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Kühnel A, Hagenberg J, Knauer-Arloth J, Ködel M, Czisch M, Sämann PG, Binder EB, Kroemer NB. Stress-induced brain responses are associated with BMI in women. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1031. [PMID: 37821711 PMCID: PMC10567923 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05396-8] [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: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Overweight and obesity are associated with altered stress reactivity and increased inflammation. However, it is not known whether stress-induced changes in brain function scale with BMI and if such associations are driven by peripheral cytokines. Here, we investigate multimodal stress responses in a large transdiagnostic sample using predictive modeling based on spatio-temporal profiles of stress-induced changes in activation and functional connectivity. BMI is associated with increased brain responses as well as greater negative affect after stress and individual response profiles are associated with BMI in females (pperm < 0.001), but not males. Although stress-induced changes reflecting BMI are associated with baseline cortisol, there is no robust association with peripheral cytokines. To conclude, alterations in body weight and energy metabolism might scale acute brain responses to stress more strongly in females compared to males, echoing observational studies. Our findings highlight sex-dependent associations of stress with differences in endocrine markers, largely independent of peripheral inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Kühnel
- Section of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany.
| | - Jonas Hagenberg
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Janine Knauer-Arloth
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Maik Ködel
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Nils B Kroemer
- Section of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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2
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Hrivikova K, Marko M, Karailievova L, Romanova Z, Oravcova H, Riecansky I, Jezova D. Neuroendocrine response to a psychosocial stress test is not related to schizotypy but cortisol elevation predicts inflexibility of semantic memory retrieval. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 154:106287. [PMID: 37182519 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
An altered stress response can contribute to the transition from preclinical psychotic symptoms to the clinical manifestation of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. The present study was aimed at testing the hypotheses that (i) the autonomic and neuroendocrine responses under psychosocial stress are dysregulated in individuals with high psychosis proneness (schizotypy); (ii) the magnitude of post-stress autonomic activation and cortisol release predicts alterations in semantic memory retrieval. The study was performed in 73 healthy individuals of both sexes with either high or low schizotypal traits preselected out of 609 individuals using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. A psychosocial stress procedure based on public speech was used as a stress model. We found that individuals with high schizotypy engaged in less adaptive emotional stress-coping strategies than low schizotypy individuals. Yet, the neuroendocrine, immune, and sympathetic activation in response to the stress test was not different between the groups. Irrespective of the exposure to the stressor, individuals with high schizotypy were less fluent when retrieving associations from semantic memory. In addition, we demonstrated that acute psychosocial stress reduced the flexibility of semantic memory retrieval. The post-stress mental inflexibility was reliably predicted by the concomitant elevation of cortisol concentrations in saliva. The present study thus brings novel evidence indicating that the acute psychosocial challenge impairs retrieval flexibility in the semantic domain, which may be due to neuroendocrine activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Hrivikova
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - M Marko
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Applied Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - L Karailievova
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Z Romanova
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - H Oravcova
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Pharmacology and toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - I Riecansky
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - D Jezova
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Sundberg N, Millis RM. A Study of Diurnal Cortisol Adaptations in Sleep-Deprived Firefighters During a 72-Hour Work Shift: A Case Series. Cureus 2023; 15:e37504. [PMID: 37064725 PMCID: PMC10101191 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.37504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Seventy percent of US firefighters are overweight or obese. The combination of sleep deprivation and exposure to traumatic events during 72-hour work shifts, commonly employed in emergency responders, is thought to put firefighters at high risk for a variety of stress-related diseases and suicide. Previous studies suggest that the cortisol awakening response (CAR) may be increased in sleep-deprived emergency responders. This case series was designed to investigate the variations in CAR and associations with measurements of salivary cortisol and testosterone, blood glucose and triglyceride, and blood pressure during a 72-hour work shift. Measurements were made at 08:00 and 20:00 in five participants (one normal weight normotensive, three obese hypertensive, and one morbidly obese normotensive male). Data were characterized by the regression statistic R2 computed from the relationship between diurnal measurement and concentration, with significance at R2≥0.4. The predominant AM CAR adaptation response consisted of no significant 72-h change (flat response) in salivary cortisol (R2<0.4), found in three of the five participants (60%). The normal-weight participant's 72-h AM CAR adaptation was characterized as incremental (R2=0.91), and markedly different than that of the four obese firefighters who exhibited either a flat response (R2<0.4, 60%) or, in one subject, a decremental response (R2=0.40, 20%). The predominant 72-h PM cortisol adaptation was found to be decremental (R2=0.78-0.97) in three of the five participants (60%), including the normal weight subject (R2=0.78). Diurnal salivary cortisol and testosterone exhibited normal physiological circadian variations (P=0.01, AM>PM and P=0.1, AM>PM, respectively). Blood glucose and triglyceride also showed physiological circadian variations (P=0.02 AM<PM and P=0.002 AM<PM, respectively). Diurnal variation of systolic BP was found to be not significant (P=0.2). The flat AM CAR adaptation exhibited in three of four obese hypertensive firefighters may represent a blunted adaptation response, akin to the responses reported for survivors of suicide. These findings suggest that diurnal variations in salivary cortisol and testosterone, blood glucose, and triglyceride may be useful biochemical markers for identifying stress-related adaptations to 72-hour work shifts. Future studies should be designed to correlate diurnal variations in biomarkers with the risk of developing stress-related diseases and suicide in firefighters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Sundberg
- Department of Pathophysiology, American University of Antigua, St. John's, ATG
| | - Richard M Millis
- Department of Pathophysiology, American University of Antigua, St. John's, ATG
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Larra MF, Capellino S, Schwendich E, von Haugwitz L, Reinders J, Wascher E. Immediate and Delayed Salivary Cytokine Responses during Repeated Exposures to Cold Pressor Stress. Neuroimmunomodulation 2023; 30:81-92. [PMID: 36917961 DOI: 10.1159/000529625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Excessive stress is increasingly recognized as an important trigger of many diseases prevalent in modern societies, and monitoring such stress-related effects could aid prevention. The measurement of salivary markers of inflammation is emerging as a promising tool to non-invasively quantify stress' effects on immune processes in everyday life and thereby detect early aberrations before the manifestation of serious health problems. However, more laboratory-controlled research is needed in order to establish the timescale and determinants of salivary cytokine responses to acute stress. METHODS We repeatedly exposed participants to Cold Pressor Stress Test (CPT) or a control procedure and measured a wide array of salivary cytokines as well as subjective, cardiovascular, and cortisol stress reactions. CPT exposure was repeated every 15 min, 3 times in total, with a duration of 3 min each. Saliva was sampled immediately after the first two exposures as well as in 15-min intervals until 60 min after the onset of the first intervention. RESULTS We found that many cytokines were detectable in saliva. Specific stress effects were limited to IL-8 and IL-6, however, which decreased immediately or 15 min after stress onset, respectively. Moreover, IL-8 was negatively correlated to cortisol output in the stress but not in the control group. Significant increases were also observed in salivary TNFα and IFNγ; however, these effects were similar under both stress and control conditions. DISCUSSION Our results show that particular salivary cytokines may be sensitive to immediate effects of acute CPT-induced stress and also highlight the importance of employing control procedures to discern stress effects from unrelated variations in salivary cytokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro F Larra
- Department of Ergonomics, IfADo - Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Silvia Capellino
- Department of Immunology, Research Group of Neuroimmunology, IfADo - Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Elena Schwendich
- Department of Immunology, Research Group of Neuroimmunology, IfADo - Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Leon von Haugwitz
- Department of Ergonomics, IfADo - Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jörg Reinders
- Department of Toxicology, IfADo - Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Edmund Wascher
- Department of Ergonomics, IfADo - Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
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Špiljak B, Vilibić M, Glavina A, Crnković M, Šešerko A, Lugović-Mihić L. A Review of Psychological Stress among Students and Its Assessment Using Salivary Biomarkers. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12100400. [PMID: 36285968 PMCID: PMC9598334 DOI: 10.3390/bs12100400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous psychoneuroimmune factors participate in complex bodily reactions to psychological stress, and some of them can be easily and non-invasively measured in saliva (cortisol, alpha-amylase, proinflammatory cytokines). Cortisol plays a crucial role in the stress response; thus, stressful events (academic examinations, cardiac surgery, dental procedures) are accompanied by an increase in cortisol levels. (A correlation between cortisol blood levels and salivary values has already been confirmed, particularly during stress). Academic stress is defined as everyday stress among students that has an impact on aspects of their psychological and physiological well-being. For example, exams are considered one of the most acute stressful experiences for students. The strength of the association between academic self-efficacy, psychological stress, and anxiety depends on a variety of factors: the type of academic challenge (e.g., oral exam), the presence of an audience, etc. Higher stress levels were predominantly recorded among younger students, primarily regarding their academic tasks and concerns (grades, exams, competing with peers for grades, fear of failing the academic year, etc.). The measurement of stress levels during academic stress can improve our understanding of the character and influence of stressful events in populations of students, preventing adverse reactions to long-term stress, such as a decreased immune response and increased anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Špiljak
- School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Dermatovenerology, University Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maja Vilibić
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- School of Medicine, Catholic University of Croatia, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Glavina
- Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology, Dental Clinic Split, School of Medicine, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia
| | - Marija Crnković
- Center for Child and Youth Protection, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Šešerko
- Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Center Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Liborija Lugović-Mihić
- School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Dermatovenerology, University Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +385-1-3787-422
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6
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Acute stress affects peripersonal space representation in cortisol stress responders. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 142:105790. [PMID: 35605473 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Peripersonal space is the representation of the space near the body. It is implemented by a dedicated multisensory-motor network, whose purpose is to predict and plan interactions with the environment, and which can vary depending on environmental circumstances. Here, we investigated the effect on the PPS representation of an experimentally induced stress response and compared it to a control, non-stressful, manipulation. We assessed PPS representation in healthy humans, before and after a stressful manipulation, by quantifying visuotactile interactions as a function of the distance from the body, while monitoring salivary cortisol concentration. While PPS representation was not significantly different between the control and experimental group, a relation between cortisol response and changes in PPS emerged within the experimental group. Participants who showed a cortisol stress response presented enhanced visuotactile integration for stimuli close to the body and reduced for far stimuli. Conversely, individuals with a less pronounced cortisol response showed a reduced difference in visuotactile integration between the near and the far space. In our interpretation, physiological stress resulted in a freezing-like response, where multisensory-motor resources are allocated only to the area immediately surrounding the body.
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7
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Romanova Z, Hrivikova K, Riecansky I, Jezova D. Salivary testosterone, testosterone/cortisol ratio and non-verbal behavior in stress. Steroids 2022; 182:108999. [PMID: 35257713 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2022.108999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between hormone release and non-verbal communication under stress conditions is still not sufficiently explored. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that salivary testosterone concentrations and testosterone/cortisol (T/C) ratios correlate positively with assertive behavior representing a non-aggressive form of dominance during an acute stress situation. As a stress model, a socially evaluated cold pressor test was investigated in healthy men. The non-verbal behavior was analyzed according to the ethological coding system for interviews described by Troisi (1999). Salivary testosterone concentrations did not change throughout the stress test. The T/C ratios decreased significantly over time only in subjects showing high stress perception. The duration of affiliative and the frequency of flight behavior was higher in subjects with high stress perception compared to those with low stress perception. A significant positive correlation between the duration of prosocial behavior and values of T/C ratios was found in the whole sample. The area under the curve values of testosterone positively correlated with the duration of assertive behavior in the group with high stress perception and negatively in the other group. Our findings allow suggesting that the changes in non-verbal behavior during acute psychosocial stress situations may be more pronounced in subjects showing high stress perception. Obtained results motivate further research on a better understanding of the consequences of the lack of sense of full facial expressions, such as wearing face masks, on the balance between hormones and non-verbal behavior under stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Romanova
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - K Hrivikova
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - I Riecansky
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - D Jezova
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Bzdúšková D, Marko M, Hirjaková Z, Kimijanová J, Hlavačka F, Riečanský I. The Effects of Virtual Height Exposure on Postural Control and Psychophysiological Stress Are Moderated by Individual Height Intolerance. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 15:773091. [PMID: 35095450 PMCID: PMC8789875 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.773091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) enables individuals to be exposed to naturalistic environments in laboratory settings, offering new possibilities for research in human neuroscience and treatment of mental disorders. We used VR to study psychological, autonomic and postural reactions to heights in individuals with varying intensity of fear of heights. Study participants (N = 42) were immersed in a VR of an unprotected open-air elevator platform in an urban area, while standing on an unstable ground. Virtual elevation of the platform (up to 40 m above the ground level) elicited robust and reliable psychophysiological activation including increased distress, heart rate, and electrodermal activity, which was higher in individuals suffering from fear of heights. In these individuals, compared with individuals with low fear of heights, the VR height exposure resulted in higher velocity of postural movements as well as decreased low-frequency (<0.5 Hz) and increased high-frequency (>1 Hz) body sway oscillations. This indicates that individuals with strong fear of heights react to heights with maladaptive rigidity of posture due to increased weight of visual input for balance control, while the visual information is less reliable at heights. Our findings show that exposure to height in a naturalistic VR environment elicits a complex reaction involving correlated changes of the emotional state, autonomic activity, and postural balance, which are exaggerated in individuals with fear of heights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Bzdúšková
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Martin Marko
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Applied Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Hirjaková
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Kimijanová
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - František Hlavačka
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Igor Riečanský
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
- *Correspondence: Igor Riečanský,
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Slavish DC, Szabo YZ. What moderates salivary markers of inflammation reactivity to stress? A descriptive report and meta-regression. Stress 2021; 24:710-722. [PMID: 33759687 PMCID: PMC8460706 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2021.1887848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
As the assessment of salivary markers of inflammation gains popularity in stress research, understanding factors that influence these markers' reactivity to stress is important. A recent meta-analysis synthesized literature on changes in salivary markers of inflammation in response to acute stressors in adults. As a supplement to this, we present pre-registered moderator analyses of salivary markers of inflammation responses to acute stress. Analyses included data from 27 studies (35 unique study samples). Outcomes were Cohen's d effect sizes for salivary biomarkers interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), from pre- to post-stress. Moderators included: college education levels of the study sample; percent of the study sample that identified as African-American; body mass index (BMI); use of a resting baseline saliva sample; and use of a social evaluative stressor. Descriptive results on saliva sample timing were also examined. Biomarkers peaked 0-60 minutes after the end of the stressor. Before removing influential outliers, no moderators of salivary inflammation reactivity emerged, though not all moderators could be tested due to missing data. After removing one influential outlier study, higher study sample average BMI was associated with greater salivary IL-1β reactivity to stress (b = 0.41, p=.007). For every 1-unit increase in study sample average BMI, effect sizes for IL-1β increased by 0.41 units. These findings suggest BMI may be important to examine when assessing salivary markers of inflammation in response to stress. As this field expands, it is important to replicate these results and consider the role of other moderators of salivary markers of inflammation reactivity to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danica C. Slavish
- Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Yvette Z. Szabo
- Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX, USA
- Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
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Ghrelin as a Biomarker of Stress: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13030784. [PMID: 33673594 PMCID: PMC7997253 DOI: 10.3390/nu13030784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Ghrelin is an orexigenic hormone which favors food-seeking behavior and has been postulated to be a biomarker of stress. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the evolution of ghrelin levels following acute stress. Methods: The PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and ScienceDirect databases were searched for studies reporting ghrelin levels before and after acute stress in humans. Results: We included ten studies for a total of 348 patients. Acute stress (intervention) was always in a laboratory. Acute stress was psychological (Trier Social Stress Test), physical, or mixed (cold pressure test). The overall meta-analysis demonstrated an increase in ghrelin after the stress intervention (ES = 0.21, 95CI 0.09 to 0.34) compared with baseline levels. Stratification by time demonstrated an acute increase in ghrelin levels in the five minutes immediately following the initiation of stress (0.29, 0.10 to 0.48) but without any difference after. Obese individuals had a more significant (ES = 0.51, 95CI 0.18 to 0.84) and prolonged increase in ghrelin levels for up to 45 min compared with non-obese individuals who had a significant increase only five minutes after stress. Moreover, the ghrelin levels increased in response to stress with BMI (coefficient 0.028, 0.01 to 0.49; p = 0.013) and decreased with the time after the stress intervention (coefficient -0.007, −0.014 to −0.001; p = 0.025). Conclusion: Ghrelin is a biomarker of stress, with a short-term increase following acute stress. Obese individuals have both a higher and prolonged response, emphasizing the link between obesity and stress.
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Szabo YZ, Slavish DC. Measuring salivary markers of inflammation in health research: A review of methodological considerations and best practices. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 124:105069. [PMID: 33316694 PMCID: PMC8412951 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
There is an increasing interest in using saliva to measure inflammatory biomarkers. Compared to blood, saliva is non-invasive, requires a lower biosafety classification, and requires less specialized personnel to collect. As the assessment of inflammation in saliva becomes more popular in psychoneuroimmunology research, the development of gold-standard methodological practices is paramount. This paper reviews different considerations for designing studies to assess salivary measures of inflammation. We review saliva collection procedures, sample storage and processing considerations, assay techniques, flow rate, correspondence with blood-based markers, and potential demographic and health moderators of levels of salivary markers of inflammation. Together, this review highlights critical gaps for future research, including calls for standardization of study protocols, transparent reporting of results, assessing predictive validity of markers of salivary inflammation for disease, and the need for assessment of participants' oral and general health status. Although additional work is needed to elucidate gold standards for study design, measurement, and analysis, salivary markers of inflammation may be a useful tool for understanding oral and peripheral inflammation dynamics non-invasively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette Z. Szabo
- Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX, USA,Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA, Corresponding Authors: Yvette Z. Szabo, 4800 Memorial Drive (151C), Waco, Texas 76711 (254) 297-3179;
| | - Danica C. Slavish
- Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
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12
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Lopez-Acevo CA, Arrendondo-Loza E, Salinas-Carmona MC, Rendon A, Martinez-Castilla AM, Vázquez-Marmolejo AV, Munoz-Maldonado G, Rosas-Taraco AG. Cortisol and perceived stress are associated with cytokines levels in patients infected with influenza B virus. Cytokine 2020; 138:155400. [PMID: 33338918 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Influenza B virus (IBV) causes respiratory infectious disease. Cytokines are important immune mediators during infectious diseases. Cortisol and stress have been related to respiratory infection susceptibility and cytokine regulation. Little is known about systemic cytokines, cortisol, and perceived stress in the early stages of IBV infection. We researched the systemic cytokines and cortisol, as well as the perceived stress and blood cell count in patients infected with IBV. The diagnosis was established using the Luminex xTAG RVP kit and confirmed with qRT-PCR for IBV viral load. The perceived stress was evaluated using the perceived stress scale (PSS-10). Twenty-five plasma cytokines were determined using multiplex immunoassay and cortisol by ELISA. The leukocyte differential count was measured with a standard laboratory protocol. Th1, Th17, and IL-10 cytokines were higher in IBV infected patients (P < 0.05). Leukocytes and neutrophil count negatively correlated with viral load (P < 0.05). Perceived stress had a negative effect on monocyte and systemic cytokines in IBV infected patients (P < 0.05). Cortisol was higher in patients infected with IBV and correlated positively with CCL20 (P < 0.05). Cortisol showed a positive effect on most of the systemic cytokines (P < 0.05). In conclusion, a cytokine pattern was found in IBV infected patients, as well as the possible role of leukocyte counts in the control of IBV. Our results suggest the importance of cortisol and perceived stress on systemic cytokines in patients infected with IBV, but more studies are needed to understand their role in cytokine production in respiratory infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Lopez-Acevo
- Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psichiatry, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
| | - Erick Arrendondo-Loza
- Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Immunology, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
| | - Mario C Salinas-Carmona
- Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Immunology, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
| | - Adrian Rendon
- Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, University Hospital, Centro de Investigacion Prevencion y Tratamiento de Infecciones Respiratorias (CIPTIR)
| | - Azalia M Martinez-Castilla
- Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Immunology, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
| | - Anna V Vázquez-Marmolejo
- Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Immunology, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
| | - Gerardo Munoz-Maldonado
- Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, University Hospital, Service of General Surgery, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
| | - Adrian G Rosas-Taraco
- Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Immunology, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
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Neuroendocrine responses to a psychosocial stress test for larger groups of participants: comparison of two test exposures. Endocr Regul 2020; 54:255-259. [PMID: 33885250 DOI: 10.2478/enr-2020-0028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective. Individual stress tests characterized by social evaluative threat and uncontrollability are known to elicit strong neuroendocrine responses. We tested whether a psychosocial stressor submitted to a larger group of participants (up to 60) may elicit comparable stress responses.Methods. A total of 59 adult subjects (33 women, 26 men) participated in the study, whereas 24 of them suffered from allergy and 35 were healthy. The stress test consisted of a distraction stress task followed by a speech task, in which the participants were randomly subjected to questions related to a topic that they had to prepare as well as arithmetic questions in front of their peers and a committee that responded in standardized and non-supporting manner. State and trait anxiety inventory (STAI) for anxiety state was administrated before and after the test and salivary samples taking. The test was repeated after five months.Results. The results showed that the shared psychosocial stress application in a larger group of subjects was prosperous. The larger group test (LGST) resulted in an enhanced subjectively experienced stress and an intensive sympathetic nervous system activation, reflected by elevated salivary alpha-amylase activity and the heart rate. The cortisol increment after exposure to the stress test was not significant. Repeated exposure to the test failed to reproduce the original stress responses with exception of the heart rate rise.Conclusions. In a larger group of subjects, the psychosocial stress test did elicit stress responses similar to the individual stress tests. Our data indicate that the above-mentioned stress test is apparently not an appropriate approach for the repeated use.
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Jezova D, Trebaticka J, Buzgoova K, Durackova Z, Hlavacova N. Lower activity of salivary alpha-amylase in youths with depression. Stress 2020; 23:688-693. [PMID: 32510266 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2020.1777975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Measurement of basal and stress-induced salivary alpha-amylase activity may help to understand autonomic nervous system disturbance in mental disorders. The potential sympathetic nervous system dysregulation in children and adolescent psychopathologies is mostly unknown. The present study was aimed to test the hypothesis that salivary alpha-amylase activity is higher in youths diagnosed with depression than in healthy subjects considering a part of the daily rhythm of enzyme activity and its morning to midday slope. A total of 30 children aged 15 ± 0.46 years (15 patients with depression, 4 boys, 11 girls, and 15 sex- and age-matched healthy controls) participated in the study. Two saliva samples were collected from each subject to measure activity of alpha-amylase in the morning and midday. The results of the present study revealed that the midday but not morning alpha-amylase activity was lower in patients with depression than in healthy controls. The diurnal increase in enzyme activity present in healthy subjects was absent in patients. The children and adolescents with depression exhibited flatter morning to midday slopes of alpha-amylase activity. In conclusion, the present results indicate a disturbance of alpha-amylase daily rhythm in youths with depression and motivate further studies on the relationship between sympathetic activation and mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Jezova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Trebaticka
- Department of Paediatric Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University and the National Institute of Children's Diseases, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarina Buzgoova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zdenka Durackova
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Chemistry, Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Natasa Hlavacova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Solarikova P, Karailievova L, Rajcani J, Brezina I, Jezova D. Cumulative cortisol concentrations in hair of patients with atopy are lower than in healthy subjects and are not related to their perceived stress experience. Stress 2020; 23:746-749. [PMID: 32996381 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2020.1825673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with atopy were found to exhibit blunted cortisol responses to acute stress stimuli. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that cumulative cortisol concentrations in the hair of patients with atopy are lower than in healthy subjects when related to their perceived stress experience. The sample consisted of 31 participants. The most proximal 3 cm of hair (as close to the scalp as possible), reflecting the cumulative cortisol secretion during the previous 3 months, was used for the analysis. Only in 20 subjects (9 patients with atopy and 11 healthy controls), there was a sufficient amount of hair for precise analysis using a new methodology. The results showed lower hair cortisol concentrations in patients with atopy compared to those in controls. The perceived stress scores in patients with atopy and healthy controls were not statistically different. The cortisol concentration/perceived stress score ratios were lower in patients with atopy compared to those in controls. No statistically significant correlation between hair cortisol and long-term experienced stress assessed via perceived stress scale was observed. In conclusion, the cumulative cortisol secretion in the hair of atopic patients is lower than would be expected according to their subjective scores of perceived stress. Most importantly, the previously lower stress hormone increase found in acute stress situations and in children now was confirmed in adult patients with chronic stress load.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Solarikova
- Faculty of Arts, Department of Psychology, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - L Karailievova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - J Rajcani
- Faculty of Arts, Department of Psychology, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - I Brezina
- Faculty of Arts, Department of Psychology, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - D Jezova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
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