This meta-analysis reviews 208 laboratory studies of acute psychological stressors and tests a theoretical model delineating conditions capable of eliciting cortisol responses. Psychological stressors increased cortisol levels; however, effects varied widely across tasks. Consistent with the theoretical model, motivated performance tasks elicited cortisol responses if they were uncontrollable or characterized by social-evaluative threat (task performance could be negatively judged by others), when methodological factors and other stressor characteristics were controlled for. Tasks containing both uncontrollable and social-evaluative elements were associated with the largest cortisol and adrenocorticotropin hormone changes and the longest times to recovery. These findings are consistent with the animal literature on the physiological effects of uncontrollable social threat and contradict the belief that cortisol is responsive to all types of stressors.

http://anthro.vancouver.wsu.edu/media/Course_files/anth-260-edward-h-hagen/acute-stressors-and-cortisol-responses-a-theoretical-integration-and-synthesis-of-laboratory-research-1.pdf

Acute stressors and cortisol responses: a theoretical integration and synthesis of laboratory research.

https://bic.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/Rossi_09_TMS%20safety%20review.pdf

Safety, ethical considerations, and application guidelines for the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation in clinical practice and research

The detection of psychiatric illness by questionnaire

http://www.smhc.org.cn/uploadfiles/2014/09/20140929090442442.pdf

A Meta-Analysis of Cytokines in Major Depression

Emotion and Adaptation

Hair cortisol concentrations in relation to ill-being and well-being in healthy young and old females.

Building a logic model for a complex intervention: a worked example from the Well London CRCT

The pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is complex, multilayered, and not fully understood, resulting in a lack of effective disease-modifying treatments for this prevalent neurodegenerative condition. Symptoms of PD are heterogenous, including motor impairment as well as non-motor symptoms such as depression, cognitive impairment, and circadian disruption. Aging and stress are important risk factors for PD, leading us to explore pathways that may either accelerate or protect against cellular aging and the detrimental effects of stress. Cortisol is a much-studied hormone that can disrupt mitochondrial function and increase oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, which are recognized as key underlying disease mechanisms in PD. The more recently discovered klotho protein, considered a general aging-suppressor, has a similarly wide range of actions but in the opposite direction to cortisol: promoting mitochondrial function while reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Both hormones also converge on pathways of vitamin D metabolism and insulin resistance, also implicated to play a role in PD. Interestingly, aging, stress and PD associate with an increase in cortisol and decrease in klotho, while physical exercise and certain genetic variations lead to a decrease in cortisol response and increased klotho. Here, we review the interrelated opposite actions of cortisol and klotho in the pathogenesis of PD. Together they impact powerful and divergent mechanisms that may go on to influence PD-related symptoms. Better understanding of these hormones in PD would facilitate the design of effective interventions that can simultaneously impact the multiple systems involved in the pathogenesis of PD.

/pdf/the-interrelated-multifactorial-actions-of-cortisol-and-15o5o6cx.pdf

The Interrelated Multifactorial Actions of Cortisol and Klotho: Potential Implications in the Pathogenesis of Parkinson’s Disease

/pdf/tribulin-output-in-neurological-disorders-13r7h05u8s.pdf

Tribulin output in neurological disorders.

Background This paper examines how individual and area-level contextual factors shape participation in a community-based development and health promotion intervention. Well London was a 3-year community development and health promotion programme for improving health behaviours (physical activity and healthy eating) and mental health and wellbeing in areas of high deprivation. The programme aimed to improve individual level health outcomes through a combination of neighbourhood and individual level interventions. Community engagement/participation was a central strategy of these interventions. Methods A quantitative cluster randomised trial (CRT) was used to evaluate Well London in 20 neighbourhoods defined as Census Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs). A qualitative study was nested within the trial to examine mechanisms and complexity. This study employed critical case sampling to select three intervention LSOAs that reflected a range of pre-existing community engagement and activities. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 59 respondents purposively sampled from each of 3 distinct areas. Each area reflected differences in implementation, nature of community life, and pre-existing community activities. Interviews addressed three topics: experiences of area, individual health & well-being, and knowledge of and involvement in Well London . Transcripts were coded and thematic analysis undertaken using NVIVO software. Results Analysis found that area level and individual-level characteristics interacted to shape specific models of individual participation in each area. In an area with a ‘dispersed’ community, limited pre-existing activities and implementation through formal institutions, participation was attributed by respondents to self-motivation and responses to deprivation. In contrast, in the 2nd area, Well London implementation centred on an individual community organizer operating in a geographically close-knit area. Strong community interest and participation was shaped by the ability of this individual to inspire a sense of change. Finally, in an area with a ‘saturation’ of pre-existing activities, participation in Well London was part of a socially accepted pattern of community involvement. For new people to the area, involvement was viewed as aiding integration while for long-standing residents this was seen as a strategy to contribute to community life. Conclusion Recent reviews on community participation present evidence of a causal link between participation and positive health outcomes. However, the mechanisms underlying this are not clear. The reasons people participate in Well London are shaped by interactions between individual and area-level factors. This suggests that understanding the link between community participation and health outcomes requires a contextualized analysis of why people participate and the meanings they associate with this.

https://jech.bmj.com/content/jech/66/Suppl_1/A3.2.full.pdf

Angela Clow

Papers

Hair cortisol concentrations in relation to ill-being and well-being in healthy young and old females.

Building a logic model for a complex intervention: a worked example from the Well London CRCT

The Interrelated Multifactorial Actions of Cortisol and Klotho: Potential Implications in the Pathogenesis of Parkinson’s Disease

Tribulin output in neurological disorders.

What shapes participation in a community-based intervention? Evidence from a qualitative evaluation of the well London project