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May AK, Smeeth D, McEwen F, Moghames P, Karam E, Rieder MJ, Elzagallaai AA, van Uum S, Pluess M. Hair hormone data from Syrian refugee children: Perspectives from a two-year longitudinal study. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2024; 18:100231. [PMID: 38645423 PMCID: PMC11026725 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2024.100231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
For numerous issues of convenience and acceptability, hair hormone data have been increasingly incorporated in the field of war trauma and forced displacement, allowing retrospective examination of several biological metrics thought to covary with refugees' mental health. As a relatively new research method, however, there remain several complexities and uncertainties surrounding the use of hair hormones, from initial hair sampling to final statistical analysis, many of which are underappreciated in the extant literature, and restrict the potential utility of hair hormones. To promote awareness, we provide a narrative overview of our experiences collecting and analyzing hair hormone data in a large cohort of Syrian refugee children (n = 1594), across two sampling waves spaced 12 months apart. We highlight both the challenges faced, and the promising results obtained thus far, and draw comparisons to other prominent studies in this field. Recommendations are provided to future researchers, with emphasis on longitudinal study designs, thorough collection and reporting of hair-related variables, and careful adherence to current laboratory guidelines and practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew K. May
- Department of Psychological Sciences, School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - Demelza Smeeth
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Fiona McEwen
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of War Studies, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Elie Karam
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, Balamand University, St Georges Hospital University Medical Center, Institute for Development, Research, Advocacy and Applied Care (IDRAAC), Lebanon
| | - Michael J. Rieder
- Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Abdelbaset A. Elzagallaai
- Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Stan van Uum
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Michael Pluess
- Department of Psychological Sciences, School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
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Kassis W, Aksoy D, Favre CA, Arnold J, Gaugler S, Grafinger KE, Artz S, Magnuson D. On the complex relationship between resilience and hair cortisol levels in adolescence despite parental physical abuse: a fourth wave of resilience research. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1345844. [PMID: 38628259 PMCID: PMC11019004 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1345844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction To understand the family's role in adolescents' mental health development and the connection to neurodevelopmental disorders related to experienced parental physical abuse, we first explored resilience pathways longitudinally and secondly, connected the identified patterns to adolescents' hair cortisol levels that are rooted in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as the main stress response system and connected brain structure alterations. Methods We analyzed longitudinal online questionnaire data for three consecutive high school years (from seventh to ninth grade) and four survey waves from a representative sample of n = 1609 high school students in Switzerland on violence-resilience pathways. Furthermore, we collected students' hair samples from a subsample of n = 229 at survey wave 4. About 30% of the participating adolescents had been physically abused by their parents. Out of the overall sample, we drew a subsample of adolescents with parental abuse experiences (survey wave 1 n = 509; survey wave 2 n = 506; survey wave 3 n = 561; survey wave 4 n = 560). Results Despite the odds, about 20-30% of adolescents who have experienced parental physical abuse escaped the family violence cycle and can be called resilient. By applying a person-oriented analytical approach via latent class and transition analysis, we longitudinally identified and compared four distinct violence-resilience patterns. We identified violence resilience as a multidimensional latent construct, which includes hedonic and eudaimonic protective and risk indicators. Because resilience should not solely be operationalized based on the lack of psychopathology, our latent construct included both feeling good (hedonic indicators such as high levels of self-esteem and low levels of depression/anxiety and dissociation) and doing well (eudaimonic indicators such as high levels of self-determination and self-efficacy as well as low levels of aggression toward peers). Discussion The present study confirmed that higher cortisol levels significantly relate to the comorbid pattern (internalizing and externalizing symptoms), and further confirmed the presence of lasting alterations in brain structures. In this way, we corroborated the insight that when studying the resilience pathways and trajectories of abused adolescents, biological markers such as hair cortisol significantly enhance and deepen the understanding of the longitudinal mechanisms of psychological markers (e.g., self-determination, self-esteem, self-efficacy) that are commonly applied in questionnaires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wassilis Kassis
- School of Education, University of Applied Sciences, Windisch, Switzerland
| | - Dilan Aksoy
- School of Education, University of Applied Sciences, Windisch, Switzerland
| | - Céline Anne Favre
- School of Education, University of Applied Sciences, Windisch, Switzerland
| | - Julia Arnold
- School of Education, University of Applied Sciences, Windisch, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Gaugler
- School of Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | | | - Sibylle Artz
- School of Child and Youth Care, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Doug Magnuson
- Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
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Nyengaard R, Kallesøe KH, Rimvall MK, Ørnbøl E, Wellnitz KB, Olsen EM, Wyller VBB, Rask CU. Hair cortisol and self-perceived stress in adolescents with multi-system functional somatic disorders. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:101. [PMID: 38317120 PMCID: PMC10840144 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05518-4] [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: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-term stress causing altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dynamics with cortisol dysfunction may be involved in the pathophysiology of functional somatic disorders (FSD), but studies on adolescents with multi-system FSD are lacking. Therefore, we investigated: 1) whether hair cortisol concentration (HCC) differentiates adolescents with multi-system FSD from a) a population-based sample and b) a subgroup derived from the sample reporting a high physical symptom load, and 2) whether FSD population HCC is associated with primary symptom presentations and self-perceived stress. METHODS We used data from a clinical sample with multi-system FSD (N = 91, age 15-19 years) and a population-based sample (N = 1,450, age 16-17 years) including a subgroup with top 10% total scores on physical symptoms (N = 147). Density plots and multiple linear regression were applied to compare HCC between groups. In the clinical sample, multiple linear regression was employed to assess the association between HCC and primary symptom clusters and self-perceived stress. RESULTS Median HCC was lower in the clinical sample than in the population-based sample (β = 0.80 (95%CI: 0.66, 0.97)), but not significantly different from median HCC in the derived subgroup (β = 0.84 (95%CI: 0.66, 1.07)). In the clinical sample, HCC was not significantly associated with primary symptom clusters (F(2, 82) = 0.13, p = 0.88) or self-perceived stress (F(4, 83) = 1.18, p = 0.33). CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that HCC is lowered in adolescents with multi-system FSD but not significantly associated with primary symptom presentations or self-perceived stress. Future studies including multiple measures of HPA axis dynamics alongside psychological measures may further elucidate the role of long-term stress in FSD. TRIAL REGISTRATION The AHEAD study was pre-registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02346071), 26/01/2015.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Nyengaard
- Research Unit Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatry, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 175, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Incuba Skejby, building 2, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 82, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Karen Hansen Kallesøe
- Research Unit Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatry, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 175, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark.
| | - Martin Køster Rimvall
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Kildegaardsvej 28, Entrance 3A, 1st Floor, 2900, Hellerup, Denmark
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatry Region Zealand, Ny Østergade 12, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Eva Ørnbøl
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Incuba Skejby, building 2, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 82, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
- Research Clinic for Functional Disorders and Psychosomatics, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 11, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark
| | - Kaare Bro Wellnitz
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Incuba Skejby, building 2, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 82, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
- Research Clinic for Functional Disorders and Psychosomatics, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 11, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark
| | - Else Marie Olsen
- Centre for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Ndr. Fasanvej 57, 1st Floor, Building 14, 2000, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Psychiatric Centre Ballerup, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Maglevænget 2, 2750, Ballerup, Denmark
| | - Vegard Bruun Bratholm Wyller
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Akershus University Hospital, Postboks 1000, 1478, Lørenskog, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Blindern, P.O box 1171, 0318, Oslo, Norway
| | - Charlotte Ulrikka Rask
- Research Unit Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatry, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 175, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Incuba Skejby, building 2, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 82, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
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Pauli-Pott U, Skoluda N, Nater UM, Becker K, Derz F, Kaspar E, Kasperzack D, Kehm K, Kött M, Mann C, Schurek P, Pott W, Schloß S. Long-term cortisol secretion in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: roles of sex, comorbidity, and symptom presentation. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 33:569-579. [PMID: 36917355 PMCID: PMC10869441 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-023-02180-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Low activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) has been found in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The condition may be related to the reduced attention regulation capacity and/or to comorbid oppositional defiant or conduct disorder (ODD/CD). Sex differences are probable but not sufficiently studied. We analyzed the HPAA activity and sympathetic nervous system reactivity (SR) in children with ADHD while accounting for ADHD symptom presentation, comorbidity, and sex differences. The sample comprised 205 children, 98 (61 boys, 37 girls) with ADHD and 107 (48 boys, 59 girls) healthy controls. DSM-5 phenotypic symptom presentation and comorbid ODD/CD were assessed using clinical interviews. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) was used to assess the long-term, cumulative activity of the HPAA. SR was assessed via skin conductance response (SCR). For control purposes, comorbid internalizing symptoms and indicators of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) were assessed. Children were medication naive. Boys presenting with predominantly inattentive symptoms (ADHD-I) showed lower HCC than healthy boys. Girls presenting with combined symptoms (ADHD-C) showed higher HCC than did healthy girls (p's < 0.05, sex-by-group interaction, F (2,194) = 4.09, p = 0.018). Boys with ADHD plus ODD/CD showed a blunted SR (p < 0.001, sex-by-group interaction, F (2,172) = 3.08, p = 0.048). Adjustment for ACE indicators led to non-significant differences in HCC but did not affect differences in SR. HCC constitutes an easily assessable, reliable, and valid marker of phenotypic ADHD-related features (i.e. symptom presentation and comorbidity). It indicates more homogenous subgroups of ADHD and might point to specifically involved pathophysiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula Pauli-Pott
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, 35039, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Nadine Skoluda
- Clinical Psychology, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria
- Research Platform The Stress of Life (SOLE)-Processes and Mechanisms underlying Everyday Life Stress, Vienna, Austria
| | - Urs M Nater
- Clinical Psychology, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria
- Research Platform The Stress of Life (SOLE)-Processes and Mechanisms underlying Everyday Life Stress, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katja Becker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, 35039, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg Justus Liebig University Giessen, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 6, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Friederike Derz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, 35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Elena Kaspar
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, 35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Daria Kasperzack
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, 35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kira Kehm
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, 35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marie Kött
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, 35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Christopher Mann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, 35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Pia Schurek
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, 35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Wilfried Pott
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, 35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Susan Schloß
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, 35039, Marburg, Germany
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5
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Mirzaian M, van Zundert SKM, Schilleman WF, Mohseni M, Kuckuck S, van Rossum EFC, van Schaik RHN, van den Berg SAA. Determination of cortisone and cortisol in human scalp hair using an improved LC-MS/MS-based method. Clin Chem Lab Med 2024; 62:118-127. [PMID: 37485925 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2023-0341] [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: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Human scalp hair is an easily available but complex matrix for determination of cortisone and cortisol, and has been shown to reflect long-term glucocorticoid exposure. Hair glucocorticoid analysis has been used to detect hypo- and hypercortisolism. In this study, we describe the development and validation of a LC-MS/MS method for quantification of cortisone and cortisol in human scalp hair, and provide a novel approach for analysis and interpretation of the results. METHODS Improved sample preparation using pulverization and solid phase extraction allowed for low sample volumes (10 mg). Baseline chromatographic separation without matrix interference was achieved by reversed phase chromatography and MRM measurement in negative ion mode. Run-to-run time was 8 min. Mixed model analyses were performed to create individual patterns of cortisone and cortisol concentrations. RESULTS Matrix matched calibration curves showed excellent linearity up to 100 pg (analyte)/mg (hair) for both cortisone and cortisol (R2>0.995). LLOQ was 1.5 and 1.0 pg/mg for cortisone and cortisol, respectively. Matrix effect was negligible for hair color (recoveries 95-105 %). Cortisone and cortisol concentrations decreased from proximal to distal hair segments, following a predictable, but subject-specific pattern, with less individual variation for cortisone than for cortisol. CONCLUSIONS This improved LC-MS/MS method is able to accurately quantify cortisone and cortisol in human hair with minimum matrix interference. This new way of data analysis and interpretation including individual patterns of cortisone and cortisol will be of help with detection of pathological concentrations in both the high - and the low ranges of glucocorticoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Mirzaian
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sofie K M van Zundert
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wim F Schilleman
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mostafa Mohseni
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Obesity Center CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne Kuckuck
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Obesity Center CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth F C van Rossum
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Obesity Center CGG, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ron H N van Schaik
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd A A van den Berg
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Filetti C, Kane-Grade F, Gunnar M. The Development of Stress Reactivity and Regulation in Children and Adolescents. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:395-419. [PMID: 37559538 PMCID: PMC10845082 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230808120504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Adversity experienced in early life can have detrimental effects on physical and mental health. One pathway in which these effects occur is through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a key physiological stress-mediating system. In this review, we discuss the theoretical perspectives that guide stress reactivity and regulation research, the anatomy and physiology of the axis, developmental changes in the axis and its regulation, brain systems regulating stress, the role of genetic and epigenetics variation in axis development, sensitive periods in stress system calibration, the social regulation of stress (i.e., social buffering), and emerging research areas in the study of stress physiology and development. Understanding the development of stress reactivity and regulation is crucial for uncovering how early adverse experiences influence mental and physical health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa Filetti
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Finola Kane-Grade
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Megan Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
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7
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Smeeth D, May AK, Karam EG, Rieder MJ, Elzagallaai AA, van Uum S, Pluess M. Risk and resilience in Syrian refugee children: A multisystem analysis. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:2275-2287. [PMID: 37933522 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423000433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Refugee children are often exposed to substantial trauma, placing them at increased risk for mental illness. However, this risk can be mitigated by a capacity for resilience, conferred from multiple ecological systems (e.g., family, community), including at an individual biological level. We examined the ability of hair cortisol concentrations and polygenic scores for mental health to predict risk and resilience in a sample of Syrian refugee children (n = 1359). Children were categorized as either at-risk or resilient depending on clinical thresholds for posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and externalizing behavior problems. Logistic regression was used to examine main and interacting effects while controlling for covariates. Elevated hair cortisol concentrations were significantly associated with reduced resilience (odds ratio (OR)=0.58, 95%CI [0.40, 0.83]) while controlling for levels of war exposure. Polygenic scores for depression, self-harm, and neuroticism were not found to have any significant main effects. However, a significant interaction emerged between hair cortisol and polygenic scores for depression (OR=0.04, 95%CI [0.003 0.47]), suggesting that children predisposed to depression were more at risk for mental health problems when hair cortisol concentrations were high. Our results suggest that biomarkers (separately and in combination) might support early identification of refugee children at risk for mental health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demelza Smeeth
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Andrew K May
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Elie G Karam
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, St Georges Hospital University Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Michael J Rieder
- Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Abdelbaset A Elzagallaai
- Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Stan van Uum
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Michael Pluess
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of Psychological Sciences, School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
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Norton SA, Baranger DAA, Young ES, Voss M, Hansen I, Bondy E, Rodrigues M, Paul SE, Edershile E, Hill PL, Oltmanns TF, Simpson J, Bogdan R. Reliability of diurnal salivary cortisol metrics: A meta-analysis and investigation in two independent samples. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2023; 16:100191. [PMID: 37635863 PMCID: PMC10458689 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100191] [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: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-induced dysregulation of diurnal cortisol is a cornerstone of stress-disease theories; however, observed associations between cortisol, stress, and health have been inconsistent. The reliability of diurnal cortisol features may contribute to these equivocal findings. Our meta-analysis (5 diurnal features from 11 studies; total participant n = 3307) and investigation (15 diurnal cortisol features) in 2 independent studies (St. Louis Personality and Aging Network [SPAN] Study, n = 147, ages 61-73; Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation [MLSRA] Study, n = 90, age 37) revealed large variability in the day-to-day test-retest reliability of diurnal features derived from salivary cortisol data (i.e., ICC = 0.00-0.75). Collectively, these data indicate that some commonly used diurnal cortisol features have poor reliability that is insufficient for individual differences research (e.g., cortisol awakening response) while others (e.g., area under the curve with respect to ground) have fair-to-good reliability that could support reliable identification of associations in well-powered studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A. Norton
- Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA
| | - David AA. Baranger
- Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA
| | - Ethan S. Young
- Utrecht University, Department of Psychology, the Netherlands
| | - Michaela Voss
- Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA
| | - Isabella Hansen
- Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA
| | - Erin Bondy
- Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA
| | - Merlyn Rodrigues
- Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA
| | - Sarah E. Paul
- Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA
| | | | - Patrick L. Hill
- Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA
| | - Thomas F. Oltmanns
- Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA
| | | | - Ryan Bogdan
- Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, USA
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Sutin AR, Moffat SD, Resnick SM, Ferrucci L, Aschwanden D, Sesker AA, Luchetti M, Terracciano A. Five-Factor Model Personality Traits and 24-hour Urinary Cortisol in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Stress Health 2022; 38:837-843. [PMID: 35099848 PMCID: PMC9339027 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3130] [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: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Stress is implicated in models of personality and health as a mechanism that explains why traits like conscientiousness and neuroticism are associated with long-term health outcomes. Evidence for an association between personality and cortisol, a biological marker of stress, however, has been inconsistent. This study examined the association between Five-Factor Model personality traits and 24-h urinary cortisol (operationalised as a ratio of urinary free cortisol to creatinine) measured up to 12 times over intervals as long as 30 years in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (Mage = 61.21, SD = 15.46; 49% female). There was a modest association between conscientiousness and lower mean-level cortisol that was attenuated only slightly in the fully-adjusted model. Neuroticism and the other traits were unrelated to cortisol levels, and none of the traits was related to cortisol change over time. The null association for neuroticism suggests that its relation with long-term health may be primarily through pathways other than cortisol. The modest association between conscientiousness and 24-h urinary cortisol replicates a previous finding with a longer-term measure of cortisol measured from hair, which calls for more research on the robustness and replicability of this finding. Cortisol may be one pathway through which conscientiousness is associated with health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Luigi Ferrucci
- National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health
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Raffington L, Malanchini M, Grotzinger AD, Madole JW, Engelhardt LE, Sabhlok A, Youn C, Patterson MW, Harden KP, Tucker-Drob EM. An in-laboratory stressor reveals unique genetic variation in child cortisol output. Dev Psychol 2022; 58:1832-1848. [PMID: 35771497 PMCID: PMC9878466 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of biological stress response, as measured by cortisol output, has been a primary candidate mechanism for how social experiences become biologically embedded. Cortisol is the primary output of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Cortisol levels vary systematically across the day and change in response to both sudden, acute stress experiences as well as prolonged exposure to environmental stress. Using data from 8- to 15-year-old twins in the Texas Twin Project, we investigate the extent to which genetic influences are shared across different measures of cortisol output: chronic cortisol accumulations in hair (n = 1,104), diurnal variation in salivary output (n = 488), and salivary response to a standardized, acute in-laboratory stressor (n = 537). Multivariate twin models indicate that genetic factors regulating cortisol response to the in-laboratory stressor are separable from those regulating baseline cortisol levels, naturally occurring diurnal variation in cortisol, and hair cortisol levels. These findings illustrate that novel environments can reveal unique genetic variation, reordering people in terms of their observed phenotype rather than only magnifying or mitigating preexisting differences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel Raffington
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Margherita Malanchini
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, United States
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, UK
| | | | - James W. Madole
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | | | - Aditi Sabhlok
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Cherry Youn
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | | | - K. Paige Harden
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, United States
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11
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Cantave CY, Brendgen M, Lupien S, Dionne G, Vitaro F, Boivin M, Ouellet-Morin I. Association between the timing of family socioeconomic deprivation and adolescence hair cortisol among adolescent twins: A study of the genetic and environmental processes involved. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 144:105889. [PMID: 35944454 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105889] [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: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While evidence shows that lower socioeconomic status (SES) is related to dysregulated hair cortisol concentration (HCC), the genetic and environmental processes underlying this association remain understudied. OBJECTIVES (1) to examine whether childhood and adolescence SES are phenotypically related to late adolescence HCC and to what extent these associations are explained by common underlying genetic factors (2) to estimate whether the genetic and environmental etiology of HCC varies according to SES and the timing of these experiences. METHODS Participants were 422 twin pairs for whom SES was measured in childhood (ages 0-5 years) and adolescence (age 14 years). Hair cortisol was assessed at age 19. RESULTS Additive genetic factors explained 39% of variability in HCC, whereas nonshared environmental factors accounted for the remaining 61%. A significant negative association emerged between HCC and family SES assessed in adolescence (β=-.11,p = .02), which was entirely explained by common underlying environmental influences. We also found evidence of stronger genetic contributions to HCC among youths who lived in more disadvantaged households during childhood in comparison to those from wealthier backgrounds. CONCLUSIONS This study provides first-time evidence that the association between adolescence SES and HCC is environmentally-explained and that genetic influences underlying HCC are not uniformly distributed across the family SES continuum measured during childhood. These findings may pave the way for a fuller understanding of the impact of early adversity on HPA axis activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mara Brendgen
- Department of Psychology, University of Quebec at Montreal, Canada; Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Canada
| | - Sonia Lupien
- Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada; Centre for Studies on Human Stress, Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ginette Dionne
- School of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Frank Vitaro
- School of Psychoeducation, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada; Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Canada
| | - Michel Boivin
- School of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Isabelle Ouellet-Morin
- School of Criminology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada; Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada.
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12
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Ahrens KF, Neumann RJ, von Werthern NM, Kranz TM, Kollmann B, Mattes B, Puhlmann LMC, Weichert D, Lutz B, Basten U, Fiebach CJ, Wessa M, Kalisch R, Lieb K, Chiocchetti AG, Tüscher O, Reif A, Plichta MM. Association of polygenic risk scores and hair cortisol with mental health trajectories during COVID lockdown. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:396. [PMID: 36130942 PMCID: PMC9490720 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02165-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global stressor with inter-individually differing influences on mental health trajectories. Polygenic Risk Scores (PRSs) for psychiatric phenotypes are associated with individual mental health predispositions. Elevated hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) and high PRSs are related to negative mental health outcomes. We analyzed whether PRSs and HCC are related to different mental health trajectories during the first COVID lockdown in Germany. Among 523 participants selected from the longitudinal resilience assessment study (LORA), we previously reported three subgroups (acute dysfunction, delayed dysfunction, resilient) based on weekly mental health (GHQ-28) assessment during COVID lockdown. DNA from blood was collected at the baseline of the original LORA study (n = 364) and used to calculate the PRSs of 12 different psychopathological phenotypes. An explorative bifactor model with Schmid-Leiman transformation was calculated to extract a general genetic factor for psychiatric disorders. Hair samples were collected quarterly prior to the pandemic for determining HCC (n = 192). Bivariate logistic regressions were performed to test the associations of HCC and the PRS factors with the reported trajectories. The bifactor model revealed 1 general factor and 4 sub-factors. Results indicate a significant association between increased values on the general risk factor and the allocation to the acute dysfunction class. The same was found for elevated HCC and the exploratorily tested sub-factor "childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorders". Genetic risk and long-term cortisol secretion as a potential indicator of stress, indicated by PRSs and HCC, respectively, predicted different mental health trajectories. Results indicate a potential for future studies on risk prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira F. Ahrens
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Rebecca J. Neumann
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Nina M. von Werthern
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Thorsten M. Kranz
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Bianca Kollmann
- grid.410607.4Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany ,grid.509458.50000 0004 8087 0005Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
| | - Björn Mattes
- grid.6546.10000 0001 0940 1669Institute of Psychology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Lara M. C. Puhlmann
- grid.509458.50000 0004 8087 0005Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
| | - Danuta Weichert
- grid.410607.4Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Beat Lutz
- grid.509458.50000 0004 8087 0005Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany ,grid.410607.4Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Ulrike Basten
- grid.7839.50000 0004 1936 9721Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany ,grid.7839.50000 0004 1936 9721Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christian J. Fiebach
- grid.7839.50000 0004 1936 9721Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany ,grid.7839.50000 0004 1936 9721Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Michèle Wessa
- grid.509458.50000 0004 8087 0005Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany ,grid.5802.f0000 0001 1941 7111Department of Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute for Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Raffael Kalisch
- grid.509458.50000 0004 8087 0005Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany ,grid.410607.4Neuroimaging Center (NIC), Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Klaus Lieb
- grid.410607.4Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany ,grid.509458.50000 0004 8087 0005Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
| | - Andreas G. Chiocchetti
- grid.7839.50000 0004 1936 9721Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Oliver Tüscher
- grid.410607.4Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany ,grid.509458.50000 0004 8087 0005Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Michael M. Plichta
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany
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13
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Persistence of Anxiety/Depression Symptoms in Early Adolescence: A Prospective Study of Daily Life Stress, Rumination, and Daytime Sleepiness in a Genetically Informative Cohort. Twin Res Hum Genet 2022; 25:115-128. [PMID: 35856184 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2022.26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In this prospective study of mental health, we examine the influence of three interrelated traits - perceived stress, rumination, and daytime sleepiness - and their association with symptoms of anxiety and depression in early adolescence. Given the known associations between these traits, an important objective is to determine the extent to which they may independently predict anxiety/depression symptoms. Twin pairs from the Queensland Twin Adolescent Brain (QTAB) project were assessed on two occasions (N = 211 pairs aged 9-14 years at baseline and 152 pairs aged 10-16 years at follow-up). Linear regression models and quantitative genetic modeling were used to analyze the data. Prospectively, perceived stress, rumination, and daytime sleepiness accounted for 8-11% of the variation in later anxiety/depression; familial influences contributed strongly to these associations. However, only perceived stress significantly predicted change in anxiety/depression, accounting for 3% of variance at follow-up after adjusting for anxiety/depression at baseline, although it did not do so independently of rumination and daytime sleepiness. Bidirectional effects were found between all traits over time. These findings suggest an underlying architecture that is shared, to some degree, by all traits, while the literature points to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and/or circadian systems as potential sources of overlapping influence and possible avenues for intervention.
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14
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Heritability of Urinary Amines, Organic Acids, and Steroid Hormones in Children. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12060474. [PMID: 35736407 PMCID: PMC9228478 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12060474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Variation in metabolite levels reflects individual differences in genetic and environmental factors. Here, we investigated the role of these factors in urinary metabolomics data in children. We examined the effects of sex and age on 86 metabolites, as measured on three metabolomics platforms that target amines, organic acids, and steroid hormones. Next, we estimated their heritability in a twin cohort of 1300 twins (age range: 5.7–12.9 years). We observed associations between age and 50 metabolites and between sex and 21 metabolites. The monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) correlations for the urinary metabolites indicated a role for non-additive genetic factors for 50 amines, 13 organic acids, and 6 steroids. The average broad-sense heritability for these amines, organic acids, and steroids was 0.49 (range: 0.25–0.64), 0.50 (range: 0.33–0.62), and 0.64 (range: 0.43–0.81), respectively. For 6 amines, 7 organic acids, and 4 steroids the twin correlations indicated a role for shared environmental factors and the average narrow-sense heritability was 0.50 (range: 0.37–0.68), 0.50 (range; 0.23–0.61), and 0.47 (range: 0.32–0.70) for these amines, organic acids, and steroids. We conclude that urinary metabolites in children have substantial heritability, with similar estimates for amines and organic acids, and higher estimates for steroid hormones.
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15
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Wagner RE, Jonson-Reid M, Drake B, Kohl PL, Pons L, Zhang Y, Fitzgerald RT, Laudenslager ML, Constantino JN. Parameterizing Toxic Stress in Early Childhood: Maternal Depression, Maltreatment, and HPA-Axis Variation in a Pilot Intervention Study. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2022:10.1007/s11121-022-01366-4. [PMID: 35606570 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-022-01366-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Adverse experiences superseding a child's capacity to sustain regulation of emotion and adaptive function are theorized to constitute "toxic stressors" when they induce a deleterious biological response within an individual. We ascertained presumptive parameters of toxic stress among 164 low-income infants and toddlers (ages 4-48 months) from 132 families enrolled in Early Head Start (EHS). We randomized a subset of these families into a pilot intervention arm of parenting education (the Incredible Years, TIY), which supplemented the EHS curriculum. Official report child abuse and neglect (CAN) and child behavior were serially ascertained over the course of the study. We observed relatively low associations among maternal depression, CAN, caregiver-child relationship quality, hair cortisol, and adverse child behavioral outcomes. Moreover, despite poverty and the high prevalence (51%) of CAN in this sample, the frequency of clinical-level internalizing and externalizing behavior among the children did not exceed that of the general population, by their parents' report. The pilot supplementation of EHS with TIY improved attendance in group meetings but did not significantly reduce adverse behavioral outcomes or CAN. This study revealed marked independence of standard indices of toxic stress (child maltreatment, maternal depression, caregiver emotional unavailability) which have been presumed to be risk factors for the development of psychopathology. That they were weakly inter-correlated, and only modestly predictive of child behavioral outcomes in this EHS sample, caution against presumptions about the toxicity of individual stressors, highlight the importance of ascertaining risk (and compensatory influences) comprehensively, suggest buffering effects of programs like EHS, and demonstrate the need for greater understanding of what parameterizes resilience in early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael E Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Melissa Jonson-Reid
- School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Brett Drake
- School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Patricia L Kohl
- School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Laura Pons
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Robert T Fitzgerald
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - John N Constantino
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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16
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Winebrake DA, Almeida CF, Tuladhar CT, Kao K, Meyer JS, Tarullo AR. Social Fear in US Infants: The Roles of Hair and Salivary Cortisol. THE YALE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2022; 95:71-85. [PMID: 35370495 PMCID: PMC8961713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Elevated social fear in infancy poses risk for later social maladjustment and psychopathology. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC), an index of cumulative cortisol exposure, and diurnal salivary cortisol slope, a biomarker of acute stress regulation, have been associated with social fear behaviors in childhood; however, no research has addressed their relations in infancy. Elucidating potential biomarkers of infant social fear behaviors, as well as environmental factors associated with these biomarkers, may grant insights into the ontogeny of fear behaviors that increase risk for internalizing and externalizing psychopathologies later in life. The current study used multiple linear regression to examine if infant HCC, infant diurnal cortisol slope, and income-to-needs ratios (ITN) were differentially associated with observed social fear responses to a Stranger Approach task at 12 months. Using a sample of 90 infants (M age = 12.26m, SD = 0.81m, 50% female), results indicated that increased infant HCC was associated with increased distress vocalizations during the Stranger Approach task, while steeper diurnal cortisol slope was associated with fewer distress vocalizations. Ordinary least squares path analyses did not reveal group differences between economically strained and non-strained infants in how cortisol measures and social fear responses related. Findings underscore very early psychobiological correlates of fearfulness that may increase risk for fear-related disorders and adverse mental health symptomology across childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deaven A. Winebrake
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences,
Boston University, Boston, MA, USA,To whom all correspondence should be addressed:
Deaven A. Winebrake, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston
University, Boston, MA; ; ORCID iD:
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4279-7305
| | - Carlos F. Almeida
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences,
Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charu T. Tuladhar
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences,
Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katie Kao
- Department of Developmental Medicine, Harvard Medical
School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jerrold S. Meyer
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences,
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Amanda R. Tarullo
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences,
Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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17
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Müller S, Moser D, Frach L, Wimberger P, Nitzsche K, Li SC, Kirschbaum C, Alexander N. No long-term effects of antenatal synthetic glucocorticoid exposure on epigenetic regulation of stress-related genes. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:62. [PMID: 35173143 PMCID: PMC8850596 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01828-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Antenatal synthetic glucocorticoid (sGC) treatment is a potent modifier of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In this context, epigenetic modifications are discussed as potential regulators explaining how prenatal exposure to GCs might translate into persistent changes of HPA axis "functioning". The purpose of this study was to investigate whether DNA methylation and gene expression profiles of stress-associated genes (NR3C1; FKBP5; SLC6A4) may mediate the persistent effects of sGC on cortisol stress reactivity that have been previously observed. In addition, hair cortisol concentrations (hairC) were investigated as a valid biomarker of long-term HPA axis activity. This cross-sectional study comprised 108 term-born children and adolescents, including individuals with antenatal GC treatment and controls. From whole blood, DNA methylation was analyzed by targeted deep bisulfite sequencing. Relative mRNA expression was determined by RT-qPCR experiments and qBase analysis. Acute stress reactivity was assessed by the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) measuring salivary cortisol by ELISA and hairC concentrations were determined from hair samples by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. First, no differences in DNA methylation and mRNA expression levels of the stress-associated genes between individuals treated with antenatal sGC compared to controls were found. Second, DNA methylation and mRNA expression levels were neither associated with cortisol stress reactivity nor with hairC. These findings do not corroborate the belief that DNA methylation and mRNA expression profiles of stress-associated genes (NR3C1; FKBP5; SLC6A4) play a key mediating role of the persistent effects of sGC on HPA axis functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja Müller
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr Universität Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Dirk Moser
- grid.5570.70000 0004 0490 981XDepartment of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr Universität Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Leonard Frach
- grid.5570.70000 0004 0490 981XDepartment of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr Universität Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany ,grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AP UK
| | - Pauline Wimberger
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Katharina Nitzsche
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Shu-Chen Li
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 17, 01602 Dresden, Germany ,grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257CeTI – Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop, Technische Universität Dresden, Georg-Schumann-Str. 9, 01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - Clemens Kirschbaum
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 17, 01602 Dresden, Germany
| | - Nina Alexander
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039, Marburg, Germany. .,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032, Marburg, Germany.
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18
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Stomby A, Strömberg S, Theodorsson E, Olsen Faresjö Å, Jones M, Faresjö T. Standard Modifiable Cardiovascular Risk Factors Mediate the Association Between Elevated Hair Cortisol Concentrations and Coronary Artery Disease. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 8:765000. [PMID: 35146006 PMCID: PMC8821522 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.765000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Increased cortisol exposure is a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). It is not clear to what degree this risk is independent from the standard modifiable risk factors (SMuRFs) dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Aim To use path analysis to test the direct and indirect association, mediated by SMuRFs, between long-term cortisol levels measured in hair cortisol concentration (HCC) and CAD. Methods Hair was sampled from patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction (n = 203) and a population-based sample without a diagnosis or symptoms of CAD (n = 3,134). The HCC was analyzed using radioimmunoassay and all the participants reported whether they were diagnosed with or treated for diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Path analysis was used to test to what degree the association between logarithmized (ln) HCC and CAD was direct or indirect, mediated by SMuRFs. Results Participants with CAD had elevated HCC compared to those without elevated HCC [median interquartile range (IQR): 75.2 (167.1) vs. 23.6 (35.0) pg/mg, p < 0.0001]. Higher HCC was associated with diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, which, in turn, were associated with CAD. In path models, 80% of the association between ln(HCC) and CAD were mediated by SMuRFs, while the direct path between ln(HCC) and CAD was not statistically significant. Conclusion The SMuRFs diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension mediate the association between ln(HCC) and CAD. Some association between ln(HCC) and CAD did not operate via the SMuRFs considered and might have a pathway through atherosclerosis or inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Stomby
- Division of Prevention, Rehabilitation and Community Medicine, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Råslätts vårdcentral, Region Jönköping County, Jönköping, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Andreas Stomby
| | - Susanna Strömberg
- Division of Prevention, Rehabilitation and Community Medicine, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Elvar Theodorsson
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Science, Clinical Chemistry, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Åshild Olsen Faresjö
- Division of Society and Health/Public Health, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Mike Jones
- Faculty of Medicine Health and Human Sciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Tomas Faresjö
- Division of Prevention, Rehabilitation and Community Medicine, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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19
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Verheyen VJ, Remy S, Govarts E, Colles A, Koppen G, Martin LR, Nielsen F, Bruckers L, Bijnens EM, Vos S, Morrens B, Coertjens D, Loots I, De Decker A, Franken C, Den Hond E, Nelen V, De Henauw S, Covaci A, Van Larebeke N, Teughels C, Nawrot TS, Schoeters G. Determinants of Chronic Biological Stress, Measured as Hair Cortisol Concentration, in a General Population of Adolescents: From Individual and Household Characteristics to Neighborhood Urbanicity. Front Public Health 2021; 9:669022. [PMID: 34888272 PMCID: PMC8650704 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.669022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic biological stress may adversely affect adolescents' physical and mental health, but insight in the personal and environmental factors that determine chronic stress is limited. We measured 3-month cumulative hair cortisol concentration (HCC) in 419 adolescents, participating in the Flemish Environment and Health Study. Adolescents' health and lifestyle characteristics, household and neighborhood socio-economic status as well as neighborhood urbanicity were assessed as potential determinants of HCC, using multiple linear regression models. We additionally explored heterogeneity of our results by sex. HCC were significantly higher in boys from densely populated neighborhoods, the association was not significant in girls. Accordingly, boys living outside cities had significantly lower HCC than boys, living in cities. HCC was significantly lower in adolescents with an optimal vitality, a measure of a positive mental health status. In adolescent girls, menarcheal status (pre-/postmenarche) was a significant determinant of HCC. Our findings are the first to suggest that residential urbanicity may have an impact on chronic biological stress in a general population of adolescent boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veerle J Verheyen
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sylvie Remy
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Eva Govarts
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ann Colles
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Gudrun Koppen
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Flemming Nielsen
- Institute of Public Health, Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Liesbeth Bruckers
- I-BioStat, Data Science Institute, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Esmée M Bijnens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Stijn Vos
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Bert Morrens
- Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dries Coertjens
- Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ilse Loots
- Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Annelies De Decker
- Provincial Institute of Hygiene, Provincial Research Centre for Environment and Health, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Carmen Franken
- Provincial Institute of Hygiene, Provincial Research Centre for Environment and Health, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Elly Den Hond
- Provincial Institute of Hygiene, Provincial Research Centre for Environment and Health, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Vera Nelen
- Provincial Institute of Hygiene, Provincial Research Centre for Environment and Health, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Stefaan De Henauw
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Van Larebeke
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Radiotherapy and Experimental Cancerology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Caroline Teughels
- Flemish Planning Bureau for the Environment and Spatial Development, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tim S Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Greet Schoeters
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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20
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Torrecilla P, Barrantes-Vidal N. Examining the Relationship Between Hair Cortisol With Stress-Related and Transdiagnostic Subclinical Measures. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:746155. [PMID: 34858226 PMCID: PMC8631911 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.746155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) provide a retrospective examination of long-term cortisol production as a measure of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning, one of the major neural systems implicated in mediating the effects of stress on mental illness. However, evidence about the relationship between HCC with stressors and symptoms is scattered. In the present study, we aimed to examine the association between HCC and a wide range of stress-related and transdiagnostic subclinical measures in a sample of non-clinical young adults with a wide distribution of schizotypy. Methods: A total sample of 132 non-clinical young adults recruited at college and technical schools oversampled for schizotypy scores were assessed on distal and proximal stressful experiences, appraisals of stress, traits and symptoms of the affective, psychosis and dissociation spectrums, as well as stress-buffering measures, and provided 3 cm-hair samples. Results: No significant associations were found between HCC and any of the stress-related and subclinical measures. Only suspiciousness and disorganization showed a trend for a positive association with HCC but the magnitude was small. Conclusions: The present findings support previous studies indicating an overall lack of concordance between a broad range of stress-related and (sub)clinical phenotypic measures with hair cortisol. This study examined for the first time the relationship of HCC with the non-clinical expression of the psychosis spectrum, that is, schizotypy, which complements previous studies on clinical high risk and established psychosis and offers a promising strategy for studying possible HPA dysfunctions characterizing the subclinical psychosis continuum without the confounds associated to clinical psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Torrecilla
- Departament de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut, Facultat de Psicologia, Edifici B, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Neus Barrantes-Vidal
- Departament de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut, Facultat de Psicologia, Edifici B, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Salut Mental, Sant Pere Claver—Fundació Sanitària, Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
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21
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Domarkienė I, Ambrozaitytė L, Bukauskas L, Rančelis T, Sütterlin S, Knox BJ, Maennel K, Maennel O, Parish K, Lugo RG, Brilingaitė A. CyberGenomics: Application of Behavioral Genetics in Cybersecurity. Behav Sci (Basel) 2021; 11:bs11110152. [PMID: 34821613 PMCID: PMC8614761 DOI: 10.3390/bs11110152] [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: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cybersecurity (CS) is a contemporary field for research and applied study of a range of aspects from across multiple disciplines. A cybersecurity expert has an in-depth knowledge of technology but is often also recognized for the ability to view technology in a non-standard way. This paper explores how CS specialists are both a combination of professional computing-based skills and genetically encoded traits. Almost every human behavioral trait is a result of many genome variants in action altogether with environmental factors. The review focuses on contextualizing the behavior genetics aspects in the application of cybersecurity. It reconsiders methods that help to identify aspects of human behavior from the genetic information. And stress is an illustrative factor to start the discussion within the community on what methodology should be used in an ethical way to approach those questions. CS positions are considered stressful due to the complexity of the domain and the social impact it can have in cases of failure. An individual risk profile could be created combining known genome variants linked to a trait of particular behavior using a special biostatistical approach such as a polygenic score. These revised advancements bring challenging possibilities in the applications of human behavior genetics and CS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrida Domarkienė
- Department of Human and Medical Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, LT-08661 Vilnius, Lithuania; (L.A.); (T.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +370-(5)-2501788
| | - Laima Ambrozaitytė
- Department of Human and Medical Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, LT-08661 Vilnius, Lithuania; (L.A.); (T.R.)
| | - Linas Bukauskas
- Cybersecurity Laboratory, Institute of Computer Science, Vilnius University, LT-08303 Vilnius, Lithuania; (L.B.); (A.B.)
| | - Tautvydas Rančelis
- Department of Human and Medical Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, LT-08661 Vilnius, Lithuania; (L.A.); (T.R.)
| | - Stefan Sütterlin
- Faculty of Health, Welfare and Organisation, Østfold University College, NO-1757 Halden, Norway; (S.S.); (B.J.K.); (R.G.L.)
- Centre for Digital Forensics and Cyber Security, Tallinn University of Technology, EE-19086 Tallinn, Estonia; (K.M.); (O.M.)
| | - Benjamin James Knox
- Faculty of Health, Welfare and Organisation, Østfold University College, NO-1757 Halden, Norway; (S.S.); (B.J.K.); (R.G.L.)
- Centre for Digital Forensics and Cyber Security, Tallinn University of Technology, EE-19086 Tallinn, Estonia; (K.M.); (O.M.)
- Department of Information Security and Communication Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-2802 Gjøvik, Norway;
| | - Kaie Maennel
- Centre for Digital Forensics and Cyber Security, Tallinn University of Technology, EE-19086 Tallinn, Estonia; (K.M.); (O.M.)
| | - Olaf Maennel
- Centre for Digital Forensics and Cyber Security, Tallinn University of Technology, EE-19086 Tallinn, Estonia; (K.M.); (O.M.)
| | - Karen Parish
- Department of Information Security and Communication Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-2802 Gjøvik, Norway;
| | - Ricardo Gregorio Lugo
- Faculty of Health, Welfare and Organisation, Østfold University College, NO-1757 Halden, Norway; (S.S.); (B.J.K.); (R.G.L.)
- Center for Cyber and Information Security, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-2802 Gjøvik, Norway
| | - Agnė Brilingaitė
- Cybersecurity Laboratory, Institute of Computer Science, Vilnius University, LT-08303 Vilnius, Lithuania; (L.B.); (A.B.)
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22
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Bates RA, Ford JL, Jiang H, Pickler R, Justice LM, Dynia JM, Ssekayombya P. Sociodemographics and chronic stress in mother-toddler dyads living in poverty. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22179. [PMID: 34423424 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Experiencing chronic stress early in life is associated with later health disparities, and poverty may be a significant stressor for both mothers and children. With a sample of primarily Black and White mothers (N = 75) and toddlers (N = 71) living in poverty in the United States, we examined the direct relations between sociodemographic conditions of poverty and chronic physiological stress. Mothers completed questionnaires on sociodemographics, including mother/toddler race, mother's education, father's education, poverty level, economic hardship, marital status, unemployment status, and toddler sex. Physiological chronic stress was measured by assaying the cortisol content of 4 cm samples of hair cut from the posterior vertex of mothers and toddlers (20-24 months of age) to represent 4 months of stress. Mothers' and toddlers' chronic stress was significantly, moderately, and positively associated. Toddlers had a trending relationship of moderately higher chronic stress if they were Black compared to not Black. Mothers had significantly, moderately higher chronic stress if they were Black or had a Black toddler (compared to not Black), not married (compared to married), or were working (compared to not working). The findings suggest that these mothers, simultaneously navigating poverty and parenting a toddler, need resources to reduce chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randi A Bates
- College of Nursing, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.,Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Jodi L Ford
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Hui Jiang
- Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Rita Pickler
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Laura M Justice
- Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Jaclyn M Dynia
- Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Prosper Ssekayombya
- Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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23
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Gherlone N, Hill DR, Feinn R, Hollenbach JP. Hair cortisol concentrations among urban and rural-dwelling mother-child dyads, La Romana, Dominican Republic. Stress 2021; 24:413-420. [PMID: 33222576 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2020.1846028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) were studied in mother-child dyads of La Romana, Dominican Republic (DR), a low-income city, and of the surrounding bateyes, sugarcane plantation villages with inhabitants frequently of Haitian descent. Populations of low socioeconomic status (SES) experience hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation. Urban communities may be increasingly exposed to stressors such as crime and concentrated poverty whereas rural communities may be devoid of important community resources. As a result, the experience of stress in poverty may differ by place of residence. The goal of this study was to examine differences in HCC among urban and rural-dwelling mother-child dyads in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities surrounding La Romana, DR. Forty-five mother/child dyads were enrolled in La Romana and 45 at several bateyes surrounding La Romana. Mothers were ≥18 years and children were between 7 and 14 years. Mothers self-reported perceived stress and demographic factors. Hair samples were collected from mothers and children, and HCC was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. General linear models examined associations between socioeconomic factors and HCC, and between maternal and child HCC. HCC were measured in 88 maternal and 87 child samples (N = 175). Mothers living in a batey had higher HCC than those living in La Romana (p = 0.001). HCC was positively associated among maternal-child dyads (p = 0.001). Further, Haitian-born mothers as a population who frequently live in a rural batey experienced higher HCC (p = 0.025) that may partially be explained by discriminatory practices in the DR. This research helps to elucidate the impact of urban and rural environmental settings on HCC.Lay summaryThis study focuses on chronic stress, measured by hair cortisol levels, among a low-income population of Dominican and Haitian mother-child pairs who live in urban and rural settings. We found that Haitian-born mothers, who frequently live in a rural batey, had higher hair cortisol levels than Dominican born mothers. Hair cortisol levels between mothers and their children were positively associated. This study addresses the impact of urban and rural environments on the stress response among socioeconomically disadvantaged persons living in an upper middle income country who bear an excessive burden of psychosocial stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Gherlone
- Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, North Haven, CT, USA
| | - David R Hill
- Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, North Haven, CT, USA
| | - Richard Feinn
- Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, North Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jessica P Hollenbach
- Department of Pediatrics, UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA
- Asthma Center, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Hartford, CT, USA
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24
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Whiting SB, Wass SV, Green S, Thomas MSC. Stress and Learning in Pupils: Neuroscience Evidence and its Relevance for Teachers. MIND, BRAIN AND EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL MIND, BRAIN, AND EDUCATION SOCIETY 2021; 15:177-188. [PMID: 34239601 PMCID: PMC8248342 DOI: 10.1111/mbe.12282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of how stress affects primary school children's attention and learning has developed rapidly. We know that children experience differing levels of stressors (factors that cause stress) in their environments, and that this can influence how they respond to new stressors when they occur in educational contexts. Here, we review evidence showing that stress can increase children's attention and learning capacities in some circumstances but hinder them in others. We show how children differ in their attention and learning styles, dependent on stress levels: for example, more highly stressed children may be more distracted by superficial features and may find it harder to engage in planning and voluntary control. We review intervention research on stress management techniques in children, concentrating on psychological techniques (such as mindfulness and stress reappraisal), physiological techniques (such as breathing exercises) and environmental factors (such as reducing noise). At the current time, raising teachers' awareness of pupils' differing stress responses will be an important step in accommodating the differing needs of children in their classrooms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue B Whiting
- Department of Psychological Sciences Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Sam V Wass
- School of Psychology University of East London, London, UK
| | - Simon Green
- Department of Psychological Sciences Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Michael S C Thomas
- Department of Psychological Sciences Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
- Centre for Educational Neuroscience Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
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25
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Associations between social adversity and young children's hair cortisol: A systematic review. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 127:105176. [PMID: 33662801 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Psychosocial and socioeconomic adversity in early childhood (termed 'social adversity') can have lifelong detrimental effects on health and development. Physiological stress is one proposed mechanism by which social adversity 'gets under the skin'. There is substantial research interest in whether hair cortisol, a biomarker proposed to measure the cumulative physiological stress response over time, can illustrate this mechanism. As a result, a growing number of studies have tested for associations between indicators of social adversity and child hair cortisol. The aim of this paper is to conduct a comprehensive, systematic review of the evidence for associations between indicators of social adversity and hair cortisol, specifically in young children (birth to 8 years) published any time up to 31 December 2019. The literature search identified 44 published studies that met inclusion criteria. The studies examined associations between one or more indicators of social adversity and child hair cortisol across 35 independent cohorts comprising 8370 children. Indicators of adversity examined in the identified literature included socioeconomic factors (e.g. low parental education, low income and unemployment), psychosocial factors (e.g. parent stress, poor mental health and family violence), and children's direct exposure to maltreatment, abuse and stressful events. Across all indicators of adversity, a total of 142 associations with hair cortisol were examined. Evidence of associations was limited and inconsistent; 34/142 (24%) showed evidence of a positive association between adversity and higher hair cortisol, 8/142 (6%) showed a negative association, and more than two thirds (100/142, 70%) of all examined associations were null. The collective evidence appears insufficient to conclude that there is a relationship between social adversity and hair cortisol, as a measure of physiological stress response, in young children.
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26
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Bryson HE, Mensah F, Goldfeld S, Price AMH, Giallo R. Hair cortisol in mother-child dyads: examining the roles of maternal parenting and stress in the context of early childhood adversity. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2021; 30:563-577. [PMID: 32323020 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-020-01537-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Physiological stress is thought to be one way that early adversity may impact children's health. How this occurs may be related to parental factors such as mothers' own stress and parenting behaviour. Hair cortisol offers a novel method for examining long-term physiological stress in mother-child dyads. The current study used hair cortisol to examine the role that maternal physiological stress and parenting behaviours play in explaining any effects of adversity on young children's physiological stress. This cross-sectional study comprised 603 mother-child dyads at child age 2 years, recruited during pregnancy for their experience of adversity through an Australian nurse home visiting trial. Hair cortisol data were available for 438 participating mothers (73%) and 319 (53%) children. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to define composite exposures of economic (e.g. unemployment, financial hardship) and psychosocial (e.g. poor mental health, family violence) adversity, and positive maternal parenting behaviour (e.g. warm, responsive). Structural equation modelling examined maternal mediating pathways through which adversity was associated with children's physiological stress. Results of the structural model showed that higher maternal and child physiological stress (hair cortisol) were positively associated with one another. Parenting behaviour was not associated with children's physiological stress. There was no evidence of any mediating pathways by which economic or psychosocial adversity were associated with children's physiological stress. The independent association identified between maternal and child hair cortisol suggests that young children's physiological stress may not be determined by exogenous environmental exposures; endogenous genetic factors may play a greater role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Elise Bryson
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia. .,Centre for Community Child Health, The Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia. .,Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
| | - Fiona Mensah
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,The Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Sharon Goldfeld
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Centre for Community Child Health, The Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Anna M H Price
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Centre for Community Child Health, The Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Rebecca Giallo
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
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27
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Shi R, Dou J, Liu J, Sammad A, Luo H, Wang Y, Guo G, Wang Y. Genetic parameters of hair cortisol as an indicator of chronic stress under different environments in Holstein cows. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:6985-6999. [PMID: 33773780 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-17856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress is a risk factor for a variety of physiological disorders because of its increased activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis; however, it is difficult to reveal environmental and genetic effects contributing to long-term HPA activity because of the complexity of chronic stress. The hair cortisol concentration (HCC) can be used to reflect the accumulation of HPA axis activity over time. Some studies suggest that the HCC might be associated with the protein concentration (PC) in the hair shaft; however, no studies have revealed a dynamic relationship between them. In the present study, 1,086 hair samples from 418 Holstein cows were collected, and the effects of environmental factors on HCC, PC, and ratio of HCC to PC (HCCP) were studied. Subsequently, regression analysis and curve fitting were used to identify for better-performing indicators of chronic stress. Additionally, univariate and bivariate genetic evaluation were used to estimate the genetic components of cortisol traits and genotype by environment interactions (G × E) under different environmental and physiological states. The results showed that HCC and PC are significantly affected by hair color, sampling year, and season, whereas HCCP is not influenced by hair color. Adjusted PC and HCCP, where confounding effects are excluded, were moderately related with chronic stress indicators. Moderate to high heritabilities were obtained for HCC (0.347 and 0.390 for winter and summer, respectively), PC (0.402 and 0.495 for winter and summer, respectively) and HCCP (0.289 and 0.460 for winter and summer, respectively) when animals in the same season were evaluated. A moderate G × E interaction was detected in this study, as indicated by the low or negative genetic correlation for the same cortisol trait in different environments (e.g. heat stress condition and thermoneutral condition). In conclusion, HCCP is not affected by hair color compared with the other 2 traits; thus, it has potential as an indicator of chronic stress. Hair cortisol traits could monitor stress response process in cattle, as well as provide a better understanding of genetic mechanism for long-term HPA activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Shi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, MARA, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - J Dou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, MARA, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - J Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, MARA, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - A Sammad
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, MARA, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - H Luo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, MARA, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yajing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - G Guo
- Beijing Sunlon Livestock Development Co. Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Yachun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, MARA, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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28
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Larsen SC, Turicchi J, Christensen GL, Larsen CS, Jørgensen NR, Mikkelsen MLK, Horgan G, O’Driscoll R, Michalowska J, Duarte C, Scott SE, Santos I, Encantado J, Palmeira AL, Stubbs RJ, Heitmann BL. Hair Cortisol Concentration, Weight Loss Maintenance and Body Weight Variability: A Prospective Study Based on Data From the European NoHoW Trial. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:655197. [PMID: 34659105 PMCID: PMC8511813 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.655197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Several cross-sectional studies have shown hair cortisol concentration to be associated with adiposity, but the relationship between hair cortisol concentration and longitudinal changes in measures of adiposity are largely unknown. We included 786 adults from the NoHoW trial, who had achieved a successful weight loss of ≥5% and had a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m2 prior to losing weight. Hair cortisol concentration (pg/mg hair) was measured at baseline and after 12 months. Body weight and body fat percentage were measured at baseline, 6-month, 12-month and 18-month visits. Participants weighed themselves at home ≥2 weekly using a Wi-Fi scale for the 18-month study duration, from which body weight variability was estimated using linear and non-linear approaches. Regression models were conducted to examine log hair cortisol concentration and change in log hair cortisol concentration as predictors of changes in body weight, change in body fat percentage and body weight variability. After adjustment for lifestyle and demographic factors, no associations between baseline log hair cortisol concentration and outcome measures were observed. Similar results were seen when analysing the association between 12-month concurrent development in log hair cortisol concentration and outcomes. However, an initial 12-month increase in log hair cortisol concentration was associated with a higher subsequent body weight variability between month 12 and 18, based on deviations from a nonlinear trend (β: 0.02% per unit increase in log hair cortisol concentration [95% CI: 0.00, 0.04]; P=0.016). Our data suggest that an association between hair cortisol concentration and subsequent change in body weight or body fat percentage is absent or marginal, but that an increase in hair cortisol concentration during a 12-month weight loss maintenance effort may predict a slightly higher subsequent 6-months body weight variability. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN registry, identifier ISRCTN88405328.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofus C. Larsen
- Research Unit for Dietary Studies, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- *Correspondence: Sofus C. Larsen,
| | - Jake Turicchi
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Niklas R. Jørgensen
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marie-Louise K. Mikkelsen
- Research Unit for Dietary Studies, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Graham Horgan
- Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Ruairi O’Driscoll
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Joanna Michalowska
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Department of Treatment of Obesity, Metabolic Disorders and Clinical Dietetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Cristiana Duarte
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah E. Scott
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Inês Santos
- Laboratório de Nutrição, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centro Interdisciplinar para o Estudo da Performance Humana, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação em Desporto, Educação Física, Exercício e Saúde (CIDEFES), Universidade Lusófona, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jorge Encantado
- Centro Interdisciplinar para o Estudo da Performance Humana, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Applied Psychology Research Center Capabilities & Inclusion (APPsyCI), Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada (ISPA) - Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Antonio L. Palmeira
- Centro Interdisciplinar para o Estudo da Performance Humana, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação em Desporto, Educação Física, Exercício e Saúde (CIDEFES), Universidade Lusófona, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - R. James Stubbs
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Berit L. Heitmann
- Research Unit for Dietary Studies, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- The Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Public Health, Section for General Practice, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Dauegaard S, Olsen NJ, Heitmann BL, Larsen SC. Familial associations in hair cortisol concentration: A cross-sectional analysis based on the Healthy Start study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 121:104836. [PMID: 32858307 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
A few studies have shown a direct association between maternal and child hair cortisol concentrations (HCC), but the potential correlations within paternal-child and maternal-paternal dyads are not clear from the current evidence. Thus, we aimed to thoroughly examine associations between family members HCC. We conducted a cross-sectional study based on 159 children and their parents (159 mothers and 159 fathers) participating in the Danish Healthy Start Study. Information was available on HCC from both children, mothers and fathers, as well as on several sociodemographic factors. First, Pearson's correlation coefficients were applied to assess crude correlations between family members' HCC. Secondly, analysis of covariance, adjusted for covariates, was applied to estimate child mean HCC in quartiles of maternal and paternal HCC, and mean paternal HCC in quartiles of maternal HCC. Our results showed direct associations between HCC of all family members. We found statistically robust correlations between maternal and child HCC (r = 0.33; P < 0.001), paternal and child HCC (r = 0.37; P < 0.001) and between maternal and paternal HCC (r = 0.31; P < 0.001). Similar results were found when adjusting for covariates in analyses of covariance. Our data provides evidence of associations between family members' HCC. However, we were unable to determine the extent to which these associations were due to shared genetics, assortative mating or environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Dauegaard
- Research Unit for Dietary Studies, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, Denmark
| | - Nanna J Olsen
- Research Unit for Dietary Studies, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, Denmark
| | - Berit L Heitmann
- Research Unit for Dietary Studies, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, Denmark; The Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Department of Public Health, Section for General Practice, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sofus C Larsen
- Research Unit for Dietary Studies, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, Denmark.
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Hair sampling for cortisol analysis with mother-toddler dyads living in low-income homes. Infant Behav Dev 2020; 61:101499. [PMID: 33068954 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2020.101499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A first step to advance stress science research in young children is understanding the relationship between chronic stress in a mother and chronic stress in her child. One non-invasive measure of chronic stress is hair cortisol. However, little is known about strategies for hair sampling in mother-toddler dyads living in low-income homes in the U.S. To address prior limitations, the purpose of this study was to understand the feasibility of sampling hair for cortisol analysis in mother-toddler dyads living in low-income homes in the U.S. We examined feasibility related to participation, eligibility, and gathering an adequate hair sample weight. METHODS We approached 142 low-income, racially diverse, urban-dwelling mothers who were participating in an ongoing longitudinal birth cohort study for informed consent to cut approximately 150 hairs from the posterior vertex of their scalp and their toddlers' (20-24 months) scalp. We demonstrated the process of sampling hair with a hairstyling doll during home visits to the mother and toddler using rounded-end thinning shears. RESULTS Overall, 94 of 142 mother-toddler dyads (66 %) participated in hair sampling. The most common reason for participation refusal was related to hairstyle. All but three hair samples were of adequate weight for cortisol extraction. DISCUSSION The findings from this study can help researchers address sampling feasibility concerns in hair for cortisol analysis research in mother-toddler dyads living in low-income homes in the U.S.
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31
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Phan JM, Van Hulle CA, Shirtcliff EA, Schmidt NL, Goldsmith HH. Longitudinal effects of family psychopathology and stress on pubertal maturation and hormone coupling in adolescent twins. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:512-528. [PMID: 32862448 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Adolescents experience profound neuroendocrine changes, including hormone "coupling" between cortisol, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone. Emerging research has only begun to elucidate the role of hormone coupling, its genetic and environmental etiology, and the extent to which coupling is impacted by gender, puberty, and family context. We included measures on parent and child mental health, parenting stress, and family conflict of 444 twin pairs and their parents across two timepoints, when youth were on average 8 and 13 years old, respectively. Structural equation models examined the impact of family context effects on coupling during adolescence. Biometric twin models were then used to probe additive genetic, shared, and non-shared environmental effects on hormone coupling. Hormones were more tightly coupled for females than males, and coupling was sensitive to parental depression and co-twin psychopathology symptoms and stress exposure in females. The association between family context and coupling varied across specific neuroendocrine measures and was largely distinct from pubertal maturation. Biometric models revealed robust shared and non-shared environmental influences on coupling. We found that family antecedents modify the strength of coupling. Environmental influences account for much of the variation on coupling during puberty. Gender differences were found in genetic influences on coupling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny M Phan
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.,Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth A Shirtcliff
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Nicole L Schmidt
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - H Hill Goldsmith
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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Investigating individual stress reactivity: High hair cortisol predicts lower acute stress responses. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 118:104660. [PMID: 32485341 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Identifying individual differences in stress reactivity is of particular interest in the context of stress-related disorders and resilience. Previous studies already identified several factors mediating the individual stress response of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). However, the impact of long-term HPA axis activity on acute stress reactivity remains inconclusive. To investigate associations between long-term HPA axis variation and individual acute stress reactivity, we tested 40 healthy volunteers for affective, endocrine, physiological, and neural reactions to a modified, compact version of the established in-MR stress paradigm ScanSTRESS (ScanSTRESS-C). Hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) served as an integrative marker of long-term HPA axis activity. First, the ScanSTRESS-C version proved to be valid in evoking a subjective, endocrine, physiological, and neural stress response with enhanced self-reported negative affect and cortisol levels, increased heart rate as well as increased activation in the anterior insula and the dorso-anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). Second and interestingly, results indicated a lower neuroendocrine stress response in individuals with higher HCC: HCC was negatively correlated with the area under the curve (respect to increase; AUCi) of saliva cortisol and with a stress-related increase in dACC activity. The present study explicitly targeted the relationship between HCC and acute stress reactivity on multiple response levels, i.e. subjective, endocrine and neural stress responses. The lower stress reactivity in individuals with higher HCC levels indicates the need for further research evaluating the role of long-term HPA axis alterations in the context of vulnerability or immunization against acute stress and following stress-related impairments.
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Alen NV, Hostinar CE, Mahrer NE, Martin SR, Guardino C, Shalowitz MU, Ramey SL, Schetter CD. Prenatal maternal stress and child hair cortisol four years later: Evidence from a low-income sample. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 117:104707. [PMID: 32450488 PMCID: PMC7363635 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal stress during pregnancy can influence the trajectory of fetal development, shaping offspring physiology and health in enduring ways. Some research implicates fetal programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis as a mediator of these effects. The present study is the first to examine child hair cortisol concentration (HCC) and maternal stress during pregnancy in a diverse, low-income sample. METHODS The sample consisted of 77 healthy, low-income (M annual income: $13,321), mother-children pairs (M child age = 3.81 years, SD = 0.43). The children were 57 % girls, 43 % boys. Mothers were 65 % Latina/Hispanic, 28 % Non-Hispanic White, 7% Black/African American. Maternal prenatal stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale administered by interview in the second and third trimesters, and again approximately four years later when child hair samples for assaying HCC were collected. RESULTS On average maternal perceived stress increased significantly across pregnancy, then returned to lower levels 4 years after birth. Regression analysis revealed that child HCC was not significantly predicted by maternal perceived stress at either single prenatal time point. Exploratory analysis revealed evidence of a relation between increases in maternal prenatal stress from second to third trimester and child HCC four years later (r = .37, p = .04). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that measures of prenatal maternal stress at any one time point may not be predictive of offspring long-term HPA output in low-income child samples, but that increases in stress levels across pregnancy may provide important information undetected by individual time point measures.
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Ferro MA, Gonzalez A. Hair cortisol concentration mediates the association between parent and child psychopathology. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 114:104613. [PMID: 32088544 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Parent and child mental health are strongly associated and this association may be transmitted via disruption to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in children. This study examined the potential mediating role of hair cortisol concentration (HCC) in the association between parent psychopathology and child mental disorder. Data come from 100 children diagnosed with a mental disorder [major depression (66 %), generalized anxiety (58 %), attention-deficit hyperactivity (33 %), oppositional defiant (35 %)] and their parents. Parent psychopathology was measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Child mental disorder was measured using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and hair samples were assayed using high-sensitivity ELISA for cortisol extraction. Sex-specific path models were specified to estimate mediating effects (αβ). Children were, on average, 14.4 (SD 2.3) years of age and 70 % were girls. Adjusting for child age, parent sex, and family income, HCC mediated the association between symptoms of parent psychopathology and major depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity in all children (αβ ranging -0.07 to 0.19; 38-46 % effect mediated). Mediating effects for generalized anxiety and opposition defiant were evident for boys only (αβ ranging -0.26 to 0.14; 31-38 % effect mediated). Evidence suggests HCC partially mediates the association between parent psychopathology and child mental disorder, and for generalized anxiety and oppositional defiant, this effect is specific to boys. Family inventions to reduce child stress may be effective in buffering the consequences of parent psychopathology. Further research that considers sex effects is needed to clarify how HCC conditions risk for mental disorder in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Ferro
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Canada.
| | - Andrea Gonzalez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Canada
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35
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Long-Term Stability of Cortisol Production and Metabolism Throughout Adolescence: Longitudinal Twin Study. Twin Res Hum Genet 2020; 23:33-38. [PMID: 32209144 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2020.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Life-course experiences have been postulated to program hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, suggesting that HPA axis activity is, at least partially, stable over time. Yet, there is paucity of data on the long-term stability of cortisol production and metabolism. We performed a prospective follow-up study in twins recruited from a nationwide register to estimate the stability of cortisol production and metabolism over time, and the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to this stability. In total, 218 healthy mono- and dizygotic twins were included. At the ages of 9, 12 and 17 years, morning urine samples were collected for assessment (by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) of cortisol metabolites, enabling the calculation of cortisol metabolite excretion rate and cortisol metabolism activity. Our results showed a low stability for both cortisol metabolite excretion rate (with correlations <.20) and cortisol metabolism activity indices (with correlations of .25 to .46 between 9 and 12 years, -.02 to .15 between 12 and 17 years and .09 to .28 between 9 and 17 years). Because of the low stability over time, genetic and environmental contributions to this stability were difficult to assess, although it seemed to be mostly determined by genetic factors. The low stability in both cortisol production and metabolism between ages 9 and 17 years reflects the dynamic nature of the HPA axis.
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36
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Sandini C, Chambaz M, Schneider M, Armando M, Zöller D, Schaer M, Sandi C, Van De Ville D, Eliez S. Pituitary dysmaturation affects psychopathology and neurodevelopment in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 113:104540. [PMID: 31958652 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11DS) confers strongly increased genetic risk for multiple psychiatric disorders. Similarly to the general population, rates of psychiatric comorbidity suggest that common disease mechanisms are shared across dimensions of psychopathology. Such pleiotropic disease mechanisms remain however currently unknown. We hypothesized that pituitary dysmaturation, indicative of HPA-axis dysregulation, could correlate to reduced tolerance to daily life stressors and reflect pleiotropic risk factor for psychopathology. Moreover HPA-axis dysregulation could affect atypical cortical and hippocampal development previously described in 22q11DS. METHODS Pituitary volume, hippocampal volume and cortical thickness measures were obtained from T1-weighted MRI images in a large longitudinal cohort of youth with 22q11DS (115 subjects, 260 scans, age-range = 5.4-31.6) and healthy controls (151 subjects, 280 scans, age-range = 5.1-32.3). We explored effects of pituitary dysmaturation on tolerance to stress, psychopathology and neurodevelopment employing mixed-models linear regression. Associations of pituitary and cortical development were correlated with the expression pattern of glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1 obtained from the Allen-Human-Brain-Atlas. RESULTS We observed aberrant pituitary developmental trajectories in 22q11DS, with volumetric reductions emerging by young-adulthood (P = 0.0006). Longitudinal pituitary decline was associated with to reduced tolerance to stress (P = 0.04), higher overall psychopathology (P = 0.0003) and increased risk of psychiatric comorbidity (P = 0.02). Moreover, pituitary decline correlated with blunted growth of the right hippocampus (P = 0.03) and to increased cortical thinning of mostly temporal and orbitofrontal regions mediated by NR3C1 gene expression. CONCLUSION Atypical pituitary development could reflect progressive extinction of HPAA due to chronic hyper-activation, in agreement with existing biochemical evidence in 22q11DS. HPAA dysregulation could represent and endophenotype that confers pleiotropic vulnerability to psychopathology and atypical neurodevelopment in 22q11DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corrado Sandini
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Maëlle Chambaz
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maude Schneider
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland; Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Research Group Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marco Armando
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Daniela Zöller
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland; Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marie Schaer
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Eliez
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
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van Keulen BJ, Dolan CV, Andrew R, Walker BR, Hulshoff Pol HE, Boomsma DI, Rotteveel J, Finken MJJ. Heritability of Cortisol Production and Metabolism Throughout Adolescence. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2020; 105:5586817. [PMID: 31608377 PMCID: PMC7046020 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgz016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Inter-individual differences in cortisol production and metabolism emerge with age and may be explained by genetic factors. OBJECTIVE To estimate the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to inter-individual differences in cortisol production and metabolism throughout adolescence. DESIGN Prospective follow-up study of twins. SETTING Nationwide register. PARTICIPANTS 218 mono- and dizygotic twins (N = 109 pairs) born between 1995 amd 1996, recruited from the Netherlands Twin Register. Cortisol metabolites were determined in 213, 169, and 160 urine samples at the ages of 9, 12, and 17, respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The total contribution of genetic factors (broad-sense heritability) and shared and unshared environmental influences to inter-individual differences in cortisol production and activities of 5α-reductase, 5β-reductase, and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases and cytochrome P450 3A4. RESULTS For cortisol production rate at the ages of 9, 12, and 17, broad-sense heritability was estimated as 42%, 30%, and 0%, respectively, and the remainder of the variance was explained by unshared environmental factors. For cortisol metabolism indices, the following heritability was observed: for the A-ring reductases (5α-and 5β-reductases), broad-sense heritability increased with age (to >50%), while for the other indices (renal 11β-HSD2, global 11β-HSD, and CYP3A4), the contribution of genetic factors was highest (68%, 18%, and 67%, respectively) at age 12. CONCLUSIONS The contribution of genetic factors to inter-individual differences in cortisol production decreased between 12 and 17y, indicative of a predominant role of individual circumstances. For cortisol metabolism, distinct patterns of genetic and environmental influences were observed, with heritability that either increased with age or peaked at age 12y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britt J van Keulen
- Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pediatric Endocrinology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Correspondence and Requests: Britt J van Keulen, MD, Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pediatric endocrinology, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail:
| | - Conor V Dolan
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ruth Andrew
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Brian R Walker
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Hilleke E Hulshoff Pol
- Department of Psychiatry, Brian Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joost Rotteveel
- Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pediatric Endocrinology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn J J Finken
- Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pediatric Endocrinology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Hollenbach JP, Kuo CL, Mu J, Gerrard M, Gherlone N, Sylvester F, Ojukwu M, Cloutier MM. Hair cortisol, perceived stress, and social support in mother-child dyads living in an urban neighborhood. Stress 2019; 22:632-639. [PMID: 31010377 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2019.1604667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Women and children belonging to a racial/ethnic minority bear a disproportionate burden of psychosocial stress that increases their vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. Hair cortisol has been rapidly advanced as a biomarker of the intensity and course of the stress response over time and may provide an opportunity to increase our understanding of the role of psychological stress in health. However, research on the link between hair cortisol levels and subjective measures of maternal and child stress among low-income and minority individuals is limited. The goal of this study was to examine the association between stress and hair cortisol in low income, minority women and children who experience disproportionate exposure to chronic stress. A convenience sample of 54 minority mother/child dyads from a busy primary care clinic in the second poorest medium-sized city in the US participated in the study. Mothers self-reported perceived stress, social support, household characteristics and other demographic factors, and their children (ages 7-14 years) reported on the perceived level of safety in their neighborhood and exposure to violence as markers of child stress. Three-centimeter hair samples were collected from both mothers and children during the clinic visit, and hair cortisol levels were assessed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Linear regression models examined associations between maternal and child hair cortisol, and between hair cortisol and perceived stress level in women, and moderation by social support. Maternal hair cortisol was not significantly associated with mother's perceived stress. Maternal and child hair cortisol levels were positively associated (p = .007) but this association was not moderated by maternal perceived social support. These findings suggest that hair cortisol is strongly associated among this sample of minority mother-child dyads and is not moderated by social support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica P Hollenbach
- Department of Pediatrics, Connecticut Children's Medical Center , Hartford , CT , USA
- UConn Health , Farmington , CT , USA
| | - Chia-Ling Kuo
- Biostatistics Center, Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering, UConn Health , Farmington , CT , USA
| | - Jinjian Mu
- Department of Statistics, Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering, UConn Health , Farmington , CT , USA
| | - Meg Gerrard
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut , Storrs , CT , USA
| | - Nicole Gherlone
- Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut , Storrs , CT , USA
| | | | - Mary Ojukwu
- University of Connecticut School of Medicine , Farmington , CT , USA
| | - Michelle M Cloutier
- Department of Pediatrics, Connecticut Children's Medical Center , Hartford , CT , USA
- UConn Health , Farmington , CT , USA
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Schwartz JA, Jessick S, Calvi JL, Granger DA. Co-twin relationship quality as a moderator of genetic and environmental factors on urinary cortisol levels among adult twins. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 108:118-126. [PMID: 31255951 PMCID: PMC9380901 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has indicated that genetic and environmental factors shape physiological activity. Cortisol levels, in particular, have received significant attention, with studies indicating substantive heritability estimates across various sampling techniques. A related line of research has indicated that genetic and environmental factors that explain variability in cortisol levels may vary across context and experiences by way of gene-environment interactions (G × Es). Despite these findings, a limited number of studies have examined the extent to which interpersonal relationships may operate as a moderator. The current study focused on co-twin relationship quality as a source of moderation, as twins are more likely to have contact with one another and to form close, interpersonal relationships with their co-twin relative to singleton siblings. Using a sample of 298 adult twins from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), we examined the extent to which genetic and environmental factors that explain variability in urinary cortisol levels varied across levels of co-twin relationship quality. The heritability of cortisol levels was greater and nonshared environmental influences were lower at greater levels of relationship quality. These findings suggest that the heritability of cortisol may vary across context, and positive relationships with others may moderate such factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A. Schwartz
- School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE 68182-0149, USA
| | - Scott Jessick
- School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE 68182-0149, USA
| | - Jessica L. Calvi
- Salivary Bioscience Laboratory, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Douglas A. Granger
- Salivary Bioscience Laboratory, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA,Bloomberg School of Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA,School of Nursing, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA,School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA,Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-7085, USA
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40
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Zänkert S, Bellingrath S, Wüst S, Kudielka BM. HPA axis responses to psychological challenge linking stress and disease: What do we know on sources of intra- and interindividual variability? Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 105:86-97. [PMID: 30390966 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Stress is an ubiquitous phenomenon with significant impact on human physiology when it lasts too long, when it is too intense, or when it hits vulnerable individuals. Examining the mechanisms linking stress exposure with health and disease is an important endeavor in psychoneuroendocrine research. Empirical evidence so far revealed large intra- as well as inter-individual variability in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responses to acute psychosocial stress, showing that the HPA axis is a highly adaptive system. Thus, the characterization of intra- und inter-individual patterns of HPA axis reactivity is of high scientific interest and forms the basis on which mechanistic links between stress response (dys)regulation and health impairments can be examined. To date, basic knowledge has been, and still is, accumulated on demographic, biological (including genetic and epigenetic) factors, lifestyle behavioral variables, consumption of substances and medication, psychological and personality factors, as well as on methodological aspects. Besides this, there is also very recent progress in respect to the development of laboratory stress paradigms that can be applied in virtual reality or inside an MRI-scanner. In sum, the present review updates our current knowledge on moderating and intervening factors as sources of intra- und inter-individual variability in human cortisol stress responses and offers recommendations for future research designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Zänkert
- Department of Medical Psychology, Psychological Diagnostics and Research Methodology, University of Regensburg, Germany
| | - Silja Bellingrath
- Department of Work- and Organizational Psychology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
| | - Stefan Wüst
- Institute of Experimental Psychology, University of Regensburg, Germany
| | - Brigitte M Kudielka
- Department of Medical Psychology, Psychological Diagnostics and Research Methodology, University of Regensburg, Germany.
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Schepers R, Keulers EH, Markus CR. Effects of 5-HTTLPR genotype and cognitive rumination on long-term cortisol reactivity measured in human hair. Stress 2019; 22:221-227. [PMID: 30628517 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2018.1553945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Ample experimental and associative studies have shown that carrying two short (S) alleles of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) contributes to an increased vulnerability for stress and related affective disorders. Recent findings indicate that this relationship might become even more profound when also possessing a negative ruminative (stress-related) thinking style. However, previous studies on the relationship among 5-HTTLPR, stress, and stress-responsiveness almost exclusively measured salivary cortisol concentrations during exposure to a single acute (laboratory) stressor. Measuring cortisol concentrations over longer periods of time might better reflect (chronic) Gene by biological (HPA) stress responsiveness associations. In recent years, the strategy to assess hair cortisol concentration (HCC) has been established as a more reliable marker for chronic HPA activations. The current study explored associations between 3-months accumulated HCC and the tendency to ruminate about negative events in 27 S/S and 27 L/L 5-HTTLPR-carriers (screened from a large n = 827 DNA database). Hierarchical regression (including moderation) analyses revealed clear significant interactions between Genotype and Rumination (p < 0.01, f2=0.26); indicating greatest accumulation of HCC in high ruminating S/S-allele carriers. These findings implicate that the combined possession of a genetic (S-allele 5-HTTLPR) and cognitive (Rumination) stress-vulnerability might meaningfully increases long-term stress responsiveness; most likely due to increased daily (chronic) stress experiences. Lay summary The current study investigated whether the combined possession of a biological (genetic) and cognitive (negative thinking pattern) stress vulnerability may lead to a greater vulnerability to experience daily stress. This hypothesis was confirmed as a higher accumulation of the cortisol stress hormone was found over the past 3 months in scalp hair of participants that carried both vulnerability factors in combination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robbie Schepers
- a Department of Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience , University Maastricht , Maastricht , The Netherlands
| | - Esther H Keulers
- a Department of Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience , University Maastricht , Maastricht , The Netherlands
| | - C Rob Markus
- a Department of Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience , University Maastricht , Maastricht , The Netherlands
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Coello K, Munkholm K, Nielsen F, Vinberg M, Kessing LV. Hair cortisol in newly diagnosed bipolar disorder and unaffected first-degree relatives. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 99:183-190. [PMID: 30248494 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Hair cortisol is a promising new biomarker of retrospective systemic cortisol concentration. In this study, we compared hair cortisol concentrations in patients with newly diagnosed bipolar disorder (BD), their unaffected first-degree relatives and healthy individuals and identified potential predictors of hair cortisol concentrations in patients with BD. METHOD In a cross-sectional design, we compared hair cortisol concentrations in 181 patients with newly diagnosed/first episode BD, 42 of their unaffected first-degree relatives and 101 healthy age- and sex-matched individuals with no personal or first-degree family history of affective disorder. In patients with BD, we further investigated whether medication- and illness related variables, as well as measures of stressful life events in the preceding 12 months and childhood trauma, were associated with hair cortisol concentrations. RESULTS Hair cortisol concentrations were 35.1% (95%CI: 13.0-61.5) higher in patients with BD (P = 0.001) compared with healthy individuals in models adjusted for age and sex. Hair cortisol concentrations in unaffected first-degree relatives did not differ from healthy individuals (P = 0.8). In patients, neither medication, illness duration nor stress related variables were associated with hair cortisol concentrations. CONCLUSION We found elevated hair cortisol concentrations in patients newly diagnosed with BD indicating the presence of physiological stress in early stages of BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Coello
- Copenhagen Affective Disorders Research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Klaus Munkholm
- Copenhagen Affective Disorders Research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Maj Vinberg
- Copenhagen Affective Disorders Research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lars Vedel Kessing
- Copenhagen Affective Disorders Research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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Arnau-Soler A, Adams MJ, Hayward C, Thomson PA. Genome-wide interaction study of a proxy for stress-sensitivity and its prediction of major depressive disorder. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209160. [PMID: 30571770 PMCID: PMC6301766 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual response to stress is correlated with neuroticism and is an important predictor of both neuroticism and the onset of major depressive disorder (MDD). Identification of the genetics underpinning individual differences in response to negative events (stress-sensitivity) may improve our understanding of the molecular pathways involved, and its association with stress-related illnesses. We sought to generate a proxy for stress-sensitivity through modelling the interaction between SNP allele and MDD status on neuroticism score in order to identify genetic variants that contribute to the higher neuroticism seen in individuals with a lifetime diagnosis of depression compared to unaffected individuals. Meta-analysis of genome-wide interaction studies (GWIS) in UK Biobank (N = 23,092) and Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study (N = 7,155) identified no genome-wide significance SNP interactions. However, gene-based tests identified a genome-wide significant gene, ZNF366, a negative regulator of glucocorticoid receptor function implicated in alcohol dependence (p = 1.48x10-7; Bonferroni-corrected significance threshold p < 2.79x10-6). Using summary statistics from the stress-sensitivity term of the GWIS, SNP heritability for stress-sensitivity was estimated at 5.0%. In models fitting polygenic risk scores of both MDD and neuroticism derived from independent GWAS, we show that polygenic risk scores derived from the UK Biobank stress-sensitivity GWIS significantly improved the prediction of MDD in Generation Scotland. This study may improve interpretation of larger genome-wide association studies of MDD and other stress-related illnesses, and the understanding of the etiological mechanisms underpinning stress-sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleix Arnau-Soler
- Medical Genetics Section, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mark J. Adams
- Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Caroline Hayward
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Pippa A. Thomson
- Medical Genetics Section, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Schloß S, Müller V, Becker K, Skoluda N, Nater UM, Pauli-Pott U. Hair cortisol concentration in mothers and their children: roles of maternal sensitivity and child symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2018; 126:1135-1144. [PMID: 30374597 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-018-1944-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Associations between mothers' and children's cortisol secretion parameters are well established. According to the bio-behavioral synchrony model, these associations reflect influences of the mother-child relationship, the child's social adjustment, and might also reflect shared genetic dispositions. From the bio-behavioral synchrony model, we predicted a stronger mother-child hair cortisol concentration (HCC) link in mothers showing highly adequate (compared to those showing less adequate) parenting behaviors and in children showing low (compared to those showing high) ADHD symptoms. From a genetic perspective, no such moderator effects, or a stronger mother-child HCC link in children with high ADHD symptoms, can be expected. The study sample consisted of 111 4-5-year-old children (64 of whom screened positive for increased ADHD symptoms) and their mothers. ADHD symptoms were assessed by a clinical interview and parent and teacher questionnaires. Maternal sensitive/responsive parenting behavior was assessed by an at-home behavior observation procedure. In mothers and children, HCC in the most proximal 3-cm scalp hair segment was analyzed using luminescence immunoassay. Overall HCCs of mothers and their children correlated significantly. Maternal sensitivity/responsiveness and child ADHD symptoms proved to be significant moderator variables of this association: High maternal sensitivity/responsiveness and low ADHD symptoms of the child were associated with a stronger mother-child link in HCC. The findings are in line with the bio-behavioral synchrony model in the mother-child relationship, and are less compatible with a genetic perspective. The results might hint at environmental events influencing the development of stress axis functioning in subgroups of preschoolers with high ADHD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Schloß
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Hans Sachs Str. 6, 35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Viola Müller
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Hans Sachs Str. 6, 35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katja Becker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Hans Sachs Str. 6, 35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Nadine Skoluda
- Clinical Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstraße 18, 35032, Marburg, Germany.,Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria
| | - Urs M Nater
- Clinical Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstraße 18, 35032, Marburg, Germany.,Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ursula Pauli-Pott
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Hans Sachs Str. 6, 35039, Marburg, Germany.
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Greff MJE, Levine JM, Abuzgaia AM, Elzagallaai AA, Rieder MJ, van Uum SHM. Hair cortisol analysis: An update on methodological considerations and clinical applications. Clin Biochem 2018; 63:1-9. [PMID: 30261181 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2018.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hair cortisol analysis is increasingly being appreciated and applied in both research and medicine, aiding endocrinologists with diagnosis. CONTENT We provide an overview of hair cortisol research in general and an update on methodological considerations including the incorporation of cortisol into hair, hair growth rates, and sampling procedures, mincing vs. grinding of samples during preparation for extraction, various extraction protocols, and quantification techniques. We compare the clinical utility and application of hair cortisol with traditional methods of measurement while acknowledging the limitations of analysis including variations in hair growth parameters. We explore the value of hair cortisol in cases of Cushing syndrome (particularly Cyclical Cushing), Adrenal insufficiency (including Addison's disease), therapy monitoring, cardiovascular disease, stress, and mental illness. SUMMARY Hair cortisol provides a unique objective biomarker for the analysis of endogenous cortisol levels for not only clinical diagnostic purposes but also in research. The use of hair cortisol has great potential for advancing patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J E Greff
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Canada
| | - Jeffrey M Levine
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Canada
| | - Awatif M Abuzgaia
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Canada
| | - Abdelbaset A Elzagallaai
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Canada
| | - Michael J Rieder
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Canada; Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Canada
| | - Stan H M van Uum
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Canada; Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Canada.
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Binz T, Rietschel L, Streit F, Hofmann M, Gehrke J, Herdener M, Quednow B, Martin N, Rietschel M, Kraemer T, Baumgartner M. Endogenous cortisol in keratinized matrices: Systematic determination of baseline cortisol levels in hair and the influence of sex, age and hair color. Forensic Sci Int 2018; 284:33-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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