Cortisol Dynamics Research Articles

Стрес-відповідь при корекції лійкоподібної деформації грудної клітки за Nuss в умовах комбінації загальної анестезії з різними реґіонарними блокадами

The perioperative stress-response is a dynamic process under the influence of patient-specific, surgical and anaesthesiologic factors. Purpose – to evaluate stress response during the correction of pectus excavatum by Nuss under the combination of general anesthesia with different variants of the regional block. Materials and methods. The observative prospective study included 60 adolescents (boys/girls=47/13) undergone Nuss procedure under the combination of general anesthesia and regional blocks. The patients were randomized into three groups (n=20 in each) according to the perioperative regional analgesia technique: standard epidural anesthesia (SEA) in Th5–Th8, high epidural anesthesia (HEA) in Th2–Th3, and bilateral paravertebral anesthesia (PVA) in Th5–Th8. The serum cortisol and glycemia were analyzed at three stages: 1 – baseline before surgery, 2 – during bar rotation, and 3 – after surgery finished. Results. The average serum cortisol level among all patients before surgery was 342.4 [282.1–415.0] nmol/L. At stage 2 the plasma cortisol decreased up to 223.1 [174.9–282.3] nmol/L (p<0.000001). After the surgery and anesthesia finished the average plasma cortisol was 279.6 [216.7–312.6] nmol/L (p<0.000001 vs baseline). During surgery serum cortisol decreased in group SEA by 41%, in group HEA – by 30%, and in group PVA – by 31% compared with baseline levels. After surgery, the serum cortisol was lower than baseline measurements in group SEA by 28%, in group HEA – by 20%, and in group PVA – by 26%. The average baseline glycemia among all patients before surgery was 4.62 [4.01–5.05] mmol/L. At stage 2 glycemia decreased significantly up to 4.05 [3.86–4.62] mmol/L (p=0.00018). After the surgery finished the average serum glucose among all patients was 4.24 [4.09–4.99] mmol/L (p=0.7). At stage 2 serum glucose decreased in group SEA by 11%, in groups HEA and PVA – by 5% compared with the baseline level. The dynamics of serum cortisol and glycemia were similar in all groups with statistically insignificant intergroup differences at all three stages. Conclusions. Serum cortisol and glycemia during the Nuss procedure under the combination of general anesthesia with regional blocks decreased significantly. After surgery finished glycemia returned to baseline level, but serum cortisol was lower than baseline measurement. The changes in serum cortisol and glycemia were more pronounced in patients under standard epidural analgesia in Th5–Th8 compared with the high epidural in Th2–Th3 and paravertebral blocks. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the institution. Informed consent of parents and children was obtained for the study. The author declares no conflict of interest. Key words: cortisol, glycaemia, pectus excavatum, Nuss procedure, regional anaesthesia.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in archers: cortisol release, stress, anxiety and success.

Archery is a unique sport requiring simultaneous physical and psychological focusing for precisely hitting the small, distant target. Thus, in this sport, the effects of stress and anxiety on success might be more pronounced as a slight deviation in aiming may translate into a large error in meeting the target. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the interrelationship between anxiety, cortisol awakening response (CAR), cortisol levels during the shooting period, and success in professional male archers during a national tournament. Archers (16-20 years old, male, N.=20) shooting with recurve bow participated in the current study during the indoor archery championship. For the assessment of CAR, salivary samples were collected at 0- (wake up), 30-, 45- and 60-min postawakening on three consecutive days, namely qualification, individual elimination, and team shooting days. On the first two days of the shootings (i.e., qualification and elimination), shooting salivary samples were collected at 30 and 15 minutes before the shootings, at half-time and just after the shootings. State and trait anxiety inventory were filled in on the day of registration (the day before qualification shootings). CAR, measured as the area under the curve (AUC), was higher on the elimination day (P=0.038) compared to the qualification day. Shooting cortisol levels were also higher on the elimination day compared to the qualification day (P=0.004). Archers having high rankings on qualification day also had higher success rates on elimination day (r=0.963, P<0.001). Moderately increased state anxiety, higher CAR, and elevated shooting cortisol levels appear to be the integral components of the elimination stage during a real competition in archery. Thus, assessment of secretion dynamics of cortisol appears to be a valuable objective tool for understanding the neuroendocrine control during the competition days.

Dynamics of cortisol in calves against the background of the use of polymethylsiloxane polyhydrate as an anti-stress drug

Our core interest is the dynamics of cortisol in the period of delivery of calves when an environmentally safe drug polymethylsiloxane polyhydrate is being used. Experimental groups of calves received suspension of the drug at a dose of 0.1 g / kg, 0.3 and 0.5 g / kg of body weight. The cortisol level in the newborn calves was 7.12±0.06 mcg/DL, providing sufficient enzymatic activity. In calves of 5-day-old age, by the end of the colostrum period, the cortisol level significantly decreased, in the control group by 5.84 times, reaching 1.22±0.26 mcg/DL; in experimental groups 2, 3 and 4, respectively, by 6.3; 9.13 and 8.68 times (p≤0.05). When the calves reached the age of 15 days, the cortisol content in the calves in the control group was 0.10 mcg/DL; in groups 2, 3 and 4, respectively, it was 0.11; 0.12; and 0.14 mcg/DL. In comparison with the control group calves, the calves of experimental groups on the first 5 days of life, the drug at a dose of 0.1 g/kg of body weight contributed to a decrease in cortisol by 7.4%, at a dose of 0.3 g/kg-by 36.1%, at a dose of 0.5 g/kg-by 32.8%. While the drug was being used for 15 days, in groups 2, 3, and 4, the cortisol content was higher relatively to group 1 by 0.01 mcg/DL, 0.02 mcg/DL, and 0.04 mcg/DL, respectively. Therefore, for calves of 5-day-old age, the optimal cortisol concentration is 0.78-1.22 mcg/DL, for 15-day-old calves, respectively, 0.11-0.14 mcg / DL. We recommend that calves use a suspension of polymethylsiloxane polyhydrate at a dose of 0.3-0.5 g/kg of body weight on the first five days of life, followed by a dose of 0.1-0.3 mg/kg.

Sex, Type of Surgery, and Surgical Site Infections Are Associated with Perioperative Cortisol in Colorectal Cancer Patients.

Excessive endocrine response to trauma negatively affects patients’ well-being. Cortisol dynamics following robot-assisted colorectal surgery are unknown. We aimed at determining the impact of cancer pathology and surgery-related factors on baseline cortisol levels and analyzed its time-profile in colorectal cancer patients undergoing open or robot-assisted surgery. Cortisol levels were measured using liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Baseline cortisol was not associated with any patient- or disease-related factors. Post-surgery cortisol increased by 36% at 8 h and returned to baseline on postoperative day three. The cortisol time profile was significantly affected by surgery type, estimated blood loss, and length of surgery. Baseline-adjusted cortisol increase was greater in females at hour 8 and in both females and patients from open surgery group at hour 24. Solely in the open surgery group, cortisol dynamics paralleled changes in interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10, IL-1ra, IL-7, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α but did not correlate with changes in IL-6 or interferon (IFN)-γ at any time-point. Cortisol co-examined with C-reactive protein was predictive of surgical site infections (SSI) with high accuracy. In conclusion, patient’s sex and surgery invasiveness affect cortisol dynamics. Surgery-induced elevation can be reduced by minimally invasive robot-assisted procedures. Cortisol and C-reactive protein as SSI biomarkers might be of value in the evaluation of safety of early discharge of patients.

Effects of Health Behavior Interventions on Psychosocial Outcomes and Cortisol Regulation Among Chronically Stressed Midlife and Older Adults.

Altered cortisol dynamics have been associated with increased risk for chronic health problems among midlife and older adults (≥45 years of age). Yet, studies investigating the impact of health behavior interventions on cortisol activity in this age group are limited. The current study examined whether 48 midlife and older adults (50% family caregivers, 69% women) randomized to one of four telephone-based health behavior interventions (stress management (SM), exercise (EX), nutrition (NUT), or exercise plus nutrition (EX+NUT)) showed improvements in their perceived stress, mood, and cortisol dynamics at 4 months post-intervention. Participants collected four salivary cortisol samples (waking, 30 min after waking, 4 p.m., and bedtime) across two collection days at baseline and at 4 months post-intervention to assess for total cortisol, cortisol awakening response (CAR), and diurnal cortisol slope. Participants in SM showed lower levels of total cortisol and a smaller CAR compared with those in EX, NUT, or EX+NUT from baseline to 4 months post-intervention. Participants in EX showed lower levels of perceived stress, depression, and anxiety compared with those in NUT or SM. Finally, participants in NUT showed a greater diurnal decline in cortisol and lower levels of anxiety compared with those in SM. These findings provide support for the efficacy of telephone-based, health behavior interventions in improving different stress outcomes among chronically stressed midlife and older adults and suggest the need to test the longer-term effects of these interventions for improving health outcomes in this population.

ДИНАМИКА КОРТИЗОЛА И ТЕСТОТЕРОНА В КРОВИ НЕТЕЛЕЙ РАЗНЫХ ПОРОД

The paper presents the results of a study of the dynamics of testosterone and cortisol in 40 heifers of different breeds (Holstein black-and-white breed, Simmental breed, Aberdeen-Angus breed, crossbred animals. 10 heads from each breed.All experimental groups of heifers were analogous in age and term of pregnancy. The conditions for raising animals were the same and corresponded to their zootechnical feeding standards. The hormones cortisol and testosterone were determined by the enzyme immunoassay. The results of the conducted studies showed that before insemination, a slightly higher concentration of testosterone was observed in crossbred animals (Aberdeen-Angus x Simmental) and was 4.7±0.4 nmol/l. This indicator was relatively lower in black – and-white heifers and was 3.6±0.4 nmol/l. Significant changes in it were observed at 5 months of pregnancy.By the 5th month of pregnancy, the concentration of testosterone in all experimental groups increased approximately 2 times. There is a significant difference between crossbreeds, Simmental and black-and-white breeds at 5 months of pregnancy (р&lt;0.05). More pronounced interbreeding differences were observed from the 6th month of pregnancy to the last month of pregnancy. At 6, 7, 8, 9 months of pregnancy between black – and-white heifers and crossbred animals, the testosterone level was statistically significant (р&lt;0.05). Interbreed differences in the level of testosterone in the blood of experimental animals indicate the features of the testosterone-synthesizing system of different breeds, which is probably determined at the gene level. An increase in the concentration of testosterone in the blood of heifers indicates its participation in the processes of fetal formation and the reaction of the testosterone-synthesizing system of the mother’s body to the course of pregnancy. Differences in the level of testosterone in the blood of Black-and-white, Simmental, Aberdeen-Angus breeds and crossbreeds indicate the breed characteristics of the testosterone-synthesizing system, which is possibly determined at the gene level. Changes in cortisol concentration were similar to changes in testosterone. It should be noted that the highest levels of cortisol in the second half of pregnancy were consistently maintained in cross-bred heifers in relation to the black-and-white and Simmental breeds. At the 9th month of pregnancy, local weeks were statistically significantly higher than black-and-white and Simmental weeks (р&lt;0.05). During pregnancy, the level of cortisol in the blood of heifers had ambiguous indicators and depended on the month of pregnancy and the breed affiliation of the animals. The increase in cortisol in the blood during pregnancy is obviously due to the effect of estrogens on the female body. Thus, we believe that as a result of pregnancy, the synthesis of α-glycoprotein increases, which binds to cortisol, contributing to an increase in its life in the blood and contributing to an increase in the concentration of total cortisol.

Prevalence of Depression and Psychological Distress and Perturbations of Cortisol Dynamics in Attendants of Hospitalized Patients: An Observational Pilot Study

Background: Attendants of in-hospital patients are prone to undue stress resulting in depression, anxiety, melancholy and psychological distress. Hitherto available studies cater to attendants of patients admitted in critical care units and none have ventured to look into their cortisol dynamics. Herein, we have evaluated the magnitude of psychological distress and depression amongst ostensibly healthy attendants of non-critically ill patients and correlated them with cortisol dynamics. Methods: Non-critically ill patients admitted to the general medicine ward were chosen by purposive sampling and one attendant was selected from each patient. Those with known risk factors, psychiatric illnesses, chronic drug intake, addictions, and overweight/obesity were excluded. Psychological distress and depression were assessed using the General Health Questionnaire 12-items (GHQ-12) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), respectively. Morning plasma cortisol, late-night plasma cortisol (LNPC), late-night salivary cortisol (LNSC), urinary free cortisol (UFC), and plasma cortisol after overnight 1 mg dexamethasone administration were measured. Results: After exclusion, 39 participants were recruited (M:F=2.3:1.6). The mean age was 34.1±11.4 years. The mean duration of stay in hospital ambience prior to recruitment was 16.2±1.2 days. Based on the PHQ-9 score, 55% of the participants had depression. Psychological distress prevailed in 13% of participants as per the GHQ-12 score. The median LNPC/LNSC was higher in participants with depression compared to those with no depression, however, there was no statistically significant difference. There was no significant correlation between GHQ-12/PHQ-9 scores and cortisol dynamics. Conclusions: Although depression is prevalent in about half of the patient attendants, cortisol dynamics remain largely unaltered over a short period of two to three weeks.

P.301 Healthy women who use oral contraceptives have blunted cortisol dynamics, but show no change in working memory relative to non-users

P.301 Healthy women who use oral contraceptives have blunted cortisol dynamics, but show no change in working memory relative to non-users

Over-activation of primate subgenual cingulate cortex enhances the cardiovascular, behavioral and neural responses to threat

Stress-related disorders such as depression and anxiety are characterized by enhanced negative emotion and physiological dysfunction. Whilst elevated activity within area 25 of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC/25) has been implicated in these illnesses, it is unknown whether this over-activity is causal. By combining targeted intracerebral microinfusions with cardiovascular and behavioral monitoring in marmosets, we show that over-activation of sgACC/25 reduces vagal tone and heart rate variability, alters cortisol dynamics during stress and heightens reactivity to proximal and distal threat. 18F-FDG PET imaging shows these changes are accompanied by altered activity within a network of brain regions including the amygdala, hypothalamus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Ketamine, shown to have rapid antidepressant effects, fails to reverse elevated arousal to distal threat contrary to the beneficial effects we have previously demonstrated on over-activation induced reward blunting, illustrating the symptom-specificity of its actions.

Dynamics and determinants of cortisol and alpha-amylase responses to repeated stressors in recent interpersonal trauma survivors

BackgroundAlterations in major stress response systems are present during the immediate aftermath of trauma and may play a role in determining risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the dynamics and determinants of stress responses during this acute recovery phase, and their relevance for longitudinal clinical course and prognosis, have yet to be fully examined. The objectives of the present study were to characterize stress response and habituation patterns to repeated social stressors in women who recently experienced interpersonal trauma and to determine the extent to which these stress responses were associated with PTSD during prospective follow-up. MethodThis longitudinal study examined salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase and heart rate (HR) responses to repeated stressors in 98 young women (ages 18–30). Participants included women who had experienced an incident of interpersonal trauma (i.e., physical and/or sexual assault) in the three months prior to their baseline assessment (n = 58) and a comparison group of healthy, non-traumatized women (n = 40). Women completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), clinical interviews to evaluate posttraumatic stress symptom severity at the baseline assessment and again at 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-ups. ResultsMultilevel models revealed a pattern of robust initial cortisol TSST responses and habituation across successive TSSTs; alpha-amylase and HR responses showed no evidence of habituation across TSSTs. Among interpersonal trauma survivors, current PTSD status was associated with more pronounced cortisol responses to the first TSST. Survivors exhibited similarly blunted cortisol responses across follow-up TSSTs regardless of PTSD status, suggesting habituation of cortisol responses among survivors who developed PTSD. PTSD re-experiencing symptoms were uniquely associated with blunting of cortisol TSST responses. ConclusionFindings suggest that PTSD as a diagnostic entity is meaningfully associated with cortisol responses to repeated social stressors. Social-evaluative threat is a salient form of danger for interpersonal trauma survivors. Identifying the determinants of cortisol (non)habituation to repeated social-evaluative threat among interpersonal trauma survivors could inform the development of early interventions for PTSD.

EFFECT OF COMBINATED APPLICATION OF PROBIOTIC AND ENTEROSORBENT ON THE DYNAMICS OF CORTISOL IN CHICKENS IN THE EARLY POSTEMBRIONIC PERIOD

The research is devoted to the study of chickens’ cortisol dynamics at an early stage ofpost-embryonic development with the use of probiotics such as zoonorm, enterosorbent based on polymethylsilxane polyhydrate and their complex. To achieve the goal, 4 groups of analogue chickens were formed, 1 was a control group, 2 - received a probiotic in a mixture with feed at a dose of 0.2 g per head in morning feeding; 3 - 0.3% weight enterosorbent 2 hours after evening feeding; 4 - a combination of two preparations at the appropriate time. The introduction of drugs was carried out from 5- to 25-day age. All the indicators were analyzed in 5-, 15-, 25- and 35-day chicks. As a result of the research, chicks in all groups showed an increase in cortisol concentrations. In the control group a stable growth of the indicator was observed, which reached a maximum in 35 days, an increase in the concentration of the hormone by 41.6% was accompanied by an increase in glucose to 14.6 to 0.5 mmol/L, a decrease in cholesterol and triglycerides. In chicks 2 and 3 groups the highest value of cortisol is noted in 25 days, 4 - in 15 days. In 2 and 3 groups, with maximum cortisol levels, glucose concentrations were 14.64 and 14.91 mmol/L, with a marked decrease in triglycerides and cholesterol. In the 4th group of 15-day-old chicks, an 8.4% increase in cholesterol and triglycerides resulted in a 37.3 and 68.9% decrease in cholesterol and triglycerides. At the end of the experiment, the 4th group was found to reduce cortisol to 5.07 nmol/L, glucose to 12.32 to 0.13 mmol/L, and a relative increase in triglycerides. In conclusion, the relationship between synthesis of cortisol, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and their metabolism was confirmed. There has been a marked reduction in the influence of stress factors and increased resistance of chickens with the complex use of probiotic and enterosorbent.

Stress and Health: A Review of Psychobiological Processes.

The cumulative science linking stress to negative health outcomes is vast. Stress can affect health directly, through autonomic and neuroendocrine responses, but also indirectly, through changes in health behaviors. In this review, we present a brief overview of (a) why we should be interested in stress in the context of health; (b) the stress response and allostatic load; (c) some of the key biological mechanisms through which stress impacts health, such as by influencing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation and cortisol dynamics, the autonomic nervous system, and gene expression; and (d) evidence of the clinical relevance of stress, exemplified through the risk of infectious diseases. The studies reviewed in this article confirm that stress has an impact on multiple biological systems. Future work ought to consider further the importance of early-life adversity and continue to explore how different biological systems interact in the context of stress and health processes.

Prenatal Maternal Cortisol Levels and Infant Birth Weight in a Predominately Low-Income Hispanic Cohort.

Infant birth weight influences numerous health outcomes throughout the life course including childhood obesity and metabolic morbidities. Maternal experience of stress, both before and during pregnancy, has been hypothesized to influence fetal growth and birth outcomes. However, these associations currently are not fully understood, due to conflicting results in the published literature. Salivary cortisol is often used as a biological biomarker to assess the diurnal pattern of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA-axis) functioning. Cortisol metrics include both the total cortisol concentration secreted during waking hours, reflected by the area under the curve (AUC), and cortisol dynamics, which include the diurnal cortisol slope (DCS) and the cortisol awakening response (CAR). This study examined the association of these cortisol metrics measured during the third trimester of pregnancy and infant birth weight among 240 mother-infant dyads participating in the Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors (MADRES) pregnancy cohort study, which is predominately comprised of Hispanic low-income women. There were no significant associations with the maternal biological stress response and infant birth weight in this study. More research is needed in larger studies to better understand how the biological stress response influences birth weight in populations facing health disparities.

Timescales of Human Hair Cortisol Dynamics.

SummaryCortisol is a major human stress hormone, secreted within minutes of acute stress. Cortisol also has slower patterns of variation: a strong circadian rhythm and a seasonal rhythm. However, longitudinal cortisol dynamics in healthy individuals over timescales of months has rarely been studied. Here, we measured longitudinal cortisol in 55 healthy participants using 12 cm of hair, which provides a retrospective measurement over one year. Individuals showed (non-seasonal) fluctuations averaging about 22% around their baseline. Fourier analysis reveals dominant slow frequencies with periods of months to a year. These frequencies can be explained by a mathematical model of the hormonal cascade that controls cortisol, the HPA axis, when including the slow timescales of tissue turnover of the glands. Measuring these dynamics is important for understanding disorders in which cortisol secretion is impaired over months, such as mood disorders, and to test models of cortisol feedback control.

A new model for the HPA axis explains dysregulation of stress hormones on the timescale of weeks.

Stress activates a complex network of hormones known as the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is dysregulated in chronic stress and psychiatric disorders, but the origin of this dysregulation is unclear and cannot be explained by current HPA models. To address this, we developed a mathematical model for the HPA axis that incorporates changes in the total functional mass of the HPA hormone‐secreting glands. The mass changes are caused by HPA hormones which act as growth factors for the glands in the axis. We find that the HPA axis shows the property of dynamical compensation, where gland masses adjust over weeks to buffer variation in physiological parameters. These mass changes explain the experimental findings on dysregulation of cortisol and ACTH dynamics in alcoholism, anorexia, and postpartum. Dysregulation occurs for a wide range of parameters and is exacerbated by impaired glucocorticoid receptor (GR) feedback, providing an explanation for the implication of GR in mood disorders. These findings suggest that gland‐mass dynamics may play an important role in the pathophysiology of stress‐related disorders.

Rapid Capture and Extraction of Sweat for Regional Rate and Cytokine Composition Analysis Using a Wearable Soft Microfluidic System

Rapid Capture and Extraction of Sweat for Regional Rate and Cytokine Composition Analysis Using a Wearable Soft Microfluidic System

Testosterone, cortisol and alpha-amylase levels during a handball match; analysis of dynamics and associations

ABSTRACT This study evaluated dynamics of testosterone, cortisol and alpha-amylase during a handball match in high-level male players. Ten male professional players (24.1 ± 3.1 years, 188.2 ± 6.4 cm, 94.6 ± 9.6 kg) were tested on salivary-testosterone, -cortisol and -alpha-amylase levels before (prematch), at halftime, and immediately after the game. Analysis of variance for repeated measurements (ANOVA) with consecutive post-hoc analyses and effect-size differences were calculated to identify differences between measurements. The associations among biomarkers were determined by Pearson’s product moment correlation (Pearson’s r). The ANOVA indicated significant differences in testosterone (F: 14.31, p < 0.01; significant post-hoc differences between prematch and remaining two measurements), and alpha-amylase (F: 9.78, p < 0.01; significant post-hoc differences between all measurements). Significant correlations were evidenced between: (i) alpha-amylase- and testosterone-changes during 1st halftime (Pearson’s r: 0.81, p < 0.01), and (ii) alpha-amylase- and cortisol-changes during 2nd halftime (Pearson’s r: 0.76, p < 0.05). The results indicated specific dynamics of biomarkers during the handball match, with significant increase in alpha-amylase during the entire match and significant increase in the testosterone level during the first half of the match. Further studies are needed to evaluate the associations between real-game performance and changes in hormonal responses.

Investigation of Cortisol Dynamics in Human Sweat Using a Graphene-Based Wireless mHealth System

Understanding and assessing endocrine response to stress is crucial to human performance analysis, stress-related disorder diagnosis, and mental health monitoring. Current approaches for stress monitoring are largely based on questionnaires, which could be very subjective. To avoid stress-inducing blood sampling and to realize continuous, non-invasive, and real-time stress analysis at the molecular levels, we investigate the dynamics of a stress hormone, cortisol, in human sweat using an integrated wireless sensing device. Highly sensitive, selective, and efficient cortisol sensing is enabled by a flexible sensor array that exploits the exceptional performance of laser-induced graphene for electrochemical sensing. Herein, we report the first cortisol diurnal cycle and the dynamic stress response profile constructed from human sweat. Our pilot study demonstrates a strong empirical correlation between serum and sweat cortisol, revealing exciting opportunities offered by sweat analysis toward non-invasive dynamic stress monitoring via wearable and portable sensing platforms.

Cortisol dynamics in depression: Application of a continuous-time process model

BackgroundThe temporal dynamics of cortisol may be altered in depression. Optimally studying these dynamics in daily life requires specific analytical methods. We used a continuous-time multilevel process model to study set point (rhythm-corrected mean), variability around this set point, and regulation strength (speed with which cortisol levels regulate back to the set point after any perturbation). We examined the generalizability of the parameters across two data sets with different sampling and assay methods, and the hypothesis that regulation strength, but not set point or variability thereof, would be altered in depressed, compared to non-depressed individuals. MethodsThe first data set is a general population sample of female twins (n = 523), of which 21 were depressed, with saliva samples collected 10 times a day for 5 days. The second data set consists of pair-matched clinically depressed and non-depressed individuals (n = 30), who collected saliva samples 3 times a day for 30 days. Set point, regulation strength and variability were examined using a Bayesian multilevel Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) process model. They were first compared between samples, and thereafter assessed within samples in relation to depression. ResultsSet point and variability of salivary cortisol were twice as high in the female twin sample, compared to the pair-matched sample. The ratio between set point and variability, as well as regulation strength, which are relative measures and therefore less affected by the specific assay method, were similar across samples. The average regulation strength was high; after an increase in cortisol, cortisol levels would decrease by 63 % after 10 min, and by 95 % after 30 min, but depressed individuals of the pair-matched sample displayed an even faster regulation strength. ConclusionsThe OU process model recovered similar cortisol dynamics for the relative parameters of the two data sets. The results suggest that regulation strength is increased in depressed individuals. We recommend the presented methodology for future studies and call for replications with more diverse depressed populations.

Neurocognitive Functions and Brain Volume in Patients with Endogenous Cushing's Syndrome Before and After Curative Surgery.

Introduction:Cushing's syndrome (CS) leads to various neuropsychiatric manifestations due to structural and functional changes of the brain and contributes significantly in the impairment of health-related quality of life.Aim and Objective:This study is conducted with aims to evaluate neurocognitive functions and brain volume in patients with endogenous Cushing's syndrome before and after curative surgery.Methods:The diagnosis of CS was made by clinical features, abnormal cortisol dynamics, ACTH levels, and imaging studies. Neuropsychiatric tests (Beck depression Index, Spatial span test, PGI memory scale, Color trail test, Verbal fluency test), and Brain volume (Bi-caudate and third ventricular diameter) were done before and after curative surgery.Results:Fifteen patients of CS were included for the study; all patients underwent curative surgery, neuropsychiatric assessment, and brain volume measurements. Nine patients were followed successfully till remission and repeat evaluation of these patients was done. Depression was the most common neuropsychiatric illness. Severity of depression positively correlated with 0800 h plasma cortisol and ACTH. Patients with higher severity of depression had maximum improvement after curative surgery. Significant decrease in the third ventricular, as well as bicaudate diameter, was observed after curative surgery (P < 0.01).Conclusion:Neuropsychiatric functions and structural brain changes reverse after curative surgery in patients with endogenous CS, however, long term follow-up is required to know whether these changes reverse completely or not.