Showing papers by "Clemens Kirschbaum published in 1999"

Impact of gender, menstrual cycle phase, and oral contraceptives on the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Abstract: Objective: Results from animal and human studies suggest that disregulations of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are involved in several behavioral, circulatory, endocrine, and immune disorders with clear-cut gender differences in disease prevalence. The aim of the present study was to investigate sex-specific HPA response patterns with a focus on the contribution of gonadal steroids as possible mediators. Methods: A total of 81 healthy adults were investigated in the present study. Twenty men, 19 women in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, 21 women in the luteal phase, and 21 women using oral contraceptives (OC) were exposed to a brief psychosocial stress test (Trier Social Stress Test; TSST) and injected with 0.25 mg ACTH 1‐24 on consecutive days. Basal HPA activity was investigated by repeatedly measuring cortisol levels immediately after awakening, as well as in 30-minute intervals from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Additionally, questionnaires were used to assess psychological state and trait parameters. Results: Results show that the TSST induced significant increases in ACTH, salivary-free cortisol, total plasma cortisol, and heart rates, as well as increased wakefulness and reduced calmness in the total group. Significant group differences emerged for ACTH and salivary-free cortisol stress responses: Although men showed higher ACTH responses to the TSST compared with each of the three groups of women, salivary cortisol responses showed the following response pattern: Luteal 5 Men . Follicular 5 OC. The salivary cortisol responses to ACTH 1‐24 showed a similar response pattern: Luteal . Men . Follicular . OC. In contrast, total blood cortisol levels did not reveal any group difference between sexes or follicular versus luteal phase in either test. Although a similar salivary-free cortisol increase after awakening was found in the four groups, the circadian cortisol profile was significantly different throughout the first 4 hours of sampling. Questionnairederived psychological variables, as measured in the present study, could not explain the observed results. Conclusions: We conclude that gender, menstrual cycle phase, and OC use exert important effects on HPA responsiveness to psychosocial stress in healthy subjects. Although men seem to have a stronger hypothalamic drive in response to stressful stimulation than women, differences in salivary-free cortisol levels, at least in part, may be explained by estradiol-induced changes in corticosteroid-binding protein levels. ACTH and cortisol secretion is not affected by OC use per se but the amount of bioavailable unbound cortisol (“free”) is greatly reduced in this group of women after stimulation. Inasmuch as none of these differences between the study groups emerged in total blood cortisol levels, we strongly advocate for the simultaneous measurement of free and total cortisol levels in future studies on HPA functioning. Key words: psychosocial stress, HPA axis, sex differences, menstrual cycle, oral contraceptives, salivary cortisol, TSST, CBG.

Burnout, perceived stress, and cortisol responses to awakening.

Abstract: Sixty-six teachers from local public schools (42 womenand 24 men, mean age 42 6 5 years) were asked to sample saliva for cortisol analysis on 3 consecutive days. On eachday, cortisol levels were measured at the time of awakening and 15, 30, and 60 minutes thereafter. On the nightbefore the third day, subjects took 0.5 mg dexamethasone orally for testing glucocorticoid feedback inhibition.Burnout and perceived stress were measured by three different questionnaires.

Psychological and endocrine responses to psychosocial stress and dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing hormone in healthy postmenopausal women and young controls: the impact of age and a two-week estradiol treatment.

Abstract: In this placebo-controlled double-blind study, psychological and endocrine stress responses were investigated in healthy postmenopausal placebo-treated women (n = 15; 60–75 years; placebo via transder

No Evidence for a Close Relationship between Personality Traits and Circadian Cortisol Rhythm or a Single Cortisol Stress Response

Abstract: Personality traits measured with the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised did not show associations with basal or stimulated concentrations of cortisol in a sample of 81 subjects. Cortisol responses to a single exposure to psychosocial stress as well as circadian salivary-free cortisol patterns did not distinguish between subjects with high or low scores on Extraversion, Neuroticism, or Psychoticism, respectively.

Noise and Stress - Salivary Cortisol as a Non-Invasive Measure of Allostatic Load.

Abstract: The psychobiology of stress has received increasing attention throughout the past two decades. Physiological pathways and subjective response patterns are described in more details aiming at a better understanding of the pathways leading to health or disease under prolonged periods of stress. Technical advances in the laboratory have significantly contributed to this development. One of these methodological advances is the measurement of cortisol in saliva which has promoted psychobiological stress research both in the laboratory and in the field. The present paper provides a brief methodological background and the use of salivary cortisol assessment as an indicator of stress in human studies from this research centre. It is suggested that research on health consequences of noise exposure should include salivary cortisol as a sensitive measure of allostatic load.

Homesickness, mood and self-reported health

Abstract: The present study focused on health status, mood, cognition, saliva cortisol, and social activities in homesick (N=80), homesick-prone (N=152), recovered (N=48) and non-homesick adult women (N=45). Self-reported health and mood were decreased and cognitive functions were poorer in homesick and homesick-prone subjects compared with non-homesick and recovered persons. Cortisol levels, on the other hand, failed to differ among the four groups. Furthermore, homesick, homesick-prone and recovered individuals reported more difficulties making friends, fear of heights, dislike of travelling alone, school phobia and less club membership in childhood compared to the non-homesick. It is suggested that a personality-linked vulnerability factor is responsible for making anxious individuals prone to develop homesickness. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evaluation of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal activity in the tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri) via salivary cortisol measurement.

Abstract: Saliva sampling is frequently used in humans for adrenal glucocorticoid hormone analysis because of advantages such as non-invasiveness, the ease of collection, and storing of the samples. To transfer this advantageous method to laboratory mammals, potentially confounding factors such as stressful handling procedures have to be excluded. In the present study we established a method for collecting saliva for cortisol measurement in freely moving adult male tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri). The practicability of the procedure was demonstrated (i) by stress-induced changes in cortisol levels revealing a significant increase during the stress phase (control = 0.91 nmol/l vs stress = 1.71 nmol/l), and (ii) by reporting no significant differences in salivary cortisol levels before and after performance of a learning task. The present study emphasizes the use of salivary cortisol analysis especially for monitoring acute changes in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in male tree shrews.