Cortisol Samples Research Articles

The Living Lab at Home: Feasibility and Acceptability of Multimodal In-Home Data Collection Among Youth Across the Developmental Spectrum.

Dynamic, real-time, in-home methods of data collection are increasingly common in child health research. However, these methods are rarely cocreated or used with families of youth with developmental disabilities. We aimed to determine the feasibility of codesigned methods for in-home data collection for youth across the developmental spectrum. Sixteen youth (14-18 years) with autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and/or chronic pain completed 14 days of data collection, wearing an accelerometer, answering Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) questionnaires, and collecting salivary cortisol samples. Participants completed a poststudy interview regarding their experiences. Data were analyzed for feasibility, quantity, and quality. At least 1 EMA response was provided on 73% of days, with 54% of the total number of administered prompts answered before the next prompt arrived. In total, 77% of participants wore the accelerometer ≥10 hours for at least 7 days. Adherence to 8-day saliva sampling after accounting for protocol violations and dry samples was 28%. No significant adverse events were reported aside from mild emotional distress (25%). Families reported generally high satisfaction, willingness to participate again, and acceptability, with moderate burden and interference. Qualitative interviews described: (1) the research question's value to the family as a motivator of engagement; (2) in-home data collection is not a passive or neutral experience; (3) personalized approaches and context are important to families; and (4) a clear need for continued iteration and engagement. In-home multimodal data collection is potentially feasible for families across the developmental spectrum but requires iteration based on family feedback to increase adherence.

Cortisol concentrations in substance use disorder patients undergoing short-term psychotherapy incorporating equine interaction compared to cognitive behavioral therapy: A preliminary study

Psychotherapy incorporating equine interaction (PIE) is emerging as an effective supplemental substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Benefits are attributed to decreased stress levels associated with the presence of the horse, however, research concerning stress parameters related to short-term equine interaction during SUD treatment is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this preliminary study was to investigate cortisol concentrations in SUD patients participating in PIE for two weeks compared with those in traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Salivary cortisol samples were collected from two populations of SUD patients: 1) PIE participants (n = 18) and 2) CBT participants (n = 5). The impacts of the therapy type and the week of sampling were analyzed using a mixed linear model in SAS. Significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05. When comparing PIE to CBT, no impact associated with therapy type was determined (P = 0.74). Cortisol concentrations lacked significant changes during the two-week period for both therapeutic interventions. While short-term intervention lacked improvement in cortisol levels for both therapy types, further research is warranted to determine the most effective approach and duration of therapy.

8267 A Case of Pineal Gland Cyst and Adrenal Adenoma- Is this a New Syndrome?

Abstract Disclosure: M. Siddiqui: None. U. Rafat: None. S. Shaik: None. J.L. Gilden: None. Background: The Pineal Gland receives information through a complex multi-neuronal pathway and is responsible for the secretion of melatonin, a hormone regulated by circadian rhythm and suppressed by light stimuli. Melatonin is involved in biological rhythms and regulates immunomodulation, temperature homeostasis and maturation of hypothalamic-pituitary and gonadal axis, and can also modulate thyroid, prolactin, growth hormone, cortisol, and ACTH activity. Other effects include downregulation of thyroid activity. In addition, studies have shown that pineal body extracts can cause a minor increase in the zona glomerulosa and fasciculata of the adrenal gland. Case: A 54-year-old male with recurrent nephrolithiasis, obstructive sleep apnea and chronic rhinosinusitis, first presented to Endocrinology Clinic in 2018 for evaluation of an incidental adrenal adenoma (CT abdomen -2.8 cm, less than 10 Hounsfield units, left sided lipid rich adrenal adenoma). He had new onset erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, and fatigue. Initial lab work including LH, FSH, TSH, midnight salivary cortisol, ACTH, plasma cortisol AM, free and total testosterone, aldosterone, plasma and urine metanephrines/normetanephrines were all normal. MRI brain-1 cm thin-walled pineal cyst with internal characteristics compatible with proteinaceous benign pineal cyst. He was then lost to follow-up for 5 yrs due to the COVID pandemic. He had tried taking “testosterone protein builders”, but his symptoms remained. In addition, he now has twice weekly dull occipital headaches, relieved by ibuprofen. Lab tests-elevation in 1of 2 MN salivary cortisol samples at 0.58 mcg/dL (nl≤0.09), ACTH 12pg/mL(0-47), IGF1 261 ng/mL(50-317), and low total testosterone 222 ng/dl (250-1100) Free testosterone 36 pg/mL(35-155), borderline low TSH 0.386 µIU/ml(0.55-4.78), Free T3 and Free T4 were normal, thyroid antibodies-negative . Rest of the hormone evaluation was otherwise normal, LH 4.90 mIU/mL(1.5-9.3), FSH 11.10 mIU/mL (1.4-18.1), Prolactin 6.8 ng/mL(2.1-17.7). Thyroid Ultrasound-homogeneous echogenicity of the thyroid gland without discrete thyroid nodules. Repeat MRI brain- benign pineal cyst which was stable with no midline shift or mass effect. Repeat CT adrenal gland-lipid rich adrenal adenoma slightly reduced in size from 2.8 to 2.4 cm. Lab tests returned to normal one month later. Conclusion: Although it is unclear whether there is an exact association between this patient’s pineal cyst and adrenal adenoma, there have been intermittent hormonal abnormalities and symptoms consistent with hypogonadism and/or adrenal, also possibly related to the pineal abnormality. Although more research needs to be conducted explaining the relationship between the pineal and pituitary, and the adrenal gland, this clinical case suggests that there may be a relationship between these two abnormalities and symptoms. Presentation: 6/2/2024

Impact of Six Months of Three Different Modalities of Exercise on Stress in Post-Treatment Breast Cancer Survivors

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Extensive evidence suggests that exercise is physically and mentally beneficial for cancer survivors. This study reports on changes in self-reported stress, physiological biomarkers for stress (salivary cortisol), and HR-QOL constructs for fifty breast cancer survivors participating in one of three different exercise programs over 6 months. Methods: Fifty post-treatment breast cancer survivors were randomized to either therapeutic yoga-based exercise (YE), comprehensive exercise (CE) (aerobic, resistance, flexibility), or choosing (C) their own exercise activities. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Medical Outcomes Short-Form 36® (SF-36), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Five samples of salivary cortisol were collected on two consecutive days. The 10 samples were used to calculate the diurnal rhythm slope. Outcome measures were repeated after six months. Results: All groups improved in HR-QOL measures of PSS; PSQI sleep quality components of latency and daytime functioning; and five of the ten SF-36 scales (Mental Component Scale, Social Functioning subscale, Mental Health subscale, Physical Component Scale, Physical Functioning subscale). Although the CE group observed the most favorable change in cortisol (−0.183), where cortisol slope changes approached significance (p = 0.057), but no significant decrease in cortisol between groups were noted. Conclusion: Our results suggest that it is the engagement of, rather than the specific type of exercise, which is associated with improved HR-QOL. However, longer-term studies with better adherence monitoring and larger sample sizes are needed to better determine clinical impact.

Examining hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis genetic variation on cortisol and alpha-amylase reactivity during an explicit negative-evaluative stress induction.

Prior work consistently links additive genetic variation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis-a multilocus genetic profile score (MGPS)-to depression risk in the context of stress exposure. However, despite that HPA MGPS variants were selected based on evidence that they elevate cortisol reactivity, there are surprisingly few tests of whether an HPA MGPS elevates cortisol reactivity to lab-based stress. Similarly, despite neurobiological connections and coordination between the HPA axis and the sympathetic nervous system (e.g., in the paraventricular nucleus and locus coeruleus), no work has tested whether an HPA MGPS influences sympathetic nervous system reactivity to stress. We investigated whether an HPA MGPS moderates the relation between lab-based stress and: (1) HPA activity indexed by cortisol, and/or (2) sympathetic activity indexed by salivary alpha-amylase, sAA. Emerging adults (N=152; mean age=19.5, largest subsample 44.4% Black/African American) were randomly assigned to one of two Trier Social Stress Test variations, a non-evaluative control, or an explicitly negative-evaluative condition. Participants provided DNA and repeated saliva samples for sAA and cortisol. The HPA MGPS did not significantly moderate the relationship between stress condition and cortisol or sAA reactivity, respectively; moreover, post-hoc tests highlight that individual polymorphisms showed non-significant effects in opposite directions from each other, cancelling out in aggregate. Findings suggest that the HPA MGPS's associations with cortisol reactivity are not as straightforward as initially believed. We speculate that the relationships of some HPA variants to biomarker reactivity may vary between modest lab-based stressors and the explicit negative-evaluative induction used here.

Exposure to diesel-related particulate matter, cortisol stress responsivity, and depressive symptoms in adolescents

Exposure to air pollution is associated with higher risk for psychopathology; however, the mechanisms underlying this association are not clear. Dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in response to stress has been implicated in depression. Here, we estimated annual exposure to particulate matter (PM) from diesel emissions in 170 9- to 15-year-old adolescents (56 % female) using their residential addresses and data from nearby monitoring sites. We obtained salivary cortisol samples from participants while they completed a social stress task and calculated area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg) and with respect to increase (AUCi) in order to assess cortisol responsivity during stress. Participants also reported on their depressive symptoms and sleep disturbances. Greater exposure to diesel PM was associated with lower cortisol output (AUCg) during stress, which was associated with higher depressive symptoms, particularly for adolescents with more sleep disturbances. Importantly, these effects were independent of household and neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and exposure to early adversity. Thus, HPA-axis dysfunction may be one mechanism through which environmental pollutants affect adolescents’ mental health.

Hair cortisol sampling as a measure of physiological stress in youth with acute musculoskeletal pain

Stress physiology contributes to health outcomes. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) is an objective measure of cumulative cortisol secretion associated with health, including pain. The aim of the current study was to describe associations between pre-injury stress physiology (as measured by HCC), acute pain characteristics and relevant demographic factors (i.e., BMI, age, sex, days since injury) in youth with an acute musculoskeletal (MSK) injury. Participants were 58 youth aged 11 to 17 with acute MSK pain. Participants completed self-report measures assessing pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, and pain interference. Hair was collected within 1 month after injury using hair cortisol collection procedures adapted from published research protocols. Correlations examining associations among HCC values and clinical/demographic factors revealed that higher HCC was associated with lower body mass index (BMI) and male sex. HCC was not associated with pain variables or age. Additional research is needed to clarify the relation between HCC and psychosocial variables to aid researchers in studying the role of pre-injury stress in acute MSK injury and pain recovery in youth.

Cortisol and insulin behaviors during an ultramarathon event: are they real markers of extreme exertion?

The current work aimed to describe and compare the cortisol and insulin concentrations behavior and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) during a 115 km ultramarathon race. Nine ultrarunners (eight males) were evaluated six times (0, 37, 60, 76, 89 and 115 km). At each moment, saliva samples (for cortisol and insulin assessment) and RPE (CR10 scale) were collected. Statistical analysis included correlation, one-way repeated measure ANOVA, and Statistical Parametric Mapping to define discrete and continues changes and compare cortisol, insulin and RPE profiles. Our main findings revealed an early peak in cortisol and RPE, accompanied by a decline in insulin responses (402±49 min of the race, P<0.05). Cortisol and insulin only showed magnitude differences with inverse behaviors until ~6% (7 km) of the ultramarathon duration. Cortisol and RPE presented similar behaviors, rising from the beginning of the race and remaining elevated throughout the race (η2=0.91 and η2=1.0, P<0.001). Insulin levels decreased when the race started, remaining below 60% of baseline values from the midpoint to the end of the race (P=0.04). The study showed an imbalance in the catabolic/anabolic hormone profile during an ultramarathon race, with a prominence in catabolic state. It should be considered in the ultramarathon races preparation and participation due to its possible detrimental effect on the athlete's health.

Emotion dysregulation and posttraumatic stress symptom severity: The influence of cortisol reactivity following idiographic emotion inductions.

Emotion dysregulation plays a central role in the etiology and maintenance of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Individual differences in physiological responses to emotionally evocative events may influence the strength of this association. The objective of this study was to test whether cortisol reactivity following idiographic emotion induction tasks moderated the relation between emotion dysregulation and PTSS severity. Participants were 94 community women currently experiencing intimate partner violence and using substances (age: M = 40.5 years; 35.2% Black; 61.5% unemployed). PTSS severity was assessed at baseline via a clinician-administered diagnostic interview. Participants provided a self-report of emotion dysregulation at baseline. Samples of salivary cortisol were collected pre-, during, and postidiographic emotion inductions during an experimental session. A significant emotion dysregulation by cortisol reactivity interaction was found (b = 0.18, p = .02). Emotion dysregulation was related to PTSS severity for those with high (b = 0.13, p < .001), but not low (b = -0.001, p = .99), levels of cortisol reactivity following idiographic emotion inductions. Findings provide novel evidence of the interplay of emotion dysregulation and cortisol reactivity, an indicator of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system axis stress reactivity, following emotionally evocative stimuli in relation to PTSS severity. Information from this study may help to identify individuals who are at highest risk of more severe PTSS. Future work is needed to replicate findings among diverse populations impacted by trauma (e.g., veterans, men). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Digital music and movement intervention to improve health and wellbeing in older adults in care homes: a pilot mixed methods study

BackgroundLow physical activity among older adults is related to adverse health outcomes such as depression and loneliness, poor physical function and increased risk of falls. This study was designed to increase physical activity through a digital, group-based, physical activity and music intervention and to examine its effectiveness on social, mental and physical health outcomes.MethodsParticipants were 34 older adults (65 years +) recruited across four care homes in Scotland to a pilot study. Surveys were administered at baseline and post-intervention, comprising measures of fear of falling, depression and anxiety, loneliness, sleep satisfaction and quality of life. A battery of physical function tests and saliva sampling for cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone hormone analysis were also conducted at each time point. Additionally, process evaluation measures (recruitment, intervention fidelity, attendance, retention rates and safety) were monitored. The intervention comprised 12 weeks of three prescribed digital sessions per week: movement and music (n = 2) and music-only (n = 1), delivered by an activity coordinator in the care home. Post-intervention interviews with staff and participants were conducted to gain qualitative data on the acceptability of the intervention.ResultsAn average of 88% of prescribed sessions were delivered. Pre- to post-intervention intention-to-treat analysis across all participants revealed significant improvements in anxiety, salivary DHEA, fear of falling and loneliness. There were no significant improvements in health-related quality of life, perceived stress, sleep satisfaction or physical function tests, including handgrip strength. Qualitative analysis highlighted benefits of and barriers to the programme.ConclusionsThe digital movement and music intervention was deemed acceptable and delivered with moderate fidelity, justifying progression to a full-scale trial. Although a proper control group would have yielded more confident causal relationships, preliminary psychosocial and biological effects were evident from this trial. To show significant improvements in physical function, it is likely that a bigger sample size providing sufficient power to detect significant changes, greater adherence, longer intervention and/or higher exercise volume may be necessary.Trial registrationThe trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT05601102 on 01/11/2022.

The interaction of oxytocin and nicotine addiction on psychosocial stress: an fMRI study

The anxiolytic effect of oxytocin (OXT) on psychosocial stress has been well documented, but the effectiveness under the interference of other factors still requires in-depth research. Previous studies have shown that nicotine addiction interacts with OXT on psychosocial stress on the behavioral level. However, the underlying neural mechanism of interaction between OXT and nicotine addiction on psychosocial stress has not been examined, and we conducted two experiments to reveal it. Firstly, after intranasal administration of randomized OXT or placebo (saline), a group of healthy participants (n = 27) and a group of smokers (n = 26) completed the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST) in an MRI scanner. Secondly, a group of smokers (n = 22) was recruited to complete a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) experiment, in which anodal tDCS was applied on subjects’ anterior right superior temporal gyrus (rSTG). In both experiment, subjective stress ratings, salivary cortisol samples and the amount of daily cigarette consumption were obtained from each participant. Analysis of variance were applied on both behavioral and neural data to examine the effects of OXT and nicotine addiction, and correlation analysis were used to examine relationships between neural and behavioral data. In first fMRI experiment, analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed an interaction of OXT and nicotine addiction on subjective stress. In smokers, OXT failed to suppress the elevation of subjective stress and craving ratings after psychosocial stress. A voxel-wise ANOVA of fMRI data identified an interaction between OXT and nicotine addiction in anterior rSTG, and its functional connectivity with right middle frontal gyrus. Correlations between this functional connectivity and subjective psychosocial stress were also found abnormal in smokers. In second tDCS experiment, we found that under tDCS, OXT successfully suppressed the elevation of subjective stress and craving ratings after stress. In summary, we found that nicotine addiction blocked OXT’s anxiolytic on psychosocial stress, which was related to abnormalities in anterior rSTG. By applying anodal tDCS on anterior rSTG, OXT’s anxiolytic effect was restored in smokers. These findings will support further development on oxytocin’s intervention of psychosocial stress in nicotine addiction, and provides essential information for indicating OXT’s effectiveness.

Dynamics of Stress Biomarker in Cliff Divers during Official Competition

Stress is defined as a reaction of the body to any given stressor, external or internal. These stressors are common among participants in sports. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the dynamics of two stress biomarkers during an official cliff diving competition. The sample of participants included six professional cliff divers (three females and three males). Their salivary cortisol (C) and alpha-amylase (AA) samples were collected during a 3-day competition (four samples on day 1 and six samples on days 2 and 3). The analysis of the results showed a non-significant increase in AA from day one to day three. On the other hand, C has an increase in the first two days (0.58 ± 0.16 µg/mL–0.61 ± 0.23 µg/mL) and then a decrease in the last competition day (0.53 ± 0.23 µg/mL). Analysis of samples collected during each day demonstrates a fluctuation of the biomarkers. For AA, the sample after the training dive on the 2nd day has the highest value (326.34 ± 280.73 U/mL), whereas on day 3, the samples after training and before the competition dive are the highest (364.50 ± 287.13 U/mL; 466.49 ± 218.39 U/mL). Regarding C levels, the sample after the competition dive tends to show the highest values (0.66 ± 0.17 µg/mL; 0.89 ± 0.29 µg/mL; 0.76 ± 0.32 µg/mL, respectively). Furthermore, the correlation between the results of competition and biomarkers is not significant. These results demonstrate how cliff diving competition tends to have a high impact on the sympathetic nervous system, as observed mainly in AA dynamics. One might contend that even though there is no significant physical strain, cliff divers demonstrate heightened stress biomarker levels that could affect their performance and focus while diving.

Greater perceived stress and lower cortisol concentration increase the odds of depressive symptoms among adolescents

BackgroundAdolescent depression is a major public health concern. Although stress has been linked to more severe depression, its association with mild depression among adolescents is not understood. This study assesses the relationship between perceived stress and cortisol (a physiologic measure of stress) and examines the relationships between these stress measures and depressive symptoms among adolescents 13–19 years of age. MethodsStress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale-10 and through salivary sampling for cortisol four times throughout the day. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to measure depressive symptoms (range 0–27), where ≥5 indicated the threshold for experiencing at least mild depressive symptoms. Spearman coefficients and multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the relationships between our variables of interest. ResultsThe mean age of the 73 participants in our study was 15.82 years. 49 % of the participants reported depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score ≥ 5). Both higher perceived stress (odds ratio [OR] = 1.11, p = 0.022) and lower cortisol (area-under-the curve; AUCG) (OR = 0.99, p = 0.009) were associated with increased odds of having depressive symptoms. LimitationsFew participants had moderate to severe PHQ-9 depression, therefore our study reported findings on mild depression or greater. ConclusionsPerceived stress and cortisol appear to reflect distinct, independent components of the stress experience. However, both greater perceived stress and less circulating cortisol may indicate difficulties in regulating stress as potential factors underlying depressive symptoms. Future research should focus on the different types of adolescent stressors and the importance of routine screening of stress and depression, including mild depression.

Dynamic Analysis of Cortisol Hormone, Alpha-Amylase Enzyme, and Blood Lactate Levels during a Rowing Ergometer 6 km Race

Rowing races require extreme physical and psychological effort from every athlete. This study aimed to determine the dynamics of the salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase, as well as blood lactate throughout the specific load represented by a 6 km rowing race, conducted on a rowing ergometer. The sample consisted of 11 junior and senior rowers from HVK Gusar in Split (n = 11) who actively competed at club and international levels. Variables consisted of three repeated oral samples of the hormone cortisol and the enzyme alpha-amylase determined in saliva and three repeated blood lactate samples. Potential differences in the levels of the studied variables at different time points were determined using a repeated-measures ANOVA test. The results showed different dynamics of hormonal (cortisol) and metabolic (alpha-amylase and lactates) variables. All variables experienced a significant post-race increase, while other changes were not significant. The results highlighted that high-intensity rowing causes an increase in the body’s cortisol, alpha-amylase, and lactate levels. This should be implemented in rowing training to find the right balance between high and low-intensity rowing, enabling athletes’ progression while reducing the risk of overtraining.

How is momentary well-being and stress associated in persons with spinal cord injury and their romantic partners? A study protocol for a dyadic everyday life study

IntroductionVery little is known about daily life dynamics and mutual influences that tie together well-being and psychobiological stress responses in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) and their romantic partners...

Cortisol Synchrony in Psychotherapy for Major Depressive Disorder.

Accumulating research emphasizes the role of interpersonal coordination in arousal levels, which may manifest as cortisol synchrony, in interpersonal interactions. While the role of cortisol has been investigated in psychotherapy, cortisol synchrony and its characteristics and effect on treatment progress remain a relatively unexplored area. This study aims to explore the existence of distinct patterns of cortisol coordination throughout psychotherapy and test the associations of different coordination patterns with patients' pre-treatment characteristics and treatment progress measures. Fifty patient-therapist dyads participated in 16 weeks of psychodynamic treatment for major depressive disorder. Salivary cortisol samples were collected before and after each session at four time points. Self-report questionnaires and treatment session video-coding were used to characterize and differentiate between patterns of cortisol coordination. Three patterns of cortisol coordination were identified: synchronized, unsynchronized and stable-therapist. These patterns differed in patient characteristics and treatment progress measures in that patients exhibiting a synchronized pattern tended to be more anxious and dominant in their relationships and were more prone to withdrawal ruptures. Results provide novel evidence regarding variability in patient-therapist cortisol patterns and its putative associations with treatment progress.

Altered Physiological, Affective, and Functional Connectivity Responses to Acute Stress in Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder

BackgroundThere is evidence that the processing of acute stress is altered in alcohol use disorder (AUD), but little is known about how this is manifested simultaneously across different stress parameters and which neural processes are involved. The current study examined physiological and affective responses to stress and functional connectivity in AUD. MethodsSalivary cortisol samples, pulse rate, and affect ratings were collected on 2 days from 34 individuals with moderate or severe AUD during early abstinence and 34 control participants. On one of the days, stress was induced, and on the other day, a nonstressful control task was performed. Following the intervention, participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess functional connectivity, with a focus on cortical and subcortical seed regions previously reported to be involved in AUD and/or stress. ResultsFor pulse rate and cortisol, stress responses were blunted in AUD, whereas the affective response was stronger. Neuroimaging analyses revealed stress-related group differences in functional connectivity, involving the connectivity of striatal seeds with the posterior default mode network, cerebellum, and midcingulate cortex and of the posterior default mode network seed with the striatum and thalamus. ConclusionsThe results suggest a dissociation between subjectively experienced distress and the physiological stress response in AUD as well as stress-related alterations in functional connectivity. These findings highlight the complex interplay between chronic alcohol use and acute stress regulation, offering valuable considerations for the development of therapeutic strategies.

Optimizing Newborn Outcomes in Cesarean Sections: A Comparative Analysis of Stress Indicators under General and Spinal Anesthesia.

The moment of birth represents a complex physiological process that is followed by adaptive changes in the vital systems of the newborn. Such reactions have their positive but also negative effects. The aim of this research was to determine the difference in laboratory values of stress indicators in newborn children delivered by cesarean section (CS) with general and spinal anesthesia. We attempted to make a recommendation about the optimal type of anesthesia based on our results. The study was performed on 150 healthy term newborns delivered by urgent or planned CS. Samples for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, triglycerides, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were analyzed. Leukocyte numbers, triglycerides, and blood sugar values were normal for the newborns' age, with statistically significantly lower values of blood sugar and triglycerides in newborns delivered by CS in spinal anesthesia (p < 0.005) compared to general anesthesia. There were no significant differences in ACTH, cortisol, and IL-6 levels between those newborns delivered via CS after spinal or general anesthesia. In cases where vaginal delivery is not possible, when CS is indicated, the use of well-controlled spinal anesthesia is followed by lower degrees of metabolic, inflammatory, and stress responses and better vitality of the baby upon birth.

Parents' work demands on next day's cortisol awakening response - the moderating role of family-to-work conflict

BackgroundConstant availability, overtime and feeling overwhelmed by work can impact employees' wellbeing and their biological stress responses. Especially working parents often struggle to balance the demands of their work and family life and were found to be distracted from their work due to family responsibilities. The Family-to-Work Conflict (FWC) indicates the extent to which participating in work is made difficult by family demands. Recent studies have found associations between FWC and biological outcomes such as the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR), a measure of an individual's Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA)-axis activity. This diary study investigates the effect of parental work demands on next day's cortisol response as well as the moderating role of FWC and the mediating role of fatigue. MethodsOver the course of five consecutive days (from Monday to Friday), 168 observations were made on a total of 42 parents. Participants had at least one child and worked a minimum of 20 hours per week. Salivary cortisol samples were obtained immediately, 15 and 30 minutes after awakening each day. Work demands, FWC and fatigue were assessed using standardized questionnaires. Within-person effects were examined using multilevel modeling and mediation analyses. ResultsOur results indicate that there are no main effects of work demands on next day's cortisol response. The multilevel analysis revealed that FWC predicts lower wakening cortisol levels and confirmed FWC as an increasing moderator between work demands and next day's HPA-axis activity. Further, work overload was found to increase fatigue, which in turn leads to higher CAR on the following day. This indicates that fatigue mediates the relationship between work demands and CAR. Our findings add to a growing body of research demonstrating further predictors for HPA-axis activity and emphasise the importance of considering family related demands when investigating biological outcomes for working parents.

Infants’ cortisol reactivity and infant–mother cortisol synchrony in urban Chinese families: The role of maternal control strategy

Maternal control strategy refers to a mother’s practices used to impel, inhibit, guide, or shape their children’s behaviors during mother-child interaction. The present study examined control strategies used by Chinese urban mothers and how they associated with infants’ cortisol trajectory and infant-mother cortisol synchrony during a separation task. Participants were 115 infant-mother dyads. Maternal control strategy was assessed during mother-infant free-play when the infants were 6 months (T1) and 1 year (T2) old. Salivary cortisol samples were collected from both infants and mothers during a stress-inducing task at T2. The results indicated that mothers most frequently adopted the moderate power control strategy, at both T1 and T2. T1 maternal low control strategy significantly predicted infants’ cortisol response curve, namely infants of mothers who predominantly adopted a low power control strategy had a more dynamic reactivity and recovery in their cortisol response to the separation task. Positive cortisol synchrony was observed between mothers and infants during the separation stress condition. In addition, T2 maternal high power control strategy accounted for inter-individual variations in infant-mother cortisol synchrony, such that mothers who predominantly adopted a high power control strategy exhibited a heightened level of cortisol synchrony with their infants. Our findings suggest that targeted training in maternal control strategies could help mothers calibrate their infants’ adrenocortical regulation.