scholarly journals Stress and Health: A Review of Psychobiological Processes

2021 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 663-688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daryl B. O'Connor ◽  
Julian F. Thayer ◽  
Kavita Vedhara
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Allostatic Load ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Biological Mechanisms ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Neuroendocrine Responses ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Negative Health Outcomes ◽  
Stress And Health ◽  
Pituitary Adrenal Axis

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.

scholarly journals Amygdala Allostasis and Early Life Adversity: Considering Excitotoxicity and Inescapability in the Sequelae of Stress

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Lars Hanson ◽  
Brendon Nacewicz
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Allostatic Load ◽  
Child Poverty ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Stress Buffering ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
New Findings ◽  
The Impact

Early life adversity (ELA), such as child maltreatment or child poverty, engenders problems with emotional and behavioral regulation. In the quest to understand the neurobiological sequelae and mechanisms of risk, the amygdala has been of major focus. While the basic functions of this region make it a strong candidate for understanding the multiple mental health issues common after ELA, extant literature is marked by profound inconsistencies, with reports of larger, smaller, and no differences in regional volumes of this area. We believe integrative models of stress neurodevelopment, grounded in “allostatic load”, will help resolve inconsistencies in the impact of ELA on the amygdala. In this review, we attempt to connect past research studies to new findings with animal models of cellular and neurotransmitter mediators of stress buffering to extreme fear generalization onto testable research and clinical concepts. Drawing on the greater impact of inescapability over unpredictability in animal models, we propose a mechanism by which ELA aggravates an exhaustive cycle of amygdala expansion and subsequent toxic-metabolic damage. We connect this neurobiological sequela to psychosocial mal/adaptation after ELA, bridging to behavioral studies of attachment, emotion processing, and social functioning. Lastly, we conclude this review by proposing a multitude of future directions in preclinical work and studies of humans that suffered ELA.

Gender, Early Life Adversity, and Adult Health

2018 ◽  
pp. 62-74
Author(s):  
Chioun Lee ◽  
Carol D. Ryff ◽  
Christopher L. Coe
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
The Us ◽  
Physical Health Problems ◽  
Social Demographic ◽  
Future Work

There is considerable evidence that stressful experiences in early life affect a wide array of physical health problems in adulthood. Although social demographic characteristics, such as gender, are important determinants of exposure and vulnerability to early life adversities, relatively little attention has been given to the role of gender in the associations between early adversity and adult health. This review summarizes theoretical and empirical studies that explore various gender differences in these relationships. A conceptual model is proposed outlining potential pathways that explain how and under what conditions early experiences might compromise the health of women relative to men in adulthood. Then, recent empirical work is presented to illustrate the conceptual model. Finally, ideas for future work are suggested to investigate different aspects of this model using multiple waves from the Midlife in the US study.

scholarly journals Juvenile rank acquisition is associated with fitness independent of adult rank

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1922) ◽  
pp. 20192969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eli D. Strauss ◽  
Daizaburo Shizuka ◽  
Kay E. Holekamp
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Social Rank ◽  
Maternal Investment ◽  
Lifetime Reproductive Success ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Spotted Hyenas ◽  
Rating Method ◽  
Rank Acquisition ◽  
Future Work

Social rank is a significant determinant of fitness in a variety of species. The importance of social rank suggests that the process by which juveniles come to establish their position in the social hierarchy is a critical component of development. Here, we use the highly predictable process of rank acquisition in spotted hyenas to study the consequences of variation in rank acquisition in early life. In spotted hyenas, rank is ‘inherited’ through a learning process called ‘maternal rank inheritance.’ This pattern is very consistent: approximately 80% of juveniles acquire the exact rank expected under the rules of maternal rank inheritance. The predictable nature of rank acquisition in these societies allows the process of rank acquisition to be studied independently from the ultimate rank that each juvenile attains. In this study, we use Elo-deviance scores, a novel application of the Elo-rating method, to calculate each juvenile's deviation from the expected pattern of maternal rank inheritance during development. Despite variability in rank acquisition among juveniles, most of these juveniles come to attain the exact rank expected of them according to the rules of maternal rank inheritance. Nevertheless, we find that transient variation in rank acquisition in early life is associated with long-term fitness consequences for these individuals: juveniles ‘underperforming’ their expected ranks show reduced survival and lower lifetime reproductive success than better-performing peers, and this relationship is independent of both maternal rank and rank achieved in adulthood. We also find that multiple sources of early life adversity have cumulative, but not compounding, effects on fitness. Future work is needed to determine if variation in rank acquisition directly affects fitness, or if some other variable, such as maternal investment or juvenile condition, causes variation in both of these outcomes.

scholarly journals Amygdala Allostasis and Early Life Adversity: Considering Excitotoxicity and Inescapability in the Sequelae of Stress

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie L. Hanson ◽  
Brendon M. Nacewicz
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Allostatic Load ◽  
Child Poverty ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Stress Buffering ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
New Findings ◽  
The Impact

Early life adversity (ELA), such as child maltreatment or child poverty, engenders problems with emotional and behavioral regulation. In the quest to understand the neurobiological sequelae and mechanisms of risk, the amygdala has been of major focus. While the basic functions of this region make it a strong candidate for understanding the multiple mental health issues common after ELA, extant literature is marked by profound inconsistencies, with reports of larger, smaller, and no differences in regional volumes of this area. We believe integrative models of stress neurodevelopment, grounded in “allostatic load,” will help resolve inconsistencies in the impact of ELA on the amygdala. In this review, we attempt to connect past research studies to new findings with animal models of cellular and neurotransmitter mediators of stress buffering to extreme fear generalization onto testable research and clinical concepts. Drawing on the greater impact of inescapability over unpredictability in animal models, we propose a mechanism by which ELA aggravates an exhaustive cycle of amygdala expansion and subsequent toxic-metabolic damage. We connect this neurobiological sequela to psychosocial mal/adaptation after ELA, bridging to behavioral studies of attachment, emotion processing, and social functioning. Lastly, we conclude this review by proposing a multitude of future directions in preclinical work and studies of humans that suffered ELA.

Putative biological mechanisms for the association between early life adversity and the subsequent development of PTSD

2010 ◽  
Vol 212 (3) ◽  
pp. 405-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Yehuda ◽  
Janine D. Flory ◽  
Laura C. Pratchett ◽  
Joseph Buxbaum ◽  
Marcus Ising ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Subsequent Development ◽  
Biological Mechanisms ◽  
Early Life Adversity

scholarly journals Externalizing Behaviors Buffer the Effects of Early Life Adversity on Physiologic Dysregulation

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacey N. Doan ◽  
Nadya Dich ◽  
Thomas E. Fuller-Rowell ◽  
Gary W. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Allostatic Load ◽  
Externalizing Behaviors ◽  
Risk Index ◽  
Cumulative Risk ◽  
Biological Marker ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Physiological Dysregulation ◽  
Models Of Development

Abstract The present study examined the counterintuitive hypothesis that externalizing behaviors such as aggression, although in many respects detrimental, may be functional and protect against the detrimental health consequences of early life adversity. In particular, in line with evolutionary models of development, we argue that externalizing problems moderate the association between chronic stress exposure and allostatic load, a biological marker of chronic physiological dysregulation. Prospective interactive effects of externalizing behaviors and cumulative risk (a confluence of multiple risk factors) on children’s allostatic load were assessed in 260 children (46% female, baseline age = 9). Exposure to early life adversity was assessed at baseline using a cumulative risk index. Externalizing behaviors were reported by parents at baseline. Allostatic load was measured at baseline and at ages 13 and 17, using endocrine, cardiovascular and metabolic parameters. Results of linear-mixed effects models indicated that the association between cumulative risk and allostatic load was attenuated for adolescents who scored high on externalizing behaviors. Further examination of sex differences indicated that the findings were more pronounced among males than females.

Resilience in Adolescence: Prospective Self Moderates the Association of Early Life Adversity with Psychopathology

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Elizabeth Zinn ◽  
Edward Huntley ◽  
Daniel Keating
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Problems ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Externalizing Behavior ◽  
Early Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Externalizing Behavior Problems ◽  
Developmental Period ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Latent Construct

Introduction. Early life adversity (ELA) can result in negative health-outcomes, including psychopathology. Evidence suggests that adolescence is a critical developmental period for processing ELA. Identity formation, which is crucial to this developmental period, may moderate the effect between ELA and psychopathology. One potential moderating variable associated with identity formation is Prospective Self, a latent construct comprised of future-oriented attitudes and behaviors.Methods. Participants are from the first wave of an ongoing longitudinal study designed to characterize behavioral and cognitive correlates of risk behavior trajectories. A community sample of 10th and 12th grade adolescents (N = 2017, 55% female) were recruited from nine public school districts across eight Southeastern Michigan counties in the United States. Data were collected in schools during school hours or after school via self-report, computer-administered surveys. Structural equation modeling was used in the present study to assess Prospective Self as a latent construct and to evaluate the relationship between ELA, psychopathology, and Prospective Self.Results. Preliminary findings indicated a satisfactory fit for the construct Prospective Self. The predicted negative associations between Prospective Self and psychopathology were found and evidence of moderation was observed for externalizing behavior problems, such that the effects of ELA were lower for individuals with higher levels of Prospective Self. Conclusion. These results support the role of Prospective Self in conferring resilience against externalizing behavior problems associated with ELA among adolescents. Keywords: Adolescence, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Psychopathology, Self-concept, Adolescent Health, Early Life Adversity

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