Higher Cortisol Awakening Response Research Articles

Intergenerational Impact of Maternal Early Life Stress on Infant Development: Risk and Protective Factors From the BABIP Birth Cohort

BackgroundMaternal early life stress may exert an intergenerational impact, leading to adverse infant outcomes. Recent studies suggest moderation of this impact by characteristics of the perinatal environment and physiology. In the Bogazici Mother Baby Relationship Project (BABIP) birth cohort from Istanbul, Turkey, we investigated the role of pregnancy-related worries, fetal bonding and cortisol awakening response as potential risk and protective factors on infant development. MethodsParticipants were pregnant women (N = 187) and their babies from BABIP birth cohort. Maternal early life stress, pregnancy-related worries and fetal bonding was measured by Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Cambridge Worry Scale, and Fetal Attachment Scale, respectively. Cortisol awakening response was measured from saliva samples collected during pregnancy as the difference between awakening and peak cortisol after awakening. Infant development was measured at 4 months after birth using the Ages & Stages Questionnaire. ResultsMaternal early life stress was associated with worse infant development at 4 months. This effect was exacerbated in mothers with high pregnancy-related worries (p <.05) and low fetal bonding (p <.01) during pregnancy. There was a trend for more pronounced effects for both factors in women with higher cortisol awakening response. There were no differences by infant sex. ConclusionThe results suggest that the intergenerational impact of maternal early life stress on infant development may be moderated by prenatal risk and resilience factors, suggesting that infant development is influenced by interactions between maternal early and prenatal environment and physiology. FundingBogazici University BAP #11662&18983&19357, TUBITAK #221K039 (EAD).

Relationship of sleep with diurnal cortisol rhythm considering sleep measurement and cortisol sampling schemes

Information on the relationships between the previous night's sleep and the next-day diurnal cortisol rhythm is inconsistent due to confounding factors such as sleep measurements (trait/state sleep and objective/subjective sleep) and cortisol sampling schemes. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate these relationships, considering the confounding factors. College students (n = 79) wore actigraphy for 3 days to undergo an evaluation of previous night-time sleep objectively and reported their subjective sleep parameters in a sleep diary. In addition, participants provided six salivary cortisol samples daily. Furthermore, six cortisol sampling schemes were created to reflect diurnal cortisol rhythms, and two different methods were used to calculate the index of diurnal cortisol slope (DCS). A multilevel model was created to examine the impact of both trait and state sleep on next-day diurnal cortisol rhythm. The results revealed that higher objective state sleep efficiency and longer objective state total sleep time were associated with a higher cortisol awakening response (CAR). Moreover, higher objective trait sleep efficiency and longer objective trait total sleep time were associated with higher waking cortisol levels and steeper DCS. In addition, a minimum of four saliva samples were required at different time points, including upon waking, 30 min after waking, 1 h after waking, and at bedtime, to explore the relationship of sleep efficiency/total sleep time with waking cortisol, CAR, and DCS. Furthermore, the index of the peak-to-bed slope was appropriately employed to examine the relationship between sleep efficiency and DCS, whereas the wake-to-bed slope was effective for examining the relationship between total sleep time and DCS. In summary, this study clarified the relationship between sleep and next-day diurnal cortisol rhythm and suggested a cost-effective cortisol sampling schedule and calculation methods.

Stress-is-debilitating mindset is linked to higher cortisol awakening response in women

Negative attributes and expectations ascribed to the nature of stress itself, known as a stress-is-debilitating mindset, are linked to poor cognitive, psychological, and cardiovascular outcomes. However, how negative perspectives about stress impact biological systems remains unclear. to determine whether stress-mindset is associated with diurnal cortisol rhythm in highly stressed women. Using a cross-sectional design, 60 women (age range 23-44) from Sao Paulo, Brazil, with high levels of stress determined through the Stress Symptoms Inventory (SSI) were included. Stress-mindset (stress-is-enhancing vs. stress-is-debilitating) was evaluated using the Stress Mindset Scale (SMS). Saliva samples obtained over two consecutive workdays at awakening, 30 min after it, afternoon, and bedtime determined the diurnal cortisol rhythm through the area under the curve (AUC) for total concentration over the day and cortisol awakening response (CAR). Adjusting for age, anticontraceptive and awakening time, lower SMS scores, representing stress-is-debilitating mindsets, were associated with higher CAR (F=5.866; R2=0.10; β= -0.316; p=0.019). No association was observed between SMS scores and AUC for total cortisol concentration (p=0.572). Negative perspectives about stress are linked to higher cortisol reactivity to awakening demands, suggesting that stress-mindsets might influence the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the stress response. These findings inform future studies, including men at different age levels, analyzing stress-mindset profiles related to acute stress responsiveness to expand the understanding of how our beliefs about stress influence the body responses impacting our health.

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity and its relationship to the autonomic nervous system in patients with psychogenic erectile dysfunction.

Psychological stress and its two stress response systems, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the autonomic nervous system (ANS), are closely related to psychogenic erectile dysfunction (pED). However, the analyses of perceived stress and stress systems in pED patients need to be more in-depth, especially the interactions between them. Our study included 75 patients with pEDs and 75 healthy men. The International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) and the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) were used for assessing the severity of ED and perceived stress. All participants collected saliva samples on three consecutive days at eight specific times with strict reference to the time of morning awakening for measuring cortisol parameters and wore electrocardiography for 24h to derive heart rate variability (HRV). The PSS-10 scores of pED patients were significantly higher than the control group (p<0.001). Although PSS-10 and IIEF-5 scores were negatively correlated in pED patients, there was no statistical significance between them (r=-0.049, p=0.677). Compared with the control group, the HRV parameters of pED patients were significantly increased in LF/HF ratio (p=0.014) but significantly decreased in LF, HF, and pNN50 (p<0.001). However, the two groups had no statistically significant differences in cortisol variables (all p>0.05). The interaction between sympathovagal modulation (HF, rMSSD) and cortisol awakening response (CAR AUCi) explained significantly greater variance in perceived stress than either stress system alone. Higher parasympathetic activity combined with a higher cortisol awakening response was associated with greater perceived stress. Our results suggested that the interrelation between ANS and HPA axis activity might enhance our comprehension of how stress affected the physical and mental health of pED patients.

High cortisol awakening response measured on day following high-intensity exercise

High cortisol awakening response measured on day following high-intensity exercise

Prenatal lead exposure and childhood lung function: Influence of maternal cortisol and child sex

IntroductionMaternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis disruption in pregnancy may contribute to the programming of childhood respiratory disease and may modify the effect of chemical toxins, like lead (Pb), on lung development. Child sex may further modify these effects. We sought to prospectively examine associations between maternal HPA axis disruption, prenatal Pb and childhood lung function and explore potential effect modification by maternal cortisol and child sex on the association between prenatal Pb and lung function outcomes. Materials and methodsAnalyses included 222 mothers and children enrolled in a longitudinal birth cohort study in Mexico City. Maternal diurnal salivary cortisol was assessed in pregnancy; cortisol awakening response (CAR) and diurnal slope were calculated. Blood Pb was measured during the second trimester of pregnancy. Post-bronchodilator lung function was tested at ages 8–11 years. Associations were modeled using generalized linear models with interaction terms, adjusting for covariates. ResultsA higher (flatter) diurnal slope was associated with lower FEV1/FVC ratio (β: 0.433, 95%CI [-0.766, −0.101]). We did not find any main effect associations between prenatal Pb and lung function outcomes. We report an interaction between Pb and cortisol in relation to FEV1/FVC and FEF25–75% (pinteraction<0.05 for all). Higher prenatal Pb was associated with reduced FEV1/FVC only in children whose mothers had a high CAR. Higher prenatal Pb was also associated with reduced FEV1/FVC and FEF25–75% in mothers with a flatter diurnal slope. A 3-way interaction between prenatal Pb, CAR and sex on FEV1/FVC, indicated that boys born to women with high CAR and higher prenatal Pb levels had lower FEV1/FVC ratios (pinteraction = 0.067). ConclusionsAssociations between prenatal Pb and childhood lung function were modified by disrupted maternal cortisol in pregnancy and child sex. These findings underscore the need to consider complex interactions to fully elucidate effects of prenatal Pb exposure on childhood lung function.

Prior night sleep moderates the daily spillover between conflict with peers and family and diurnal cortisol.

We investigated whether daily experiences of conflict with family and peers were associated with fluctuations in diurnal cortisol, and whether sleep buffers the associations between conflict and diurnal cortisol. A racially diverse sample of 370 adolescents (ages 11-18; 57.3% female) provided daily diaries for 5 days and saliva samples for 4 days. Hierarchical linear models tested how peer and family conflict were associated with diurnal cortisol (i.e., total cortisol output, cortisol slope, and cortisol awakening response) the next day, and whether these associations were moderated by sleep duration the previous night. When adolescents experienced peer conflict, they showed higher area under the curve (AUC) the next day if they had slept less the night prior to conflict, but relatively lower cortisol awakening response (CAR) and flatter cortisol slope the next day if they had slept more the night prior to conflict. When adolescents experienced family conflict, they also showed higher AUC the next day if they had slept less the night prior to conflict, but higher CAR the next day if they had slept more the night prior to conflict. Family conflict and sleep were not directly or interactively related to cortisol slope.

Experiences of adversity in childhood and adolescence and cortisol in late adolescence.

Early life adversity influences the diurnal cortisol rhythm, yet the relative influence of different characteristics of adversity remains unknown. In this study, we examine how developmental timing (childhood vs. adolescence), severity (major vs. minor), and domain of early life adversity relate to diurnal cortisol rhythms in late adolescence. We assessed adversity retrospectively in early adulthood in a subsample of 236 participants from a longitudinal study of a diverse community sample of suburban adolescents oversampled for high neuroticism. We used multilevel modeling to assess associations between our adversity measures and the diurnal cortisol rhythm (waking and bedtime cortisol, awakening response, slope, and average cortisol). Major childhood adversities were associated with flatter daily slope, and minor adolescent adversities were associated with greater average daily cortisol. Examining domains of childhood adversities, major neglect and sexual abuse were associated with flatter slope and lower waking cortisol, with sexual abuse also associated with higher cortisol awakening response. Major physical abuse was associated with higher waking cortisol. Among adolescent adversities domains, minor neglect, emotional abuse, and witnessing violence were associated with greater average cortisol. These results suggest severity, developmental timing, and domain of adversity influence the association of early life adversity with stress response system functioning.

The phenotypic associations and gene-environment underpinnings of socioeconomic status and diurnal cortisol secretion in adolescence.

While converging evidence suggests that both environmental and genetic factors underlie variations in diurnal cortisol, the extent to which these sources of influence vary according to socioeconomic status (SES) has seldom been investigated, particularly in adolescence. To investigate whether a distinct genetic and environmental contribution to youth's diurnal cortisol secretion emerges according to family SES and whether the timing of these experiences matters. Participants were 592 twin pairs, who mostly came from middle-income and intact families and for whom SES was measured in childhood and adolescence. Diurnal cortisol was assessed at age 14 at awakening, 30 min later, in the afternoon and evening over four nonconsecutive days. SES-cortisol phenotypic associations were specific to the adolescence period. Specifically, higher awakening cortisol levels were detected in wealthier backgrounds, whereas higher cortisol awakening response (CAR) and diurnal changes were present at both ends of the SES continuum. Moreover, smaller genetic contributions emerged for awakening cortisol in youth from poorer compared to wealthier backgrounds. The results suggest that the relative contribution of inherited factors to awakening cortisol secretion may be enhanced or suppressed depending on the socio-family context, which may help to decipher the mechanisms underlying later adjustment.

Neurobiological correlates of antisociality across adolescence and young adulthood: a multi-sample, multi-method study.

Antisociality across adolescence and young adulthood puts individuals at high risk of developing a variety of problems. Prior research has linked antisociality to autonomic nervous system and endocrinological functioning. However, there is large heterogeneity in antisocial behaviors, and these neurobiological measures are rarely studied conjointly, limited to small specific studies with narrow age ranges, and yield mixed findings due to the type of behavior examined. We harmonized data from 1489 participants (9-27 years, 67% male), from six heterogeneous samples. In the resulting dataset, we tested relations between distinct dimensions of antisociality and heart rate, pre-ejection period (PEP), respiratory sinus arrhythmia, respiration rate, skin conductance levels, testosterone, basal cortisol, and the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and test the role of age throughout adolescence and young adulthood. Three dimensions of antisociality were uncovered: 'callous-unemotional (CU)/manipulative traits', 'intentional aggression/conduct', and 'reactivity/impulsivity/irritability'. Shorter PEPs and higher testosterone were related to CU/manipulative traits, and a higher CAR is related to both CU/manipulative traits and intentional aggression/conduct. These effects were stable across age. Across a heterogeneous sample and consistent across development, the CAR may be a valuable measure to link to CU/manipulative traits and intentional aggression, while sympathetic arousal and testosterone are additionally valuable to understand CU/manipulative traits. Together, these findings deepen our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying different components of antisociality. Finally, we illustrate the potential of using current statistical techniques for combining multiple datasets to draw robust conclusions about biobehavioral associations.

Individual variation in diurnal cortisol in patients with knee osteoarthritis: Clinical correlates

BackgroundThe cortisol awakening response (CAR) is a core biomarker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation. To date, however, studies of HPA-axis function among patients with chronic pain are scarce and show equivocal results. The objectives of this study were to investigate the association between CAR and pain-related outcomes and to investigate potential sex differences in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, KOA patients (N = 96) completed self-report questionnaires assessing pain and psychosocial factors and underwent Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) to assess pressure pain threshold (PPT). Additionally, salivary cortisol samples (N = 60) were collected to assess HPA-axis function at 6 time points (awakening, 15- and 30-minute post-awakening, 4 PM, 9 PM and bedtime). The CAR was calculated by examining increases in salivary cortisol from awakening to 30 min post awakening and the total post-awakening cortisol concentration by calculating the lower areas under the curve of cortisol with respect to ground (AUCG). ResultsPatients with a relatively blunted CAR had significantly higher anxiety levels and lower PPT than patients with relatively normal CAR. Similarly, patients with a relatively reduced AUCG had significantly higher pain interference and anxiety levels compared to patients with relatively normal AUCG. PPT was positively correlated with CAR and AUCG and negatively correlated with pain severity and anxiety. Men with KOA had significantly lower anxiety, higher PPT and higher CAR and AUCG than women with KOA. Mediation analysis results revealed a significant indirect effect of PPT on the relationship between sex and AUCG. ConclusionsThe findings of this study suggest that neuroendocrine factors such as CAR and AUCG may contribute to individual differences in pain-related outcomes in patients with KOA. Additionally, our results show sex differences in the magnitude of morning HPA activation and pain-related outcomes. Finally, our findings are suggestive of a sex-dependent relationship between post-awakening cortisol concentrations and pain perception. Future research should examine these associations across various pain populations.

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.

Curvilinear associations between family income in early childhood and the cortisol awakening response in adolescence

Previous evidence on cortisol output and socioeconomic status (SES) has been mixed, with studies finding that lower SES can be associated with higher or lower cortisol output, and null associations have also been reported. We hypothesized that these inconsistencies may be due to an underlying curvilinear, inverted-U pattern of association, such that low income is related to increased likelihood of both low and high cortisol output. We tested these curvilinear links among family income and cortisol indices in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (N = 803). Maternal reports of family income when the study children were 33 and 47 months of age were averaged to estimate early-childhood family income. Three cortisol indices were derived from samples collected in adolescence (15.5 years of age): the cortisol awakening response (CAR), area under the curve (AUC) cortisol, and the diurnal cortisol slope. As hypothesized, the CAR exhibited a curvilinear, inverted-U relation with childhood income, with low childhood income being associated with both the lowest and the highest CARs. These findings suggest that discrepancies in prior findings on low SES and the CAR may be due to curvilinear patterns of association. However, childhood income was not significantly associated with adolescent cortisol diurnal slope or AUC. Future work should clarify the factors that might predispose to high versus low CAR given equivalent low SES in childhood.

Identifying diurnal cortisol profiles among young adults: Physiological signatures of mental health trajectories

Previous research has used cortisol, the major hormonal byproduct of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis system, to explore how environmental stressors influence daily physiological functioning. Most of the research focused on diurnal cortisol has examined specific cortisol markers, with little consideration of how different components of the diurnal pattern may co-occur. Morning level, cortisol awakening response (CAR), bedtime level, as well as the diurnal slope and total cortisol exposure throughout the day (area under the curve; AUC), are five common parameters of diurnal HPA axis functioning that have been individually linked to physical and mental health outcomes, with mixed results. The current study introduces a novel approach to capture heterogeneity in HPA axis activity by using latent profile analysis to generate empirically-derived, theoretically supported diurnal cortisol profiles based on all five indicators. We analyzed salivary cortisol data from 278 young adults during a time of heightened sociopolitical stress – the 2016 U.S. presidential election – and examined whether profiles differentially predicted mental health trajectories across six months. Findings suggest that a specific combination of cortisol parameters (i.e., flat slope, high AUC, and high CAR) may predict worse mental health risk over time. Overall, this work suggests that diurnal cortisol profiles likely reflect distinct physiological underpinnings with unique health consequences that may not be observed by studying individual cortisol parameters.

Early and current life adversity: Past and present influences on maternal diurnal cortisol rhythms during pregnancy.

Stress during pregnancy affects maternal health and well-being, as well as the health and well-being of the next generation, in part through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Although most studies have focused solely on proximal experiences (i.e., during the pregnancy) as sources of prenatal stress, there has been a recent surge in studies that examine maternal early life adversity as a source of stress system dysregulation during pregnancy. The current study of 178 pregnant women examined the association of economic and life stress experienced during two time periods (i.e., childhood and pregnancy) with maternal HPA axis activity during the third trimester of pregnancy. Findings indicated that a current annual income of less than $15,000 and greater childhood disadvantage were associated with a flatter diurnal cortisol slope. Childhood maltreatment, particularly sexual abuse, was associated with a higher cortisol awakening response (CAR), even when controlling for recent adversity. We found some evidence that past adversity moderates the relationship between current adversity and diurnal cortisol, specifically for economic adversity and waking cortisol. Overall, our findings indicate that early life stressors play an important and underappreciated role in shaping stress biology during pregnancy.

Depression, perceived social control, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in African-American adults.

Social determinants may negatively affect health via Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction. The potential contribution of social determinants and related factors to HPA-axis functioning is important to study among African American adults, who are more likely to experience societal inequities and health disparities relative to other racial/ethnic groups. This study examined the relationship between depressive symptoms and perceived social control on HPA-axis functioning among African American adults. Participants (N = 107; Mage = 50, 79% female) were administered measures including the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression and Informal (neighborhood) Social Control. Study procedures included the provision of 6 saliva samples for cortisol analysis (at wakeup, 30- and 90-min post-wakeup, 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM, and prebedtime). The relationship between depression and social control on the functioning of the HPA-axis were simultaneously examined within a 2-level hierarchical linear model. Variability in the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) was accounted for by depressive symptomatology (p = .023) and perceived social control (p = .016), whereby greater depression was associated with a blunted CAR (less awakening cortisol production) and greater perceptions of neighborhood social control with a higher CAR. Elevated depressive symptoms and low perceptions of neighborhood social control may serve as mechanisms that help to explain within-group variability in the functioning of stress physiology among African American adults. Findings enhance understanding of how social determinants may affect African Americans' health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Https://www.sciencerepository.org/hpa-axis-functioning-and-food-addiction-among-individuals-suffering-from-severe-obesity-and-awaiting-bariatric-surgery_PDR-2019-3-103

Similarities have been observed between substance dependence and overconsumption of food, leading to the development of the food addiction (FA) concept. While psychological markers of FA have often been documented, data on physiological markers remains scarce. This study aimed to investigate HPA-axis functioning through cortisol awakening response (CAR) in relation to FA among bariatric candidates. We hypothesized that participants presenting high FA symptomatology would present a blunted CAR when compared to participants presenting low FA symptomatology and that significant associations between CAR and eating behaviors would be observed within both groups. The final sample comprised 40 participants, who were invited to complete questionnaires and provide saliva samples upon awakening (T0, T15, and T30). Results from the two-way ANOVA with repeated measures showed a non-significant “time x group” interaction, indicating that CAR did not differ between groups. Moreover, results from correlational analyses showed different patterns of associations between CAR and eating behaviors within each group; further analyses showed that the relationship between CAR and food cravings triggered by cues in the environment was significantly moderated by FA symptomatology, as higher CAR was related to lower cue-triggered food cravings only in individuals presenting low FA symptomatology. While these findings do not support the presence of HPA-axis functioning differences in relation to FA, they suggest that the association of CAR with eating behaviors may depend on whether or not addictive tendencies are present. Further investigation of the association between CAR and eating behaviors in the context of FA will thus be essential.

Experiences of adversity in childhood and adolescence and cortisol in late adolescence

Early life adversity influences the diurnal cortisol rhythm, yet the relative influence of different characteristics of adversity remains unknown. In this study, we examine how developmental timing (childhood vs. adolescence), severity (major vs. minor), and domain of early life adversity relate to diurnal cortisol rhythms in late adolescence. We assessed adversity retrospectively in early adulthood in a subsample of 236 participants from a longitudinal study of a diverse community sample of suburban adolescents oversampled for high neuroticism. We used multilevel modeling to assess associations between our adversity measures and the diurnal cortisol rhythm (waking and bedtime cortisol, awakening response, slope, and average cortisol). Major childhood adversities were associated with flatter daily slope, and minor adolescent adversities were associated with greater average daily cortisol. Examining domains of childhood adversities, major neglect and sexual abuse were associated with flatter slope and lower waking cortisol, with sexual abuse also associated with higher cortisol awakening response. Major physical abuse was associated with higher waking cortisol. Among adolescent adversities domains, minor neglect, emotional abuse, and witnessing violence were associated with greater average cortisol. These results suggest severity, developmental timing, and domain of adversity influence the association of early life adversity with stress response system functioning.

Associations between cortisol awakening response and resting electroencephalograph asymmetry.

The cortisol awakening response (CAR), a rapid cortisol rise in the morning after awakening, has been proposed to provide energy to cope with daily demands and suggested to be associated with brain functions. Electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry studies have implicated asymmetric cortical activation, especially in frontal cortex, in approach-withdrawal motivation. In this study, we examined the relationship between the CAR and lateralized cortical activity under rest in 55 university male students. Saliva samples were collected at 0, 15, 30 and 60 min after awakening on the two consecutive workdays. The lateralized cortical activity at frontocentral sites was examined by alpha asymmetry score. The results showed that a higher CAR was positively associated with alpha asymmetry score, which indicated that the higher CAR is linked with more left-sided cortical activity at frontocentral sites under resting state. This association still existed even after controlling psychological and sleep quality variables. These results suggested that appropriately mobilizing energy resource storage after awakening revealed as CAR might be associated with goal-directed approach tendencies before any eventual stressful situation, characteristic of more left than right resting-state frontocentral cortical activity.

Parental depression moderates the relationships of cortisol and testosterone with children's symptoms

BackgroundPrevious research on the hormone-symptom relationship in children suggests that certain hormone patterns may be associated with symptoms, but only under certain circumstances. Having a parent with a history of depression may be one circumstance under which dysregulated hormone patterns are especially associated with emotional and behavioral symptoms in children. The current study sought to explore these relationships in a community sample of 389 9-year-old children. MethodsChildren's salivary cortisol and testosterone levels were collected at home over three consecutive days; parental psychiatric histories were assessed using semi-structured diagnostic interviews; and children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms were rated by the child's mother. ResultsHaving two parents with a history of depression moderated the associations of reduced total daily cortisol output with higher externalizing scores, as well as the association of reduced testosterone with higher internalizing scores. A maternal history of depression, on the other hand, moderated the relationship between higher cortisol awakening response and higher internalizing scores. Furthermore, lower daily cortisol output was associated with higher internalizing scores among girls, but not boys, with two parents with a history depression. LimitationsLimitations include the cross-sectional nature of the current analyses, as well as the limited racial, ethnic, and geographical diversity of the sample. ConclusionsTaken together, the current results suggest that the relationship between hormones and internalizing and externalizing symptoms in children may vary as a function of parental depression and child sex, knowledge that may inform intervention efforts aimed at preventing psychopathology in children whose parents have a history of depression.