Child mortality, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity and cellular aging in mothers

Beyond sex differences: short- and long-term effects of pregnancy on the brain

Growing attention has been directed to the inclusion of females in neuroscience studies, and to the importance of studying sex as a biological variable. However, how female-specific factors such as menopause and pregnancy, affect the brain remains understudied. In this review, we use pregnancy as a case in point of a female-unique experience that can alter neuroplasticity, neuroinflammation, and cognition. We examine studies in both humans and rodents indicating that pregnancy can modify neural function in the short term, as well as alter the trajectory of brain aging. Furthermore, we discuss the influence of maternal age, fetal sex, number of pregnancies, and presence of pregnancy complications on brain health outcomes. We conclude by encouraging the scientific community to prioritize researching female health by recognizing and including factors such as pregnancy history in research.

Examining attachment, cortisol secretion, and cognitive neurodevelopment in preschoolers and its predictive value for telomere length at age seven

Background

Secure attachment reflects caregiver-child relationship in which the caregiver is responsive when support and comforting are needed by the child. This pattern of bond has an important buffering role in the response to stress by the reduction of the negative experience and its associated physiological response. Disruption of the physiological stress system is thought to be a central mechanism by which early care impacts children. Early life stress causes cellular and molecular changes in brain regions associated with cognitive functions that are fundamental for early learning.

Methods

The association between attachment, cortisol response before and after the Strange Situation Experiment, and neurodevelopment was examined in a sample of 107 preschoolers at age three. Also, the predictive effect of cortisol reactivity and attachment on telomere length at age seven was investigated in a followed-up sample of 77 children.

Results

Children with insecure attachment had higher cortisol secretion and poorer neurodevelopmental skills at age three. A significant cortisol change was observed across the experiment with non-significant interaction with attachment. The attachment and neurodevelopment association was not mediated by cortisol secretion. Preschoolers' attachment and cortisol did not associate nor interacted to predict telomere length at age seven.

Conclusion

These findings add evidence to the detrimental effects of insecure attachment as an aggravator of the physiological response to stress and poorer neurodevelopment during the preschool period. Although attachment and cortisol were not predictive of telomere length, intervention policies that promote secure attachment are more likely to positively echo on several health domains.

Telomere Length Changes in Children With Cushing Disease: A Pilot Study

Context

Changes in telomere length (TL) have been linked to certain diseases. Studies on the effect of cortisol on TL have not led to conclusive results.

Objective

To determine whether TL is affected in pediatric patients with Cushing disease (CD) through an exploratory study.

Design

We studied 10 pediatric patients [mean age: 13.3 (2.6) years, 7 females], diagnosed and treated successfully for CD. TL was measured before and approximately 1 year after treatment. TL was compared with controls adjusting for age, and associations with disease characteristics were assessed.

Results

Adjusting for age, total lymphocyte TL of patients did not differ from controls during active disease (P = 0.13) but was shorter than controls at follow-up (P = 0.031). Total lymphocyte TL during active CD and at follow-up did not correlate with markers of hypercortisolemia. There was strong inverse correlation between TL during active disease and at follow-up with triglyceride levels at active disease (adjusted [Adj] R2 = 0.64; P = 0.02 and Adj R2 = 0.5; P = 0.036, respectively), suggesting that the higher the triglycerides, the shorter the TL in patients with CD. The change of TL between active disease and follow-up was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure (Adj R2 = 0.76; P = 0.006).

Conclusions

In this pilot study, TL is shorter in children with hypercortisolemia, a difference that becomes detectable only after cure of CD. Triglycerides and blood pressure appear to be factors that are associated with TL in these patients. Further studies are required to confirm these results.

Basal cortisol, cortisol reactivity, and telomere length: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The objective of the present study is to synthesize the existing empirical literature and perform a meta-analysis of published data on the relationship between cortisol and telomere length. We systematically searched studies that examined the relationship between cortisol and telomere length in humans on electronic databases and screened reference sections of included articles. Fourteen studies were included in the meta-analysis, with effect sizes being extracted for two cortisol measures: basal cortisol levels and cortisol reactivity to acute psychological stress. Results from random effects models showed that basal cortisol levels (13 effect sizes from 12 cross-sectional studies, N = 3675 participants) were not significantly correlated with telomere length (r =-0.05, 95% CI [-0.11, 0.02]). Further, results stratified by the specimen type for cortisol measurement (i.e., saliva, urine, blood) showed that none of the three basal cortisol level measures were correlated with telomere length. However, we found a statistically significant correlation between salivary cortisol reactivity to acute psychosocial stress (6 cross-sectional studies, N = 958 participants) and telomere length (r = -0.13, 95% CI [-0.23, -0.03]). Subgroup analyses revealed that correlations between salivary cortisol reactivity and telomere length were more evident in studies conducted among children (vs. adults) and in studies that included female participants only (vs. both genders). However, the small number of available studies limits the conclusions derived from subgroup analyses, and more studies are needed before moderator effects can be properly established. Overall, findings of this study support the existence of a relationship between cortisol reactivity and telomere shortening.