - Kirsten Hilger
- Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-UniversityWürzburgGermany
- Department of Psychology, Psychological Diagnostics and Intervention, Catholic University of Eichstätt-IngolstadtEichstättGermany
| | - Philippe Jawinski
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Louisa Kulke
- Department of Developmental with Educational Psychology, University of BremenBremenGermany
| | - Alexander Lischke
- Department of Psychology, Medical School HamburgHamburgGermany
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Sebastian Markett
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Maria Meier
- Department of Psychology, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- University Psychiatric Hospitals, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Research Department (UPKKJ), University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Christian J Merz
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University BochumBochumGermany
| | - Tzvetan Popov
- Department of Psychology, Methods of Plasticity Research, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Lara MC Puhlmann
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience ResearchMainzGermany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - Daniel S Quintana
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- NevSom, Department of Rare Disorders & Disabilities, Oslo University HospitalOsloNorway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of OsloOsloNorway
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), University of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Tim Schäfer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe UniversityFrankfurtGermany
- Brain Imaging Center, Goethe UniversityFrankfurtGermany
| | | | - Matthias FJ Sperl
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of GiessenGiessenGermany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Universities of Marburg and GiessenGiessenGermany
| | - Antonia Vehlen
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of TrierTrierGermany
| | - Tina B Lonsdorf
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfHamburgGermany
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of BielefeldBielefeldGermany
| | - Gordon B Feld
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
- Department of Psychology, Heidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
- Department of Addiction Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
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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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10
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Barba SV, Kirschbaum C, Gao W. Endocannabinoid and perceived stress: Association analysis of endocannabinoid levels in hair versus levels in plasma and urine. Biol Psychol 2023; 178:108541. [PMID: 36918140 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108541] [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: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system is considered to play a role in a wide range of functions, including stress. Hair analysis of endocannabinoids presents a promising methodological advancement for the retrospective assessment of long-term cumulative endocannabinoid secretion. Despite promising pilot study results suggesting the usefulness of hair endocannabinoid assessments, it remains unclear whether hair endocannabinoid levels mirror systemic endocannabinoid levels accurately. Two independent studies were conducted to investigate to what extent hair endocannabinoid and N-Acylethanolamine levels reflect the systemic levels retrospectively. Endocannabinoid and N-Acylethanolamine levels were measured in 3 cm and 1 cm hair segments respectively, and compared with the averaged levels in multiple plasma samples collected during three months (Study I), and in multiple 24-hour urine samples collected over a month (Study II). In addition, the Perceived Stress Scale was used to assess the perceived stress throughout the studies. Against our hypothesis, no association was found between the endocannabinoid or N-Acylethanolamine levels in hair and plasma or urine. However, hair palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), oleoylethanolamide (OEA), and stearoylethanolamide (SEA) levels were positively correlated with perceived stress in Study I. The current findings suggest that hair endocannabinoid or N-Acylethanolamine levels might not accurately reflect the levels of peripheral circulating endocannabinoid or N-Acylethanolamine. Nevertheless, hair N-Acylethanolamine levels might emerge as a useful strategy in the study of some psychological phenotypes, such as stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Valdivieso Barba
- Faculty of Psychology, Chair of Biological Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Clemens Kirschbaum
- Faculty of Psychology, Chair of Biological Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Wei Gao
- Faculty of Psychology, Chair of Biological Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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11
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Kubo T, Matsumoto S, Izawa S, Ikeda H, Nishimura Y, Kawakami S, Tamaki M, Masuda S. Shift-Work Schedule Intervention for Extending Restart Breaks after Consecutive Night Shifts: A Non-randomized Controlled Cross-Over Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:15042. [PMID: 36429761 PMCID: PMC9691089 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192215042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
More knowledge is required to determine the optimal shiftwork schedule to reduce the harmful effects of short restart breaks between shifts. This 5-month intervention study aimed to examine the effectiveness of extended restart breaks from 31 h to 55 h after consecutive night shifts by considering the characteristics of the circadian rhythm to mitigate fatigue and sleep among 30 shift-working nurses. Subjective and objective variables, such as vital exhaustion, distress, hair cortisol, salivary C-reactive protein, and sleep mattress sensor sensation, were repeatedly measured to examine the differences between the intervention and control conditions. Two-way (condition × time) multilevel analyses showed significantly lower levels of vital exhaustion and distress in the intervention condition (p = 0.005 and p = 0.004, respectively). However, the expected benefit of the intervention was not observed in objectively measured variables. These findings suggested that an extended restart break after consecutive night shifts can moderately decrease occupational fatigue and stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohide Kubo
- National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Nagao 6-21-1, Tama-Ku, Kawasaki 214-8585, Japan
| | - Shun Matsumoto
- National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Nagao 6-21-1, Tama-Ku, Kawasaki 214-8585, Japan
| | - Shuhei Izawa
- National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Nagao 6-21-1, Tama-Ku, Kawasaki 214-8585, Japan
| | - Hiroki Ikeda
- National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Nagao 6-21-1, Tama-Ku, Kawasaki 214-8585, Japan
| | - Yuki Nishimura
- National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Nagao 6-21-1, Tama-Ku, Kawasaki 214-8585, Japan
| | - Sayaka Kawakami
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Handayama 1-20-1, Higashi-ku, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Masako Tamaki
- Cognitive Somnology RIKEN Hakubi Research Team, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Hirosawa 2-1, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Cognitive Somnology RIKEN Hakubi Research Team, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Hirosawa 2-1, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Sanae Masuda
- Nursing Department, Kanto Rosai Hospital, Kizukisumiyoshi 1-1, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki 211-8510, Japan
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12
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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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13
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Edwards MJ, Stanley CR, Hosie CA, Richdon S, Price E, Wormell D, Smith TE. Social roles influence cortisol levels in captive Livingstone's fruit bats (Pteropus livingstonii). Horm Behav 2022; 144:105228. [PMID: 35772196 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105228] [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: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A critical component of conserving and housing species ex situ is an explicit scientific understanding of the physiological underpinnings of their welfare. Cortisol has been repeatedly linked to stress, and therefore used as an indicator of welfare for many species. In order to measure cortisol in the Livingstone's fruit bat (Pteropus livingstonii; a critically endangered keystone species) without disturbing the captive population, we have developed and validated a non-invasive, novel hormone extraction procedure and faecal glucocorticoid assay. A total of 92 faecal samples, 73 from the P. livingstonii breeding colony at Jersey Zoo, Channel Islands and 19 samples from P. livingstonii housed at Bristol Zoological Gardens, UK, have been collected and analyzed. Mixed-effect modelling of the influence of physiological state variables on cortisol concentration revealed that lactating females had higher cortisol levels than non-lactating females, indicating that our assay is measuring biologically relevant hormone concentrations. Males and older bats also had higher cortisol than non-lactating females and younger individuals. Further analysis applied social network methodology to compare the cortisol levels of bats with different social roles. We found that individuals that linked social groups possessed higher than average cortisol levels and conversely, individuals with high-quality, positive relationships had lower cortisol levels. These results demonstrate, for the first time in a bat species, social mediation of stress hormones. Lastly, the frequency of vocalisation was found to positively correlate with cortisol concentration in males, suggesting that this behaviour may be used by animal management as a visual indicator of a bat's hormonal status. Hence, this research has provided unique insights and empirical scientific knowledge regarding the relationship between the physiology and social behaviour of P. livingstonii, therefore allowing for recommendations to be made to optimise bat welfare at the individual level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan J Edwards
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester CH1 4BJ, UK.
| | - Christina R Stanley
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester CH1 4BJ, UK.
| | - Charlotte A Hosie
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester CH1 4BJ, UK.
| | - Sarah Richdon
- Institute of Conservation Science & Learning, Bristol Zoological Society, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3HA, UK.
| | - Eluned Price
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Trinity, Jersey JE3 6AP, UK.
| | - Dominic Wormell
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Trinity, Jersey JE3 6AP, UK.
| | - Tessa E Smith
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester CH1 4BJ, UK.
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14
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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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15
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Zhang Q, Li X, Qiao S, Liu S, Shen Z, Zhou Y. Association between hair cortisol, hair cortisone, and fatigue in people living with HIV. Stress 2021; 24:772-779. [PMID: 33913374 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2021.1919616] [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] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cumulative evidence to date largely supports an association between dysregulation of the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and fatigue. People living with HIV (PLHIV), in particular, are vulnerable to both HPA axis dysregulation and fatigue. Few investigations have examined the possible role of HPA-axis dysfunction in the occurrence of fatigue in PLHIV. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between glucocorticoids in hair, retrospective indicators of long-term HPA axis activity and biomarkers of chronic stress, and fatigue in PLHIV. A total of 446 PLHIV from Guangxi China provided hair samples for cortisol and cortisone assay and provided information on fatigue levels, sociodemographic, lifestyle, and HIV-related characteristics. Results showed that before and after controlling sociodemographic, lifestyle, and HIV-related characteristics, hair cortisone levels, but not hair cortisol levels, were associated with fatigue levels in PLHIV. In conclusion, we found that higher cortisone levels are associated with greater fatigue levels in a large cohort of Chinese PLHIV.LAY SUMMARYWe found that hair cortisone levels were significantly associated with fatigue levels in a large cohort of Chinese PLHIV. Hair cortisol levels were, however, not associated with fatigue levels in the PLHIV studied. We thus show that Chinese PLHIV who have higher cortisone levels are associated with higher fatigue levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Zhang
- South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality (CHQ), Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
- Institute of Pedagogy and Applied Psychology, School of Public Administration, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoming Li
- South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality (CHQ), Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Shan Qiao
- South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality (CHQ), Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Shuaifeng Liu
- Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanning, China
| | - Zhiyong Shen
- Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanning, China
| | - Yuejiao Zhou
- Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanning, China
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16
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Izawa S, Sugaya N, Ogawa N, Shirotsuki K, Nomura S. A validation study on fingernail cortisol: correlations with one-month cortisol levels estimated by hair and saliva samples. Stress 2021; 24:734-741. [PMID: 33792492 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2021.1895113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have focused on the cortisol levels in fingernail samples as a possible index of cumulative hormone production; however, the biological validity of fingernail cortisol has not been fully established. We investigated the association between cortisol levels in fingernail samples and other biological specimens, including hair and saliva samples, in healthy young adults to determine whether fingernail cortisol was associated with past cumulative hormone production. Participants were 23 adults (14 men and 9 women; mean age = 22.7 ± 2.8 years). Saliva samples were collected three times per day for 30 days, and hair samples (1 cm) from participants' scalps were obtained. Fingernail samples were repeatedly collected for 8 months, considering growth rate of fingernail and time lag for fingernails to fully extend from the nail matrix. Cortisol levels in hair samples were significantly associated with the levels in fingernail samples that were obtained 3 months after hair collection (r = .48, p < .05). The 30-day integrated area under the curve, based on salivary cortisol levels at awakening and bedtime, were significantly associated with cortisol levels in fingernail samples that were collected 2-5 months after saliva collection. This finding was especially significant after adjusting for the awakening time when the saliva was collected. This study provided evidence that fingernail cortisol was associated with cumulative hormone levels measured several months before but not those in the present. The samples may be useful for endocrinological evaluation in the investigation of chronic stress, cortisol levels, and health; moreover, the use of fingernail samples would permit larger-scale studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhei Izawa
- Occupational Stress and Health Management Research Group, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Nagisa Sugaya
- Unit of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Namiko Ogawa
- Advanced Research Center for Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Japan
| | | | - Shusaku Nomura
- Faculty of Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
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Verhees M, van IJzendoorn MH, Alyousefi-van Dijk K, Lotz AM, de Waal N, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Child maltreatment affects fathers’ response to infant crying, not mediated by cortisol or testosterone. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021; 8:100083. [PMID: 35757672 PMCID: PMC9216419 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Parents' ability to appropriately respond to infant crying is essential for parental care and has been found to relate to parents' own childhood experiences. Additionally, childhood experiences can affect endocrine factors, which may subsequently affect behavior. In the current study, preregistered on https://osf.io/hwgtu, we examined in expectant and new fathers (N = 152) associations between experiences of maltreatment in their own childhood, hair cortisol and testosterone concentrations and their ability to modulate handgrip force when exposed to infant crying. Cortisol and testosterone were quantified from the 1 cm of hair most proximal to the scalp using Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Participants were asked to squeeze a handgrip dynamometer at full and half strength while listening to infant cries and control sounds. Results indicated that fathers who experienced more childhood maltreatment used more excessive handgrip force during infant cry sounds. Hair cortisol and testosterone were not related to either experienced childhood maltreatment or handgrip strength modulation. These findings confirm that fathers’ early experiences of maltreatment reduce their ability to modulate their behavioral responses during infant cries, but suggest that hair cortisol and testosterone concentrations do not identify the underlying mechanism of this association. Childhood maltreatment relates to fathers' behavioural responses to infant crying. Childhood maltreatment is unrelated to fathers' hair cortisol and testosterone. Cortisol and testosterone are unrelated to behavioural responses to infant cries.
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Bevan K, Kumari M. Maternal separation in childhood and hair cortisol concentrations in late adulthood. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 130:105253. [PMID: 34051654 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parent-child separation has been shown to increase the risk of a range of mental and physical health conditions later in life. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation may help to explain this association. However, few studies have examined the effect of maternal separation on cortisol in late adulthood. METHODS We examined the relationship between maternal separation in childhood and hair cortisol concentrations in late adulthood, using data from the Whitehall II study (n = 3969, mean age: 70 y, range: 60-83 y). Additionally, the role of childhood (adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), material disadvantage, and parenting), adult (marital status and social position), and health (health behaviors, cardiovascular health and medication, and depression) measures in this association were examined. Finally, we examined age of separation and reason for separation. Analysis was carried out using linear regression. RESULTS Hair cortisol concentrations (pg/mg) among participants who reported maternal separation during childhood were higher (B=0.179, 95% CI 0.041-0.317, p = 0.01) compared to their non-separated counterparts. This effect was robust to adjustment by childhood, adult, and health measures. Among participants who reported separation, age at onset and reason for separation were not significantly associated with hair cortisol concentrations. CONCLUSION In older age individuals, hair cortisol concentrations were higher in those who reported maternal separation during childhood. This effect was independent of a wide variety of factors suggesting that there are lifelong pathways between early life separation and HPA functioning in old age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristopher Bevan
- Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK.
| | - Meena Kumari
- Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK
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19
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Zhang Q, Li X, Qiao S, Liu S, Shen Z, Zhou Y. Greater Pain Severity is Associated with Higher Glucocorticoid Levels in Hair Among a Cohort of People Living with HIV. J Pain Res 2021; 14:645-652. [PMID: 33727858 PMCID: PMC7955773 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s301651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pain is a common occurrence and persistent symptom, which has an adverse impact on individual well-being and quality of life among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Alteration in the activity of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis resulting in abnormal glucocorticoid levels had been proposed to play important roles in those associations. Purpose This study aimed to investigate whether pain severity was associated with hair glucocorticoid levels, a novel method of measuring long-term glucocorticoid exposure, among a large cohort of Chinese PLHIV. Methods A measure of pain severity and hair samples were collected from 431 adults PLHIV in Guangxi, China. Glucocorticoid (cortisol and cortisone) in hair were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The general linear model was used to test the associations of pain severity with hair glucocorticoid levels after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Results Of the 431 PLHIV, 273 reported none pain, 87 reported mild pain, and 71 reported moderate-severe pain. Hair cortisone, but not hair cortisol, was found to differ significantly among the three pain severity groups (F=3.90, p=0.021). PLHIV reported moderate-severe pain had higher hair cortisone than those reported mild (p=0.070) or none pain (p=0.014), with no differences between the latter two pain severity groups. Conclusion Greater pain severity is associated with higher hair cortisone levels among Chinese PLHIV. In order to reduce the long-term glucocorticoid levels, interventions managing pain should be considered for PLHIV with moderate-severe pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Zhang
- South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality (CHQ), Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.,Institute of Pedagogy and Applied Psychology, School of Public Administration, Hohai University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoming Li
- South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality (CHQ), Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Shan Qiao
- South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality (CHQ), Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Shuaifeng Liu
- Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiyong Shen
- Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuejiao Zhou
- Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
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20
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Herane-Vives A, Ortega L, Sandoval R, Young AH, Cleare A, Espinoza S, Hayes A, Benöhr J. Measuring Earwax Cortisol Concentration using a non-stressful sampling method. Heliyon 2020; 6:e05124. [PMID: 33195832 PMCID: PMC7644886 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND "Short-term" samples are not the most appropriate for reflecting chronic cortisol concentration. Although hair is used for reflecting the systemic level of this hormone, its use as a "long-term" measure appears clinically problematic. Local and systemic stress and non-stress related factors may release cortisol that is accumulated in hair. Non-stressful earwax sampling methods may provide a more accurate specimen to measure chronic cortisol concentration. METHODS Earwax from both ears of 37 controls were extracted using a clinical procedure commonly associated with local pain. One month later, earwax from the left ear side was extracted using the same procedure, and earwax from the right ear side was more comfortably obtained, using a novel earwax self-sampling device. Participants also provided one centimetre of hair that represented the retrospective month of cortisol output, and one serum sample that reflected the effect of systemic stressors on cortisol levels. Earwax (ECC), Hair (HCC) and Serum (SCC) Cortisol Concentration were correlated and compared. Confounders' effect on cortisol levels were studied. RESULTS The highest levels of cortisol concentration were found in serum, and the lowest in hair (p < 0.01). Left-ECC was larger than Right-ECC (p = 0.03). Right-ECC was the only sample unaffected by confounders (all p > 0.05). A Pearson correlation showed that Right-ECC and HCC samples were moderately correlated between them (r = 0.39; p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS The self-sampling device did not increase cortisol locally. It provided the cortisol level that was least likely to be affected by confounding factors over the previous month. ECC using the novel device might constitute another accurate, but more suitable and affordable specimen for measuring chronic cortisol concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Herane-Vives
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
- Affective Disorders Research Group, Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Lorena Ortega
- Departamento de Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Sandoval
- Departamento de Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Allan H. Young
- Affective Disorders Research Group, Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Anthony Cleare
- Affective Disorders Research Group, Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Susana Espinoza
- Departamento de Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Alexander Hayes
- Affective Disorders Research Group, Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jan Benöhr
- Benöhr Design Creatives, München, Germany
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