Hair Cortisol Concentrations Research Articles

213 Effect of Continuous Or Intermittent Feeding of Ergot Contaminated Grain in a Mash Or Pelleted Form on the Performance and Health Parameters of Finishing Beef Steers

Abstract This study evaluated the effect of feeding pelleted or mash ergot contaminated grain fed continuously or intermittently on the growth performance, blood serum variables, and carcass quality of finishing beef steers. Sixty black angus steers (442 ± 36.7 kg) were used in a complete randomized finishing (90% concentrate:10% barley silage DM basis) 126-d study. Steers were randomly assigned to 4 different treatments and individually housed. Treatments included: 1) control ration [CON; no added ergot alkaloids (EA)], 2) continuous ergot mash (CEM; fed continuously at 2 ppm total EA), 3) intermittent ergot mash (IEM; fed at 2 ppm EA during the first week of each 21-d period and control diet for the remaining 2 weeks), and 4) intermittent ergot pellet (IEP; fed at 2 ppm EA incorporated into a pelleted supplement during the first week of each 21-d period and control diet for the other 2 weeks). Steers were weighed every 21 d and blood samples were collected on day 0, 42, 84, and 126. Steer DMI (P < 0.01, 9.95 vs. 11.05 kg/day) and ADG (P = 0.04) decreased for all EA treatments compared with the CON. Total shrunk BW gain (P = 0.03, 202.5 vs. 225.2 kg), final BW (P = 0.03, 617.9 vs. 662.2 kg), and carcass weight (P = 0.06) decreased for all EA steers compared with the CON steers. No treatment effects (P > 0.05) were observed for carcass dressing percentage, ribeye area, marbling score, or liver abscess. The percent of carcasses graded AAA decreased for all EA steers compared CON steers (P < 0.01, 46.7 vs. 93.3%). Steers fed EA had increased rectal temperature compared with CON steers (P < 0.01, 39.8 vs. 39.4 °C). Hair cortisol concentrations were less in steers fed IEP (P = 0.05, 1.23 vs. 1.76 pg/mg) than CON. No treatment effects (P > 0.05) were observed for complete blood count, and serum prolactin, haptoglobin, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase, amylase, calcium, creatine, glucose, lipase, total bilirubin, total protein, or globulin. Blood urea nitrogen was less for EA steers compared with CON (P = 0.01, 3.48 vs. 4.10 mmol/L). The IEM steers had decreased concentrations of serum gamma-glutamyl transferase compared with IEP steers (P = 0.04, 23.4 vs. 28.5 IU). Pelleting ergot contaminated grain did not reduce the impact of ergot alkaloids on any of the measured parameters. Results suggest that continuously or intermittently feeding an ergot contaminated diet (2 ppm EA) can significantly reduce intake, growth performance, and carcass weight, with minimal impact on blood serum variables in finishing steers. Pelleting was not an effective method of reducing ergot toxicity.

Changes in hair cortisol levels and cognitive function among older patients in palliative care.

This monocentric pilot study aimed to assess whether there are significant changes in hair cortisol levels and cognitive functioning at baseline and after 3 weeks of hospitalisation in older palliative care patients, and to ascertain whether hair cortisol can be used as a pertinent stress biomarker in this population. Hair cortisol concentration levels were measured with the use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while cognitive functions were assessed by using 16-point Mini-Mental State Examination 2 (MMSE-2): brief version. A statistically significant difference in mean hair cortisol levels at the start of the hospitalisation was found when compared to the 3-week follow-up (p=0.007). No statistically significant differences were observed regarding MMSE-2 scores using the same time points. These results have direct clinical implications and set the stage for further research endeavours in the field.

Symposium 14: Patterns of Learning Performance on List Learning Tasks: Do They Mitigate Gender Differences in Memory?

Summary AbstractWomen tend to perform better than men on episodic verbal memory tests across the age span, which may contribute to gender-related disparities in diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment and dementia. Patterns of learning performance may be better indicators of potential memory problems and address gender differences. The serial position effect, specifically a J-curve (reduced primacy relative to recency), is predictive of dementia, but few studies have examined gender differences in serial position. Learning ratio (LR) is a recently developed calculation for the extent to which an individual benefits from repeated exposure to a word list. LR has shown strong relationships to memory performance and memory impairment. Gender differences on LR have been inconsistently identified. Whether or not men and women show differential relationships of serial position or LR to other memory indicators, however, has not been examined. In the four papers within this symposium, we examine the relationship of serial position and LR to memory outcomes in four samples of older adults, with a focus on whether gender moderates these relationships. We also examine the relationship of memory process variables to cortisol. The first two papers used the RBANS. Alexander et al. found that, within a sample of 203 healthy older adults (133 women) with no diagnosis of MCI or dementia, men and women did not differ on LR and there was no differential prediction for LR by gender with delayed memory variables. Do and colleagues demonstrated that, within a sample of 338 older adults (228 women) with no diagnosis of MCI or dementia, men and women did not differ in primacy, but men did worse on recency. While 23% of the sample showed a J-curve pattern, this did not differ by gender, and the pattern was highly predictive of memory performance for both men and women. Thus, at least for the RBANS, these two studies suggest LR and primacy avoid gender confounds seen in traditional memory measures. The last two papers included assessment of cortisol. Lambertus et al. found that, in a sample of 60 older adults, 26 of whom were caregivers for persons with dementia, caregivers performed worse on recency, but not primacy. They also reported more stress but were not different in hair cortisol concentration. Within the full sample, perceived stress was related to recency, but not primacy; hair cortisol was not related to either perceived stress or primacy/recency. Finally, Pizzonia and colleagues report AVLT learning process findings from a sample of 100 healthy older adults (44 men). They found that women were better on both LR and primacy, but not recency. However, LR and primacy were not differentially related to memory outcomes in men and women, although there were differential relationships of recency to AVLT. Potential gender moderation of relationships between cortisol and LR/primacy performance were also observed. Overall, findings suggest that there may be gender differences in AVLT-related learning process tests, but that their relationship to memory outcome variables may be similar across genders. Implications of these findings for assessment will be discussed.

3 Relation of Stress and Cortisol to Primacy and Recency Performance Patterns in Older Adult Caregivers of People with Dementia

Objective:The serial position effect is the tendency to recall items at the beginning (primacy) and end (recency) of a word list best and middle items the worst, demonstrated by a 'U-shaped’ profile. Individuals with memory impairment often demonstrate a 'J-shaped’ profile, with a diminished primacy effect. An attenuated primacy effect could be one of the earliest indicators of cognitive decline in older adults. Chronic elevations in cortisol are related to hippocampal atrophy and decreased learning and recall. Given the rehearsal and encoding required to recall words at the beginning of a list, we hypothesized that reduced primacy would be related to higher cortisol levels, measured via hair cortisol concentration, in older adults, particularly caregivers of people with dementia (PWD), who are under increased stress.Participants and Methods:Data were taken from a deidentified dataset of 60 community-dwelling older adults (> 50) with no evidence of dementia who participated in a larger study on memory and caregiving stress; 26 identified themselves as caregivers of PWD. The sample was 83% women and 98% White, with a mean age of 67.58 (SD=8.85) and 80% holding at least a college degree. Stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale. The List Learning and List Recall subtests from the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status were used to assess the serial position effect. Primacy and recency were determined by the first three and last three words on the list, respectively, and were measured for trials 1-4. Relative strength of primacy versus recency at delayed recall was also calculated such that positive scores indicate better primacy than recency and negative scores indicate worse primacy than recency (J-shaped profile). Hair samples were collected, and the first one cm of hair was used to assay hair cortisol concentration, reflecting the past month of cortisol.Results:Caregivers were younger than non-caregivers (p<.001), but groups did not differ in gender (p=.412). Age was controlled for in all subsequent analyses. Caregivers reported more stress (p<.001), but groups were not different in hair cortisol (p=.093). On memory tasks, caregivers showed lower list learning raw scores (p=.002) and lower list recall raw score (p=.046); groups were not different in primacy learning (p=.114), but caregivers showed worse recency over learning trials (p<.001). Caregivers were not more likely to show the J-shaped serial position profile at recall (p=.285). Collapsed across groups, perceived stress was not related to cortisol (p=.124) but was related to recency (p=.001) and list learning raw (p=.004), but not list recall raw (p=.485) or primacy (p=.109). Cortisol was not related to primacy (p=.277) or recency (p=.538).Conclusions:Contrary to predictions, caregivers were not worse on primacy but were worse on recency. Caregivers also reported more stress; collapsed across groups, stress was associated with recency performance. This may suggest that stress is related more to poor attention and short-term memory (recency) than encoding and recall related memory problems (primacy).

Emotional abuse and behavior problems in Chinese preschool-aged children: The role of hair cortisol concentrations.

Emotional abuse and behavior problems in Chinese preschool-aged children: The role of hair cortisol concentrations.

Mindfulness Practice Reduces Hair Cortisol, Anxiety and Perceived Stress in University Workers: Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Anxiety and stress are common mental health conditions reported by university workers. Practices of mindfulness represent one promising approach as an effective and feasible means to reduce stress, improve mental health and promote well-being; however, there are no clinical trials that have combined long-term stress biomarkers (hair cortisol) and psychometric assessments in a sample of university workers. Objective: This study investigated the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based program on long-term stress, by measuring hair cortisol concentration and perceived stress and anxiety among workers who were undergoing high levels of stress. Method: We conducted a randomized clinical trial at work among the employees of a public university. We compared a group that received the eight-week mindfulness intervention with the wait list group who received no intervention. Results: A total of 30 participants were included in the study, with n = 15 subjects in the intervention group and n = 15 in the control group. Hair cortisol, perceived stress and anxiety significantly reduced after the intervention compared to the control group, which had no appreciable decline in the measured variables. Conclusion: This clinical trial showed the effectiveness of a mindfulness program on mental health psychometric measures (perceived stress and anxiety) and on a long-term stress biomarker (hair cortisol). It can be concluded that an eight-week mindfulness program could be implemented as an effective strategy to reduce stress biomarkers (hair cortisol) as well as perceived stress and anxiety, improving the mental health of university workers.

Adolescents' hair cortisol concentrations during COVID-19: Evidence from two longitudinal studies in the Netherlands and the United States.

Prolonged stress exposure is associated with alterations in cortisol output. The COVID-19 pandemic represented a stressor for many, including children. However, a high-quality caregiving environment may protect against psychological problems and possibly against elevations in cortisol. We examined adolescents' physiological stress responses to the pandemic and the role of attachment in two longitudinal samples from the Netherlands and the United States (https://aspredicted.org/HHY_8MK). Cortisol was assessed from hair samples before and during the pandemic, while attachment was self-reported prepandemic. Study 1 included a Dutch sample (N=158; examined at ages 10 and later at 14 years old), whereas Study 2 included a US sample (N=153; examined at ages 9-11 and again 2 years later) and an age-matched prepandemic sample (N=29, 10-13 years old). Repeated-measures analyses of variance examined changes in cortisol from prepandemic to during the pandemic and the effect of attachment in each sample separately. After accounting for age, both studies revealed nonsignificant changes in hair cortisol and a nonsignificant effect of attachment. A significant effect of sex emerged in Study 1, with Dutch girls showing a significant cortisol increase during the pandemic, which was not explained by puberty. These findings suggest differential associations of the pandemic with hair cortisol increases by sex and country.

Hair and plasma cortisol throughout the first 3years of development in infant rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta.

Cortisol expression has been demonstrated to have variation across development in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). There exists contradictory evidence for the nature of this change, and age at which it occurs, across biological sample types. Consequently, we lack a cohesive understanding for cortisol concentrations across the development of a major human health translational model. We examined hair cortisol concentrations over the first 3years of life for 49 mother-reared infant macaques from mixed-sex outdoor units at the California National Primate Research Center. For 48 of these subjects at infancy, 1year, and 2years, we obtained plasma cortisol samples for response to a stressor, adjustment to prolonged stress, and response to dexamethasone injection. Hair cortisol concentrations decreased dramatically between 3 and 10months, followed by relative stability up to the final sampling event at around 34months of age. Plasma cortisol showed within-year consistency, and consistency between infancy and year 1. We document variability in the infant plasma cortisol samples, especially in percent change between samples 1 and 2. Our plasma cortisol results indicate that infants possess the physiological capacity to effectively inhibit the release of cortisol when stimulated, as effectively as later responses in juveniles. Age-related changes in hair cortisol parallel findings indicating a large decline in the weeks following postparturation.

Amniotic fluid cortisol predicts neonatal and infant development in non-stressed rhesus monkeys: Implications for prenatal stress

Prenatal stress adversely affects offspring development, with fetal cortisol (CORT) exposure being a primary hypothesized mechanism for stress-induced developmental deficits. Fetal CORT exposure can be assessed via measurements in amniotic fluid. However, in humans, amniocentesis is typically only performed for clinical reasons such as karyotyping; thus, amniotic fluid CORT cannot be obtained from a random sample. To test the hypothesis that fetal CORT exposure predicts neonatal and infant development in healthy primates, we measured amniotic fluid CORT in N = 18 healthy rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) dams (50:50 female:male infants) between 80 and 124 days gestation (mean ± SEM = 98.3 ± 2.9 days out of 165 days gestational length; i.e., second trimester). Maternal hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) were assessed throughout pregnancy and lactation. Offspring were assessed for physical growth, neurological development, cognitive development, and HCCs across postnatal days 30–180. Controlling for gestational age at amniocentesis, higher amniotic fluid CORT significantly predicted slower infant growth rate (g/day) in the first 30 days (β = −0.19; R2 = 0.71, p = .008), poorer sensorimotor scores on the day 30 neonatal assessment (β = −0.28; R2 = 0.76, p = .015), and longer time to complete training (β = 0.48; R2 = 0.54, p = .026), but better performance (β = 0.91; R2 = 0.60, p = .011) on a discrimination cognitive task at 120–180 days. Amniotic fluid CORT was not associated with maternal or infant HCCs. Although these results are correlative, they raise the intriguing possibility that fetal CORT exposure in non-stress-exposed primates, as measured by amniotic fluid CORT, programs multiple aspects of neonatal and infant development. On the other hand, amniotic fluid CORT may not relate to chronic CORT levels in either mothers or infants when assessed by hair sampling.

P013 The Effect of Noise Exposure during Sleep on the Cortisol Awakening Response

Abstract Introduction Environmental noise could negatively impact the sleep and well-being of nearby residents. This study tested for overnight noise exposure effects on the cortisol awakening response (CAR), a potential marker of noise-related stress responses, and for differences in CAR and hair cortisol between different prior noise exposure groups. Methods A randomised controlled laboratory trial was conducted in 68 individuals from four groups; including WFN-exposed residents n=14 with and n=18 without WFN-related complaints, n=18 quiet rural control and n=18 urban traffic-noise exposed residents. Across six nights, after an initial adaptation night, participants were exposed in random order to different noise conditions, which included intermittent WFN and road traffic noise (RTN), WFN at average exposure levels throughout wake, sleep or both and a quiet control night. Salivary CAR responses were evaluated from 5 serial saliva samples collected following awakening. Hair cortisol levels were also collected. Mixed effects models were used to examine group and night effects on CAR and group effects on hair cortisol. Results There was a significant main effect of condition on CAR (p=0.038), but no significant pairwise differences between the control night and noise exposure nights, and no further differences between nights or groups on CAR or hair cortisol concentrations. Conclusions Acute in-laboratory noise-related sleep disturbance at the levels used in this study do not appear to alter acute cortisol awakening responses. A better understanding of chronic noise exposure effects and stress responses is important to help clarify and mitigate potential environmental noise exposure effects on nearby residents.

Manganese Exacerbates Seasonal Health Declines in a Suicidally Breeding Mammal.

Reproductive costs must be balanced with survival to maximize lifetime reproductive rates; however, some organisms invest in a single, suicidal bout of breeding known as semelparity. The northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) is an endangered marsupial in which males, but not females, are semelparous. Northern quolls living near mining sites on Groote Eylandt, Northern Territory, Australia, accumulate manganese (Mn) in their brains, testes, and hair, and elevated Mn impacts motor performance. Whether Mn is associated with other health declines is yet unknown. In the present study we show that male and female northern quolls with higher Mn accumulation had a 20% reduction in immune function and a trend toward reduced cortisol concentrations in hair. The telomere lengths of male quolls did not change pre- to postbreeding, but those with higher Mn levels had longer telomeres; in contrast, the telomeres of females shortened during the breeding season but recovered between the first year and second year of breeding. In addition, the telomeres of quolls that were recaptured declined at significantly higher rates in quolls with higher Mn between prebreeding, breeding, and/or postbreeding seasons. Future research should determine whether changes in cortisol, immune function, or telomere length affect reproductive output or survival-particularly for semelparous males. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:74-86. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

How prenatal cortisol levels may differentially affect the neurodevelopment of boys and girls

Background: Prenatal stress could have serious consequences on maternal and fetal health. In this sense, some studies have stated that maternal HCC during pregnancy could contribute to sex-specific effects on infant neurodevelopment, following the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Hypothesis. Aim: This study aimed to determine whether maternal hair cortisol concentration (HCC) during each trimester of pregnancy and postpartum could predict the neurodevelopmental outcomes of their 12-month-old offspring, with sex-specific differences considered. Study design: longitudinal. Subjects: The study involved 93 pregnant women and their babies. Outcome measure: Hair samples collected during each trimester and postpartum and The Bayley Scales for Infant Development III was used to assess the infants' abilities. Results: The results showed that maternal HCC during the first and second trimesters could predict language and motor abilities. However, when discriminated by sex, only females' cognitive, expressive language, and fine and gross motor skills were predicted by cortisol, not males. Conclusions: These findings support the idea that non-toxic levels of cortisol can positively influence infants' neurodevelopment.

Exposure to the Indian Ocean Tsunami shapes the HPA-axis resulting in HPA “burnout” 14 years later

Despite significant research on the effects of stress on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, questions remain regarding long-term impacts of large-scale stressors. Leveraging data on exposure to an unanticipated major natural disaster, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, we provide causal evidence of its imprint on hair cortisol levels fourteen years later. Data are drawn from the Study of the Tsunami Aftermath and Recovery, a population-representative longitudinal study of tsunami survivors who were living along the coast of Aceh, Indonesia, when the tsunami hit. Annual rounds of data, collected before, the year after and 2 y after the disaster provide detailed information about tsunami exposures and self-reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Hair samples collected 14 y after the tsunami from a sample of adult participants provide measures of cortisol levels, integrated over several months. Hair cortisol concentrations are substantially and significantly lower among females who were living, at the time of the tsunami, in communities directly damaged by the tsunami, in comparison with similar females living in other, nearby communities. Differences among males are small and not significant. Cortisol concentrations are lowest among those females living in damaged communities who reported elevated post-traumatic stress symptoms persistently for two years after the tsunami, indicating that the negative effects of exposure were largest for them. Low cortisol is also associated with contemporaneous reports of poor self-rated general and psychosocial health. Taken together, the evidence points to dysregulation in the HPA axis and "burnout" among these females fourteen years after exposure to the disaster.

Within-person associations of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, and testosterone hair hormone concentrations and psychological distress in pregnant and non-pregnant women

Prenatal hair cortisol concentration is inconsistently associated with maternal psychological distress. However, prior studies have not often measured hair cortisol and maternal psychological distress prospectively over time, examined within-person associations, nor concurrently considered the complex hormonal milieu in which cortisol operates during pregnancy. We addressed these limitations and tested associations against a similar non-pregnant comparison group. Participants included 68 women (34 pregnant and 34 non-pregnant; Mage = 29.14 and 83 % White) from the Midwestern United States. Pregnant women were assessed each trimester, at 12, 26, and 38 weeks and non-pregnant women were assessed three times on the same schedule. At each assessment, participants completed measures of psychological distress and provided hair samples. The first 3 cm (from the scalp) of hair was assayed using enzyme immune-assay kits to reflect cumulative levels within the given trimester/3-month time period of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and testosterone. Within-person associations of hair cortisol and ratio of hair cortisol-to-DHEA and cortisol-to-testosterone with psychological distress were assessed using multilevel models. There were positive within-person associations of hair cortisol with cumulative psychological distress (γ = 0.01, s.e. = 0.003, p = .049), anxiety (γ = 0.09, s.e. = 0.04, p = .046), and pregnancy-related anxiety symptoms (γ = 0.10, s.e. = 0.05, p = .041) in the pregnant sample such that on occasions when hair cortisol was higher than average so were psychological distress symptoms. No within-person associations of hair cortisol were supported in non-pregnant women although there was a negative within-person association, such that on occasions of having lower testosterone level than typical, depression symptoms were higher. There were no within-person associations of psychological distress and cortisol-to-DHEA ratio or cortisol-to-testosterone ratio in either the pregnant or non-pregnant sample. At the between person-level for pregnant women, lower cortisol levels were associated with higher perceived stress (γ = -0.28, s.e. = 0.09, p = .003) and depression symptoms (γ = -0.11, s.e. = 0.06, p = .039), whereas higher cortisol levels were associated with higher psychological distress (γ = 0.03, s.e. = 0.01, p = .010), state anxiety (γ = 0.33, s.e. = 0.13, p = .010), and depression symptoms (γ = 0.23, s.e. = 0.09, p = .017) in non-pregnant women. Modeling hair cortisol at the within-person and between-person level revealed differential findings in pregnant and non-pregnant women.Hair cortisol concentration, psychological distress, pregnancy, hormone coupling, within-person associations.

Evaluating Mixtures of Urinary Phthalate Metabolites and Serum Per-/Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Relation to Adolescent Hair Cortisol: The HOME Study.

Results of toxicological studies indicate that phthalates and per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), 2 classes of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, may alter the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. We evaluated the associations of urinary phthalate metabolites and serum PFAS during gestation and childhood with adolescent hair cortisol concentrations (pg/mg hair) at age 12 years, an integrative marker of HPA axis activity (n= 205 mother-child pairs; Cincinnati, Ohio; enrolled 2003-2006). We used quantile-based g-computation to estimate associations between mixtures of urinary phthalate metabolites or serum PFAS and hair cortisol. We also examined whether associations of individual phthalate metabolites or PFAS with cortisol varied by the timing of exposure. We found that a 1-quartile increase in all childhood phthalate metabolites was associated with 35% higher adolescent hair cortisol (phthalate mixture ψ= 0.13; 95% confidence interval: 0.03, 0.22); these associations were driven by monoethyl phthalate, monoisobutyl phthalate, and monobenzyl phthalate. We did not find evidence that phthalate metabolites during gestation or serum PFAS mixtures were related to adolescent hair cortisol concentrations. We found suggestive evidence that higher childhood concentrations of individual PFAS were related to higher and lower adolescent hair cortisol concentrations. Our results suggest that phthalate exposure during childhood may contribute to higher levels of chronic HPA axis activity.

Technical validation and a comparison of two methods to quantify individual levels of glucocorticoids in Alpine marmot hair

Quantification of cortisol concentration in hair has become a promising conservation tool for non-invasive monitoring of “stress” in wild populations, yet this method needs to be carefully validated for each species. The goals of the study were:•Immunologically validate two methods (study 1 and 2 respectively) to extract and quantify cortisol in the hair of wild Alpine marmots.•Compare the amount of cortisol extracted from hair samples using two methods i.e. cut into fine pieces (study 1) and hair samples pulverized using a ball mill (study 2).•Determine the extent to which methods in study 2 could provide individual specific hair cortisol (HC) measures when samples were taken from the same body location. Within and between individual variations in HC levels were examined from multiple hair samples from 14 subjects in study 2. We evaluated if inter-individual variations in HC levels could be explained by sex and age.At least twice the amount of cortisol was obtained per g/hair when samples were pulverized in a ball mill prior to extraction compared to when cut into pieces. Our methods demonstrated intra-individual consistency in HC at a given time point: inter-individual variation in HC was three times larger than within individual variance. Sex and age did not impact HC levels.

Concurrent and prospective associations between family socioeconomic status, social support and salivary diurnal and hair cortisol in adolescence.

Exposure to socioeconomic adversity is hypothesized to impact hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and cortisol secretion, but existing evidence is inconsistent. Yet, few studies have investigated this association using a developmental approach that considers potential protective contextual factors. This study examined the role of stability and changes in family socioeconomic status (SES) in the prediction of multiple cortisol indicators and tested whether social support moderated these associations. Participants were part of a population-based sample of twin pairs recruited at birth. Family SES was assessed in early childhood (ages 0-5) and mid-adolescence (age 14). Social support was assessed at ages 14 and 19. Diurnal cortisol (n = 569) was measured at age 14 at awakening, 30 min later, in the afternoon and evening over four non-consecutive days. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC, n = 704) was measured at age 19. All data were collected before the pandemic and multilevel regression models were conducted to account for the nested data structure. Youth exposed to lower family SES levels in childhood and mid-adolescence had a flatter diurnal slope and higher HCC compared with those who experienced upward socioeconomic mobility in mid-adolescence. Contrastingly, mid-adolescence SES showed no association with the diurnal slope or HCC for youth from higher-SES households in early childhood. Moreover, youth raised in higher-SES families in early childhood had a higher CAR in mid-adolescence if they reported greater social support in mid-adolescence. Social support also moderated the SES-cortisol association in mid-adolescence, with higher-SES youth showing higher awakening cortisol secretion when reporting more social support. Our findings support the hypothesis that early socioeconomic adversity sensitizes HPA axis activity to later socioeconomic disadvantage, which may bear consequences for socioemotional and behavioral functioning.

The psychobiology of child and parental stress and the subjective perception of parental stress in a clinical sample of children

Parental stress may influence the assimilation of treatment strategies and affect a child's recovery trajectory. Thus, assessing parental stress is crucial for children requiring psychiatric care. The Parenting Stress Index (PSI) is widely utilized to gauge perceived parental stress. However, since the PSI does not quantify cortisol concentration (i.e., a biological marker for stress), it is vital to ascertain the alignment between these indicators. Moreover, understanding the correlation in cortisol concentrations between parents and children in clinical contexts can refine assessment and diagnostic methodologies. In an outpatient sample [mean age (Mage) = 9.68 years], we examined the correlation between hair cortisol concentration (HCC) in 60 pairs of parents and children, analyzed the relationship between PSI scores and parent HCC (n = 65), and used a regression model to probe the influence of child HCC and PSI scores on parent HCC (n = 63). The results showed a significant relationship between parent and child HCC (p < 0.001). The “Distraction and Hyperactivity” PSI subscale correlated significantly with parent HCC (p = 0.02). None of the PSI scores correlated with child HCC (p ≥ 0.07). The regression model, accounting for 44% of the variance, demonstrated that only child HCC significantly predicted parent HCC (p < 0.001), while the “Distraction and Hyperactivity” subscale did not.

Evaluation of capillary cortisol in the elderly with depressive symptoms and Diabetes

Population aging is a fast-growing global phenomenon in developing countries. Several disorders can affect the elderly, including diabetes and depression, which increase the probability of developing functional disability, triggering an important public health problem. Present study aimed to analyze the relationship among capillary cortisol concentrations and diabetes and symptoms of depression, in a sample composed of 151 elderly between 60 and 81 years old, resident in the municipality of Ivoti/RS. Most of the participants were women (72.2%), underlining the feminization characteristic of the senescence. About 50% of the participants studied from 5 to 10 years, while 38.4% from 1 to 4 years, and 2% were illiterate, indicating overall a low education level of the group. With respect to labor, 88.7% of the participants were retired, and family income ranged from 1 to 3 minimal wages monthly in most of the cases (71.6%). Forty-seven elderly (31.1%) met the criteria for DM2 classification. Hair cortisol concentrations ranged from 0.74 to 50.09 pg/mg. Our data indicate a significant positive association of hair cortisol concentrations with DM2 in older adults, but it was not significant associated with depression assessed as GDS score or sex in our population.

Differences in segmental hair cortisol concentration analysis among children and adolescents with overweight and obesity, their parents, and normal weight peers.

Dysregulation of the stress system via incidental long exposure to glucocorticoids (GCs) can lead to weight gain. In addition, family and maternal stress can also have an impact on children's weight. Hair is used in several studies to evaluate cortisol (GC) levels in children and adolescents with excess weight as a retrospective stress biomarker, depending on the hair length the cortisol measurement depicting different time periods. We aimed to investigate whether there is a difference among segmental hair cortisol concentration (HCC) analysis between children and adolescents with overweight and obesity, their mothers, and normal weight peers. This study recruited 25 children aged 6-14 years with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 85th centile and their mothers, as well as 20 children of the same age with a BMI < 85th centile. Hair cortisol concentration was measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Segmental HCC analysis exhibited gradually decreasing values in all participants as segments of hair were more distantly located from the scalp. A positive correlation was found between BMI z-score and HCC of the first segment of hair in children and adolescents with elevated BMI (b = 1.84, p = 0.033), as well as with maternal HCC / of an only child (b = 15.77, p = 0.01). There were no associations between mother-child dyads and children and adolescents of different BMI groups, even though minors with excess weight exhibited higher HCC levels in all segments of hair in comparison to their normal weight counterparts. Hair cortisol of all participants exhibited a gradually declining concentration. More studies with larger samples and more sensitive methods of analysis are warranted in order to draw firmer conclusions.