Long-term stress in dogs is related to the human–dog relationship and personality traits

AbstractPreviously, we found that dogs belonging to the herding breed group, selected for human cooperation, synchronise their long-term stress levels with their owners. The aim of the current study was to investigate features that could influence long-term stress levels in ancient dog breeds, genetically closer to wolves, and dogs specifically selected to work independently of their owner. Twenty-four ancient breed dogs and 18 solitary hunting dogs were recruited and hair samples were obtained from both dogs and owners from which hair cortisol concentration (HCC) was analysed. Additionally, the owners completed lifestyle surveys, the Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS) on human–dog relationship, and both dog and owner personality questionnaires (Dog Personality questionnaire and Big Five Inventory survey). The results from the MDORS indicate that the subscale Perceived cost correlated to the dog HCC of tested breed groups: solitary hunting breeds (χ2 = 4.95, P = 0.026, β = 0.055), ancient breeds (χ2 = 2.74, P = 0.098, β = 0.027), and herding dogs included from a previous study (χ2 = 6.82, P = 0.009, β = − 0.061). The HCC of the solitary hunting dogs was also related to the owner personality traits Agreeableness (χ2 = 12.30, P < 0.001, β = − 0.060) and Openness (χ2 = 9.56, P = 0.002, β = 0.048) suggesting a more substantial influence of the owner on the solitary hunting dog’s HCC compared to the ancient breeds. No effect of owner HCC on dog HCC was found in either ancient or in solitary hunting breeds. Hence, the long-term stress synchronisation is likely to be a trait in breeds selected for human cooperation. In conclusion, dog HCC is often related to the owners’ personality, but is primarily influenced by the owner-dog relationship.

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Increased Scalp Hair Cortisol Concentrations in Obese Children

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism ◽

10.1210/jc.2013-2924 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 99 (1) ◽

pp. 285-290 ◽

Cited By ~ 62

Author(s):

Margriet A. B. Veldhorst ◽

Gerard Noppe ◽

Mieke H. T. M. Jongejan ◽

Chantine B. M. Kok ◽

Selma Mekic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Waist Circumference ◽

Scalp Hair ◽

Blood Lipid ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Cortisol Concentration ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Obese Children ◽

Hair Samples

Context: Pathologically increased cortisol exposure induces obesity, but it is not known whether relatively high cortisol within the physiological range is related to childhood obesity. Objective: The aim of the study was to compare hair cortisol concentrations between obese and normal-weight children. Design: We performed an observational case-control study. Participants: Twenty obese children (body mass index-SD score [BMI-SDS] > 2.3) and 20 age- and sex-matched normal-weight children (BMI-SDS < 1.1) aged 8–12 years were recruited. Main Outcome Measures: Scalp hair samples from the posterior vertex were collected, and hair cortisol concentrations were measured using ELISA. Body weight, height, and waist circumference were measured. From the obese children, additional data on blood pressure and blood lipid concentrations were collected. Results: In both groups, five boys and 15 girls were included; their mean age was 10.8 ± 1.3 vs 10.8 ± 1.2 years (obese vs normal weight; not significant). Body weight, BMI, BMI-SDS, and waist circumference were higher in the obese children compared with the normal-weight children (69.8 ± 17.2 vs 35.5 ± 7.2 kg; 29.6 ± 4.9 vs 16.4 ± 1.6 kg/m2; 3.4 ± 0.5 vs −0.2 ± 0.8 SDS; 94 ± 13 vs 62 ± 6 cm; P < .001 all). Hair cortisol concentration was higher in obese than normal-weight children (median [interquartile range], 25 [17, 32] vs 17 [13, 21] pg/mg; P < .05). Conclusions: Hair cortisol concentration, a measure for long-term cortisol exposure, was higher in obese children than normal-weight children. This suggests long-term activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in obese children and may provide a novel target for treatment of obesity in children.

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Quantifying long-term stress in brown bears with the hair cortisol concentration: a biomarker that may be confounded by rapid changes in response to capture and handling

Conservation Physiology ◽

10.1093/conphys/cou026 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. cou026-cou026 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

M. Cattet ◽

B. J. Macbeth ◽

D. M. Janz ◽

A. Zedrosser ◽

J. E. Swenson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cortisol Concentration ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Brown Bears ◽

Rapid Changes

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Long-term stress levels are synchronized in dogs and their owners

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-43851-x ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Ann-Sofie Sundman ◽

Enya Van Poucke ◽

Ann-Charlotte Svensson Holm ◽

Åshild Faresjö ◽

Elvar Theodorsson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Personality Traits ◽

Acute Stress ◽

Seasonal Effect ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Stress Levels ◽

Interspecific Synchronization ◽

General Physical ◽

First Time ◽

Previous Summer

Abstract This study reveals, for the first time, an interspecific synchronization in long-term stress levels. Previously, acute stress, has been shown to be highly contagious both among humans and between individuals of other species. Here, long-term stress synchronization in dogs and their owners was investigated. We studied 58 dog-human dyads and analyzed their hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) at two separate occasions, reflecting levels during previous summer and winter months. The personality traits of both dogs and their owners were determined through owner-completed Dog Personality Questionnaire (DPQ) and human Big Five Inventory (BFI) surveys. In addition, the dogs’ activity levels were continuously monitored with a remote cloud-based activity collar for one week. Shetland sheepdogs (N = 33) and border collies (N = 25), balanced for sex, participated, and both pet dogs and actively competing dogs (agility and obedience) were included to represent different lifestyles. The results showed significant interspecies correlations in long-term stress where human HCC from both summer and winter samplings correlated strongly with dog HCC (summer: N = 57, χ2 = 23.697, P < 0.001, β = 0.235; winter: N = 55, χ2 = 13.796, P < 0.001, β = 0.027). Interestingly, the dogs’ activity levels did not affect HCC, nor did the amount of training sessions per week, showing that the HCC levels were not related to general physical activity. Additionally, there was a seasonal effect in HCC. However, although dogs’ personalities had little effects on their HCC, the human personality traits neuroticism, conscientiousness, and openness significantly affected dog HCC. Hence, we suggest that dogs, to a great extent, mirror the stress level of their owners.

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Association of screen time with long-term stress and temperament in preschoolers: results from the DAGIS study

European Journal of Pediatrics ◽

10.1007/s00431-020-03686-5 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 179 (11) ◽

pp. 1805-1812

Author(s):

Marja H. Leppänen ◽

Katri Sääksjärvi ◽

Henna Vepsäläinen ◽

Carola Ray ◽

Pauliina Hiltunen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Young Children ◽

Screen Time ◽

Effortful Control ◽

Cortisol Concentration ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Moderating Role

Abstract Screen time is increasing rapidly in young children. The aim of this study was to examine associations of long-term stress and temperament with screen time in Finnish preschool children and the moderating role of socioeconomic status. Cross-sectional DAGIS data were utilized. Long-term stress was assessed using hair cortisol concentration, indicating values of the past 2 months. Temperament was reported by the parents using the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire (the Very Short Form), and three broad temperament dimensions were constructed: surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control. Screen time was reported by the parents over 7 days. The highest education level in the household was used as an indicator of socioeconomic status. In total, 779 children (mean age, 4.7 ± 0.9 years, 52% boys) were included in the study. Of the temperament dimensions, a higher effortful control was associated with less screen time (B = − 6.70, p = 0.002). There was no evidence for an association between hair cortisol concentration and screen time nor a moderating role of socioeconomic status in the associations (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that preschool children with a higher score in effortful control had less screen time. Because effortful control reflects general self-regulatory abilities, promoting these skills may be effective in reducing screen time in young children. What is Known: • Screen time has increased rapidly during the last decades, and higher screen time has been linked with numerous adverse health consequences in children. • There are no previous studies investigating associations of long-term stress and temperament with screen time in young children. What is New: • Of the temperament dimensions, effortful control was associated with higher screen time in preschool children, but there was no association found between long-term stress and screen time. • Since effortful control reflects general self-regulatory abilities, promoting these skills may be effective in reducing screen time in young children.

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Long-term stability in the Big Five personality traits in adulthood

Scandinavian Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1111/j.1467-9450.2007.00609.x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 48 (6) ◽

pp. 511-518 ◽

Cited By ~ 72

Author(s):

JOHANNA RANTANEN ◽

RIITTA-LEENA METSÄPELTO ◽

TARU FELDT ◽

LEA PULKKINEN ◽

KATJA KOKKO

Keyword(s):

Personality Traits ◽

Big Five ◽

Big Five Personality Traits ◽

Big Five Personality ◽

Term Stability ◽

Long Term Stability

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The Effect of Body Region on Hair Cortisol Concentration in Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)

Comparative Medicine ◽

10.30802/aalas-cm-20-000091 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Evelyn E Bartling-John ◽

Kimberley A Phillips

Keyword(s):

Callithrix Jacchus ◽

Cortisol Concentration ◽

The Body ◽

Body Region ◽

Research Model ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Social Stimuli ◽

Common Marmosets ◽

Hpa Axis Activity

Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) are a valuable research model for the study of neuroscience and the biologicimpact of aging due to their adaptivity, physiologic characteristics, and ease of handling for experimental manipulations. Quantification of cortisol in hair provides a noninvasive, retrospective biomarker of hypothalamics-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)axis activity and information on animal wellbeing, including responses to environmental and social stimuli. To obtain valid and reliable measurements of long-term HPA activity, we investigated the variability of cortisol concentration in the hair depending on the body region of marmosets. Hair was collected from the back and tail of 9 adult common marmosets during annual health screenings (male n = 3; female n = 6) and these samples were analyzed for cortisol via methanol extraction and enzyme immunoassay. We found that hair cortisol concentration differed between the tail and back regions, with the tail samples having a significantly higher cortisol concentration. These results indicate intraindividual and interindividual comparisons of hair cortisol concentration should use hair obtained from the same body region in marmosets.

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Hair cortisol-a method to detect chronic cortisol levels in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome

10.21203/rs.3.rs-31626/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hasanain Hamid Shukur ◽

Yolanda B de Rijke ◽

Elisabeth FC van Rossum ◽

Laith Hussain-Alkhateeb ◽

Charlotte Höybye

Keyword(s):

Linear Regression ◽

Regression Model ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Linear Regression Model ◽

Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽

Prader Willi Syndrome ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Hair Samples ◽

Cortisol Levels

Abstract Background: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a multisymptomatic, rare, genetic, neurodevelopmental disorder in adults mainly characterized by hyperphagia, cognitive dysfunction, behavioral problems and risk of morbid obesity. Although endocrine insufficiencies are common, hypocortisolism is rare and knowledge on long-term cortisol concentrations is lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term cortisol levels in PWS by measurements of hair cortisol. Methods: Twenty-nine adults with PWS, 15 men and 14 women, median age 29 years, median BMI 27 kg/m2, were included. Scalp hair samples were analyzed for cortisol content using liquid-chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry. In addition, a questionnaire on auxology, medication and stress were included. For comparison, 105 age- and sex-matched participants from the population-based Lifelines Cohort study were included as controls. The mean hair cortisol between the groups were compared and associations between BMI and stress were assessed by a generalized linear regression model. Results: In the PWS group large variations in hair cortisol was seen. Mean hair cortisol was 12.8±25.4 pg/mg compared to 3.8±7.3 pg/mg in controls (p=0.001). The linear regression model similarly showed higher cortisol levels in patients with PWS, which remained consistent after adjusting for BMI and stress (p=0.023). Furthermore, hair cortisol increased with BMI (p=0.012) and reported stress (p=0.014). Conclusion: Long-term cortisol concentrations were higher in patients with PWS compared to controls and increased with BMI and stress, suggesting an adequate cortisol response to chronic stress. Hair cortisol demonstrate promising applications in the context of PWS treatment and disease management.

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Hair cortisol-a method to detect chronic cortisol levels in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome

10.21203/rs.3.rs-31626/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hasanain Hamid Shukur ◽

Yolanda B de Rijke ◽

Elisabeth FC van Rossum ◽

Laith Hussain-Alkhateeb ◽

Charlotte Höybye

Keyword(s):

Linear Regression ◽

Regression Model ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Linear Regression Model ◽

Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽

Prader Willi Syndrome ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Hair Samples ◽

Cortisol Levels

Abstract Background: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a multisymptomatic, rare, genetic, neurodevelopmental disorder in adults mainly characterized by hyperphagia, cognitive dysfunction, behavioral problems and risk of morbid obesity. Although endocrine insufficiencies are common, hypocortisolism is rare and knowledge on long-term cortisol concentrations is lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term cortisol levels in PWS by measurements of hair cortisol.Methods: Twenty-nine adults with PWS, 15 men and 14 women, median age 29 years, median BMI 27 kg/m2, were included. Scalp hair samples were analyzed for cortisol content using liquid-chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry. In addition, a questionnaire on auxology, medication and stress were included. For comparison, 105 age- and sex-matched participants from the population-based Lifelines Cohort study were included as controls. The mean hair cortisol between the groups were compared and associations between BMI and stress were assessed by a generalized linear regression model.Results: In the PWS group large variations in hair cortisol was seen. Mean hair cortisol was 12.8±25.4 pg/mg compared to 3.8±7.3 pg/mg in controls (p=0.001). The linear regression model similarly showed higher cortisol levels in patients with PWS, which remained consistent after adjusting for BMI and stress (p=0.023). Furthermore, hair cortisol increased with BMI (p=0.012) and reported stress (p=0.014).Conclusion: Long-term cortisol concentrations were higher in patients with PWS compared to controls and increased with BMI and stress, suggesting an adequate cortisol response to chronic stress. Hair cortisol demonstrate promising applications in the context of PWS treatment and disease management.

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Hair cortisol-a method to detect chronic cortisol levels in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome

BMC Endocrine Disorders ◽

10.1186/s12902-020-00646-w ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hasanain Hamid Shukur ◽

Yolanda B. de Rijke ◽

Elisabeth F. C. van Rossum ◽

Laith Hussain-Alkhateeb ◽

Charlotte Höybye

Keyword(s):

Linear Regression ◽

Regression Model ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Linear Regression Model ◽

Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽

Prader Willi Syndrome ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Hair Samples ◽

Cortisol Levels

Abstract Background Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a multisymptomatic, rare, genetic, neurodevelopmental disorder in adults mainly characterized by hyperphagia, cognitive dysfunction, behavioral problems and risk of morbid obesity. Although endocrine insufficiencies are common, hypocortisolism is rare and knowledge on long-term cortisol concentrations is lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term cortisol levels in PWS by measurements of hair cortisol. Methods Twenty-nine adults with PWS, 15 men and 14 women, median age 29 years, median BMI 27 kg/m2, were included. Scalp hair samples were analyzed for cortisol content using liquid-chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry. In addition, a questionnaire on auxology, medication and stress were included. For comparison, 105 age- and sex-matched participants from the population-based Lifelines Cohort study were included as controls. The mean hair cortisol between the groups were compared and associations between BMI and stress were assessed by a generalized linear regression model. Results In the PWS group large variations in hair cortisol was seen. Mean hair cortisol was 12.8 ± 25.4 pg/mg compared to 3.8 ± 7.3 pg/mg in controls (p = 0.001). The linear regression model similarly showed higher cortisol levels in patients with PWS, which remained consistent after adjusting for BMI and stress (p = 0.023). Furthermore, hair cortisol increased with BMI (p = 0.012) and reported stress (p = 0.014). Conclusion Long-term cortisol concentrations were higher in patients with PWS compared to controls and increased with BMI and stress, suggesting an adequate cortisol response to chronic stress. Hair cortisol demonstrate promising applications in the context of PWS treatment and disease management.

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