Cumulative effects of prenatal substance exposure and early adversity on foster children’s HPA-axis reactivity during a psychosocial stressor

Dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis stress response has been reported among individuals with prenatal substance exposure and those with early adversity exposure. However, few researchers have examined the combined effects of these risk factors. Patterns of HPA reactivity among maltreated foster children with and without prenatal substance exposure ( N = 53; ages 9–12 years) were examined using the Trier Social Stress Test for Children. Area under the curve with respect to increase (AUCI) analyses revealed that prenatal substance exposure or physical abuse significantly increased the likelihood of a negative AUCI (i.e., little or no HPA reactivity). Among children with prenatal substance exposure and physical abuse, 85% exhibited a negative AUCI. The results underscore the importance of addressing this combined risk.

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Stress system dysfunction revealed by integrating reactivity of stress pathways to psychological stress in lean and overweight/obese men

AJP Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpregu.00276.2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sisitha Udara Jayasinghe ◽

Sarah Janet Hall ◽

Susan Jane Torres ◽

Anne Isabella Turner

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Systolic Blood Pressure ◽

Diastolic Blood Pressure ◽

Psychological Stress ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Social Stress ◽

Blood Pressure Response ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Stress System

While the patterns of response within the sympatho-adrenal medullary (SAM) system and hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis are interesting and important in their own accord, the overall response to acute psychological stress involves reactivity of both pathways We tested the hypothesis that consideration of the integrated response of these pathways may reveal dysregulation of the stress systems that is not evident when considering either system alone. Age matched lean and overweight/obese men were subjected to a Trier Social Stress Test and reactivity of the SAM system (salivary alpha amylase, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate) and the HPA axis (salivary cortisol) were measured. Relative reactivity of SAM system and HPA axis was calculated as the ratio between the measures from each pathway. While analysis of reactivity of individual stress pathways showed no evidence of dysfunction in overweight/obese compared with lean men, analysis of HPA/SAM reactivity revealed significantly lower cortisol over systolic blood pressure (CoSBP) and cortisol over diastolic blood pressure (CoDBP) reactivity in overweight/obese compared with lean men. Other measures of HPA/SAM reactivity and all measures of SAM/HPA reactivity were unaltered in overweight/obese compared with lean men. These findings suggest that the cortisol response per unit of blood pressure response is blunted in men with elevated adiposity. Further, these findings support a notion of a coordinated overall approach to activation of the stress pathways with the degree of activation in one pathway being related to the degree of activation of the other.

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Asymmetry of salivary cortisol and α-amylase responses to psychosocial stress in anorexia nervosa but not in bulimia nervosa

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291711000092 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 41 (9) ◽

pp. 1963-1969 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

P. Monteleone ◽

P. Scognamiglio ◽

B. Canestrelli ◽

I. Serino ◽

A. M. Monteleone ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Stress Response ◽

Bulimia Nervosa ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Social Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

First Time

BackgroundThe stress response involves the activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). As a role for stress in determining of the onset and the natural course of eating disorders (EDs) has been proposed, the study of the psychobiology of the stress response in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) should be helpful in understanding the pathophysiology of these disorders. The two neurobiological components of the stress response can be easily explored in humans by the measurement of salivary cortisol and α-amylase response to a stressor. Therefore, we assessed salivary cortisol and α-amylase responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in symptomatic patients with AN and BN compared to healthy controls.MethodSeven AN women, eight BN women and eight age-matched healthy females underwent the TSST between 1530 and 1700 h. Salivary cortisol and α-amylase levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).ResultsCompared to healthy women, AN patients showed a normal cortisol response to the TSST, although this occurred at significantly increased hormone levels, and an almost complete absence of response of α-amylase. BN women, however, exhibited enhanced pre-stress levels of salivary α-amylase but a normal response of the enzyme and cortisol to the TSST.ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate, for the first time, the occurrence of an asymmetry between the HPA axis and SNS components of the stress response in the acute phase of AN but not in BN. The pathophysiological significance of this asymmetry remains to be determined.

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Physiological responses to psychological stress: importance of adiposity in men aged 50–70 years

Endocrine Connections ◽

10.1530/ec-14-0042 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 110-119 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

S U Jayasinghe ◽

S J Torres ◽

C A Nowson ◽

A J Tilbrook ◽

A I Turner

Keyword(s):

Psychological Stress ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Social Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Area Under The Curve ◽

Peak Height ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Alpha Amylase ◽

Percentage Body Fat ◽

Salivary Alpha Amylase

We tested the hypothesis that overweight/obese men aged 50–70 years will have a greater salivary cortisol, salivary alpha amylase and heart rate (HR) responses to psychological stress compared with age matched lean men. Lean (BMI=20–25 kg/m2; n=19) and overweight/obese (BMI=27–35 kg/m2; n=17) men (50–70 years) were subjected to a well-characterised psychological stress (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) at 1500 h. Concentrations of cortisol and alpha amylase were measured in saliva samples collected every 7–15 min from 1400 to 1700 h. HR was recorded using electrocardiogram. Body weight, BMI, percentage body fat, resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were significantly higher (P<0.05) in overweight/obese men compared with lean men. Both groups responded to the TSST with a substantial elevation in salivary cortisol (372%), salivary alpha amylase (123%) and HR (22%). These responses did not differ significantly between the groups (time×treatment interaction for salivary cortisol, salivary alpha amylase and HR; P=0.187, P=0.288, P=0.550, respectively). There were no significant differences between the groups for pretreatment values, peak height, difference between pretreatment values and peak height (reactivity) or area under the curve for salivary cortisol, salivary alpha amylase or HR (P>0.05 for all). The results showed that, for men with a moderate level of overweight/obesity who were otherwise healthy, the response of salivary cortisol, salivary alpha amylase and HR to acute psychological stress was not impaired.

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Childhood Trauma and Cortisol Response to the Trier Social Stress Test in Symptomatic Patients with Eating Disorders

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.286 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. S91-S91

Author(s):

F. Marciello ◽

V.-M. Buonomenna ◽

V. Caivano ◽

G. Cascino ◽

G. D’Agostino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Childhood Trauma ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Childhood Maltreatment ◽

Social Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trauma Exposure ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Cortisol Response ◽

History Of Childhood ◽

History Of

IntroductionChildhood trauma exposure is associated with the risk of eating disorders (EDs) in adulthood. The biological basis of this link may involve a persistent dysregulation of the endogenous stress response system, in particular the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, as a consequence of early life maltreatment.ObjectiveAdult patients with EDs and history of childhood trauma may have a dysregulation of the HPA axis that could be different from EDs patients without childhood trauma exposure.AimsIn order to assess the effects of childhood trauma experiences on HPA-axis activity in EDs, we compared the salivary cortisol response to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) of adult patients with EDs according to their history of childhood trauma.MethodTwenty-seven EDs patients and 13 healthy women participated in the study. Salivary cortisol responses during exposure to the TSST was measured. Participants also completed the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ) and eating-related psychopathological rating scales.ResultsAccording to CTQ, 15 individuals with EDs reported childhood maltreatment whereas 12 EDs patients and all the healthy women did not experience childhood maltreatment. Compared with the control group, non-maltreated EDs patient group exhibited a slightly enhanced cortisol response to TSST, whereas the group of non-maltreated EDs patients showed a normal cortisol response. Moreover, EDs patients with childhood maltreatment exhibited statistically significant blunting of cortisol compared to non-maltreated ones.ConclusionsThe present findings support the evidence that, in patients with EDs, there is a dysregulation of HPA-axis activity and that childhood trauma exposure may contribute to this dysregulation.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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The Relationship Between Perceived Control and Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis Reactivity to the Trier Social Stress Test in Healthy Young Adults

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.683914 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Qian Liu ◽

Jianhui Wu ◽

Liang Zhang ◽

Xiaofang Sun ◽

Qing Guan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Stress Response ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Perceived Control ◽

Social Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Control Level ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal

Psychological factors can modulate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activity toward stressors. Animal studies demonstrated that uncontrollability was one critical factor associated with HPA axis stress response, but the results in human studies were inconsistent. The current study adopted a standardized laboratory stress induction procedure, the Trier Social Stress Test (the TSST), as the stressor to regulate the objective controllability level, and young adult participants were asked to rate their subjectively perceived control level toward the stressor and measured their cortisol stress responses (N=54; 19 females and 35 males) to address this concern. Results showed that participants’ perceived control on the TSST was related to the cortisol stress response. In other words, under the stress of a certain objective controllability level, the lower the subjectively perceived control level, the greater the HPA axis response. This finding suggested that, in addition to objective controllability, subjectively perceived control is a psychological factor that regulates activation of the HPA axis in young adults.

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The late positive potentials evoked by negative emotional pictures predict autonomic responses to an acute psychosocial stressor in healthy adults

10.1101/2021.05.18.21257390 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hongxia Duan ◽

Zhuxi Yao ◽

Liang Zhang ◽

Nils Kohn ◽

Jianhui Wu

Keyword(s):

Stress Responses ◽

Social Stress ◽

Stress Reactivity ◽

Stress Test ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Psychosocial Stressor ◽

Autonomic Responses ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Negative Stimuli

Individuals vary substantially in their response to an acute stressor. Identifying the factors contributing to these individual differences in stress reactivity is of particular interest but still remains largely unknown in the stress and resilience domain. The present study aimed to investigate whether and how brain reactivity to negative stimuli during a non-stressful state could predict autonomic and neuroendocrine stress responses to an acute psychosocial stressor in healthy adults. To address this issue, fifty-two healthy young adults were recruited to view negative or neutral pictures while their electroencephalogram was recorded during a non-stressful state on the first experimental day. On the second experimental day, their autonomic and neuroendocrine responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) were measured. Results showed that increased late positive potential (LPP) to negative relative to neutral pictures was significantly associated with higher heart rate response but not with the cortisol response to acute social stress. These results implicate greater neural reactivity to negative stimuli as a physiological marker of heightened acute autonomic responses. These findings may help identify individuals who are at increased risk of developing negative outcomes under stress.

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Acute Response of Stress System in Multiple Sclerosis

Archives of Neuroscience ◽

10.5812/ans.115781 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Ahmadreza Askari Ashtiani ◽

Vahid Shaygannejad ◽

Foad Ghobadi ◽

Roozbeh Bathaie ◽

Shima Shahyad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Social Stress ◽

Acute Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Stress System ◽

Rate Variation ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Related Disorder

Background: It has long been suspected that exposure to stress is a major factor that can increase the risk of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and exacerbate it, as a stress-related disorder. Therefore, we conducted this study to investigate the response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic-adrenal-medullar (SAM) system to acute social stress. Methods: A total of 46 MS patients and 23 age-sex-matched healthy controls were recruited in the study. The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was used to induce acute psychosocial stress. We measured salivary cortisol (SC) to evaluate the HPA axis. In addition, electrocardiography (ECG) was recorded to evaluate the SAM system based on the linear and non-linear features of Heart Rate Variation (HRV). Then, SC and HRV were measured before and after the stress exposure. We also used the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) and Emotional Visual Analog Scale (EVAS) to conduct the psychometric assessment and evaluate the perceived stress level, respectively. Results: The mean age of the MS group was 35.38 ± 15 years, with a mean disease duration of 7.4 ± 60. Besides, the HC group's mean age was 35.8 ± 9 years. There were no significant differences in demographic features and DASS scores between the two groups. In response to TSST, both MS and healthy individuals showed a significant increase in the SC levels and EVAS scores, as well as changes in the HRV indices. Notably, significant differences were also found between the two groups regarding the basic and post-stress SC levels, EVAS score, and HRV indices. Unlike the HC group, the SC level returned to its baseline after recovery in the MS group, and the sympathetic tone was more sensitive. Conclusions: Our results indicated that both MS and healthy individuals respond to acute stress regarding neuroendocrine assessment; however, patients with multiple sclerosis show some impairments in this response.

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Life stress and cortisol reactivity: An exploratory analysis of the effects of stress exposure across life on HPA-axis functioning

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579419001779 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ethan S. Young ◽

Jenalee R. Doom ◽

Allison K. Farrell ◽

Elizabeth A. Carlson ◽

Michelle M. Englund ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Life Stress ◽

Social Stress ◽

Acute Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Stress Exposure ◽

Cortisol Reactivity ◽

Biological Stress

Abstract Stressful experiences affect biological stress systems, such as the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. Life stress can potentially alter regulation of the HPA axis and has been associated with poorer physical and mental health. Little, however, is known about the relative influence of stressors that are encountered at different developmental periods on acute stress reactions in adulthood. In this study, we explored three models of the influence of stress exposure on cortisol reactivity to a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) by leveraging 37 years of longitudinal data in a high-risk birth cohort (N = 112). The cumulative stress model suggests that accumulated stress across the lifespan leads to dysregulated reactivity, whereas the biological embedding model implicates early childhood as a critical period. The sensitization model assumes that dysregulation should only occur when stress is high in both early childhood and concurrently. All of the models predicted altered reactivity, but do not anticipate its exact form. We found support for both cumulative and biological embedding effects. However, when pitted against each other, early life stress predicted more blunted cortisol responses at age 37 over and above cumulative life stress. Additional analyses revealed that stress exposure in middle childhood also predicted more blunted cortisol reactivity.

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An Online Trier Social Stress Paradigm to Evoke Affective and Cardiovascular Responses

10.31234/osf.io/fcyqd ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Caitlin Marie DuPont ◽

Sarah Pressman ◽

Rebecca G Reed ◽

Anna Marsland ◽

Stephen N. Manuck ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Heart Rate ◽

Social Stress ◽

Stress Condition ◽

Mental Arithmetic ◽

Stress Test ◽

Area Under The Curve ◽

Cardiovascular Responses ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Good Test

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, prior studies have modified the Trier Social Stress Test to be conducted remotely. The current report aimed to extend these studies to test whether a remote Trier Social Stress Test (rTSST) can elicit (a) affective, (b) blood pressure, and (c) heart rate responses relative to a control condition and whether these responses were reliable when assessed one week later. Participants (N = 99, 19.7 ± 3.5 years, 55% female) were randomized to a control or stress condition. Controls completed easier versions of the tasks with a single, friendly researcher. Stress participants performed more difficult versions of the task in front of two judges who participants believed were rating their performance. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured every two minutes throughout, while affect was assessed at baseline, after the final task, and following recovery. The rTSST was feasible to administer with minimal technical issues reported. Results suggest that lower positive affect and higher negative affect were reported during the tasks in the stress condition relative to controls. Similarly, stress participants had higher cardiovascular responses during the tasks relative to controls, except that blood pressure was not elevated during mental arithmetic in stress participants relative to controls. Cardiovascular responses demonstrated good test-retest reliability when assessed one week later, especially when computed using area under the curve methods. Overall, a rTSST can be used to elicit affective and cardiovascular reactivity and provides an opportunity to include participants previously unreachable for in-person laboratory procedures.

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