Showing papers in "Stress in 2018"
TL;DR: Rearing behaviors could provide an additional measure of anxiety in rodents relevant for behavioral studies, as they appear to be highly sensitive to context and may be used in repeated testing designs.
Abstract: Stressful experiences are linked to anxiety disorders in humans. Similar effects are observed in rodent models, where anxiety is often measured in classic conflict tests such as the open-field test. Spontaneous rearing behavior, in which rodents stand on their hind legs to explore, can also be observed in this test yet is often ignored. We define two forms of rearing, supported rearing (in which the animal rears against the walls of the arena) and unsupported rearing (in which the animal rears without contacting the walls of the arena). Using an automated open-field test, we show that both rearing behaviors appear to be strongly context dependent and show clear sex differences, with females rearing less than males. We show that unsupported rearing is sensitive to acute stress, and is reduced under more averse testing conditions. Repeated testing and handling procedures lead to changes in several parameters over varying test sessions, yet unsupported rearing appears to be rather stable within a given animal. Rearing behaviors could therefore provide an additional measure of anxiety in rodents relevant for behavioral studies, as they appear to be highly sensitive to context and may be used in repeated testing designs.
232 citations
TL;DR: The knowledge of the negative feedback mechanisms that regulate basal ultradian synthesis and secretion of glucocorticoids, including the role of glucOCorticoid and mineralocortioid receptors and their chaperone protein FKBP51 are discussed.
Abstract: The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is the major neuroendocrine axis regulating homeostasis in mammals. Glucocorticoid hormones are rapidly synthesized and secreted from the adrenal gland...
202 citations
TL;DR: Recent work is summarized which provides new insights regarding the genomic action of these receptors, both under baseline conditions and following exposure to acute stress, and will challenge existing assumptions about the role of MRs and GRs.
Abstract: Successful coping with stressful events involves adaptive and cognitive processes in the brain that make the individual more resilient to similar stressors in the future. Stressful events result in the secretion of glucocorticoids (GCs) from the adrenal glands into the blood stream. Early work proved instrumental for developing the concept that these hormones act in the brain to coordinate physiological and behavioral responses to stress through binding to two different GC-binding receptors. Once activated these receptors translocate to the nucleus where they act on target genes to facilitate (or sometimes inhibit) transcription. There are two types of receptors in the brain, the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), and glucocorticoid receptor (GR). This review summarizes recent work which provides new insights regarding the genomic action of these receptors, both under baseline conditions and following exposure to acute stress. This work is discussed alongside the extensive studies undertaken in this field previously and new, and exciting "big data" studies which have generated a wealth of relevant data. The consequence of these new insights will challenge existing assumptions about the role of MRs and GRs and pave the way for the implementation of novel and improved methodologies to identify the role these corticosteroid receptors have in stress-related behavioral adaptation.
73 citations
TL;DR: Both cortisone and cortisol should be used as a marker for stress in pregnant woman after an association of cortisol/cortisone metabolism with self-reported stress in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy is suggested.
Abstract: Hair cortisol levels are used to measure long-term stress, while its inactive metabolite cortisone is often not assessed. We measured hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) and hair cortisone concentra...
48 citations
TL;DR: The finding that salivary cortisol reactivity to challenge in early childhood plays a role in children’s cumulative cortisol exposure and behavioral development suggests pathways through which cortisol reactsivity may influence long-term physical and mental health.
Abstract: The interplay between children's cortisol reactivity to challenge and cumulative cortisol exposure is not well understood. Examining the role of cortisol reactivity in early childhood may elucidate biological mechanisms that contribute to children's chronic physiological stress and behavioral dysregulation. In a sample of 65 preschool-aged children, we examined the relation between children's salivary cortisol reactivity to challenging tasks and their hair cortisol concentration (HCC). While both are biomarkers of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, salivary cortisol reactivity reflects an acute cortisol response to a stressor and HCC reflects cumulative cortisol exposure. In addition, we examined the relations of these stress biomarkers with internalizing and externalizing problems. Salivary cortisol reactivity was associated with higher HCC and with increased externalizing behaviors. Child HCC also was positively correlated with parent HCC. Results highlight the contributions of salivary cortisol reactivity to children's cumulative cortisol exposure, which may add to their biological risk for health problems later. The observed association between externalizing problems and salivary cortisol reactivity indicates concordances between dysregulated behavioral reactions and dysregulated cortisol responses to challenges. The finding that salivary cortisol reactivity to challenge in early childhood plays a role in children's cumulative cortisol exposure and behavioral development suggests pathways through which cortisol reactivity may influence long-term physical and mental health.
31 citations
TL;DR: The results indicate that MS alters the maternal behavior of the dams toward pups throughout the first week of the stress protocol and provoked some anxiety-related traits in the dams.
Abstract: Maternal care is essential for an adequate pup development, as well as for the health of the dam. Exposure to stress in early stages of life can disrupt this dam–pup relationship promoting altered ...
29 citations
TL;DR: It is found that environmental enrichment given during the adolescent period prevented the chronic stress-induced transition to passive coping in the FST and reversed decreases in peak adrenocortical responsiveness observed in adult females.
Abstract: The late adolescent period is characterized by marked neurodevelopmental and endocrine fluctuations in the transition to early adulthood. Adolescents are highly responsive to the external environment, which enhances their ability to adapt and recover from challenges when given nurturing influences, but also makes them vulnerable to aberrant development when exposed to prolonged adverse situations. Female rats are particularly sensitive to the effects of chronic stress in adolescence, which manifests as passive coping strategies and blunted hypothalamo-pituitary adrenocortical (HPA) stress responses in adulthood. We sought to intervene by exposing adolescent rats to environmental enrichment (EE) immediately prior to and during chronic stress, hypothesizing that EE would minimize or prevent the long-term effects of stress that emerge in adult females. To test this, we exposed male and female rats to EE on postnatal days (PND) 33-60 and implemented chronic variable stress (CVS) on PND 40-60. CVS consisted of twice-daily unpredictable stressors. Experimental groups included: CVS/unenriched, unstressed/EE, CVS/EE and unstressed/unenriched (n = 10 of each sex/group). In adulthood, we measured behavior in the open field test and forced swim test (FST) and collected blood samples following the FST. We found that environmental enrichment given during the adolescent period prevented the chronic stress-induced transition to passive coping in the FST and reversed decreases in peak adrenocortical responsiveness observed in adult females. Adolescent enrichment had little to no effect on males or unstressed females tested in adulthood, indicating that beneficial effects are specific to females that were exposed to chronic stress.
29 citations
TL;DR: Study of the long-term consequences of early life stress exposure on individuals with differential constitutive glucocorticoid responsiveness to repeated stressor exposure indicates aberrant HPA axis activity around puberty, a key period in the development of social repertoire in both rats and humans, may alter behavior such that it becomes anti-social in nature.
Abstract: Experience of adversity early in life and dysregulation of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis activity are risk factors often independently associated with the development of psychopathological disorders, including depression, PTSD and pathological aggression. Additional evidence suggests that in combination these factors may interact to shape the development and expression of psychopathology differentially, though little is known about underlying mechanisms. Here, we studied the long-term consequences of early life stress exposure on individuals with differential constitutive glucocorticoid responsiveness to repeated stressor exposure, assessing both socio-affective behaviors and brain activity in regions sensitive to pathological alterations following stress. Two rat lines, genetically selected for either low or high glucocorticoid responsiveness to repeated stress were exposed to a series of unpredictable, fear-inducing stressors on intermittent days during the peripuberty period. Results obtained at adulthood indicated that having high glucocorticoid responses to repeated stress and having experience of peripuberty stress independently enhanced levels of psychopathology-like behaviors, as well as increasing basal activity in several prefrontal and limbic brain regions in a manner associated with enhanced behavioral inhibition. Interestingly, peripuberty stress had a differential impact on aggression in the two rat lines, enhancing aggression in the low-responsive line but not in the already high-aggressive, high-responsive rats. Taken together, these findings indicate that aberrant HPA axis activity around puberty, a key period in the development of social repertoire in both rats and humans, may alter behavior such that it becomes anti-social in nature.
28 citations
TL;DR: It was found that composite stress interacted significantly with the DERS score to affect CV risk, and chronic stress was associated with CV risk only among participants with poor emotion regulation.
Abstract: Chronic stress is a risk factor for incident cardiovascular (CV) disease. Emotion regulation is the ability to modulate one’s state or behavior in response to a given situation or stressor, and may...
27 citations
TL;DR: Data investigating the relationships among stress, sleep disturbance, self-control, and levels of cortisol (CORT) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in fingernail clippings suggest exposure to stressful events, disturbances in sleep and waking were associated with higher levels of nail DHEA, while self- control was associated withHigher levels of nails CORT.
Abstract: In the current study, we present data investigating the relationships among stress, sleep disturbance, self-control, and levels of cortisol (CORT) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in fingernail cl...
25 citations
TL;DR: It appears that both nonapeptides balance the relative strength of the stress response, and simultaneously predispose the animal to positive or negative social interactions.
Abstract: Social stress occurs in all social species, including humans, and shape both mental health and future interactions with conspecifics. Animal models of social stress are used to unravel the precise ...
TL;DR: School burnout was significantly related to elevated ambulatory BP (systolic and diastolic) and HRV markers of increased cardiac sympathovagal tone and it is suggested that school burnout might be implicated in the development of pre-hypertension or early cardiovascular disease.
Abstract: Emerging research documents the relationship between school burnout and some indicators of increased cardiovascular risk. Indicators of cardiovascular functioning assessed via ambulatory blood pres...
TL;DR: Regular exposure to daily stressors in rapid succession may predict more depression-related symptoms, whereas exposure to stressors dispersed throughout the day may predict diminished glucocorticoid negative feedback.
Abstract: Chronic mild stress can lead to negative health outcomes. Frequency, duration, and intensity of acute stressors can affect health-related processes. We tested whether the temporal pattern of daily ...
TL;DR: Altered long-term release of endogenous cannabinoids in women with BPD depending on type of endocannabinoid seems to attenuate depressive and anxious symptoms and chronically reduced AEA might contribute to psychiatric symptoms in BPD.
Abstract: Endocannabinoids are involved in depressive and anxious symptoms and might play a role in stress-associated psychiatric disorders. While alterations in the endogenous cannabinoid system have been r...
TL;DR: The findings suggest that the association between Type D personality and minor health complaints in the general population can be explained by feelings of stress and anxiety, but a precise biological mechanism for this link is yet to be elucidated.
Abstract: Type D personality has been associated with minor health complaints in the general population and dysregulation of basal cortisol secretion in coronary patients. The aims of the present study were to investigate (i) whether there is an association between Type D personality and basal cortisol secretion in the general population, and (ii) whether subjective measures of stress and anxiety, as well as indices of basal cortisol secretion, mediate the relationship between Type D personality and self-reported physical symptoms in this group. Self-report measures of stress, trait anxiety and physical symptoms were provided by 101 individuals aged 18–45 years. Saliva samples were also provided over two consecutive “typical” days, to enable indices of the cortisol awakening response and diurnal cortisol profile to be determined. There was a significant relationship between Type D personality and self-reported physical symptoms, which was fully mediated by subjective stress and anxiety. However, there were ...
TL;DR: The pattern of neural activation evoked by FS was distinct across sexes, with a heightened neural activation noted in the prelimbic mPFC subdivision and hippocampal subfields in females and differed from the pattern noted with AIS, indicating that the sex differences in neural activation patterns observed within stress-responsive brain regions are dependent on the nature of stressor experience.
Abstract: Stress enhances the risk for psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression. Stress responses vary across sex and may underlie the heightened vulnerability to psychopathology in females. Here, we examined the influence of acute immobilization stress (AIS) and a two-day short-term forced swim stress (FS) on neural activation in multiple cortical and subcortical brain regions, implicated as targets of stress and in the regulation of neuroendocrine stress responses, in male and female rats using Fos as a neural activity marker. AIS evoked a sex-dependent pattern of neural activation within the cingulate and infralimbic subdivisions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), lateral septum (LS), habenula, and hippocampal subfields. The degree of neural activation in the mPFC, LS, and habenula was higher in males. Female rats exhibited reduced Fos positive cell numbers in the dentate gyrus hippocampal subfield, an effect not observed in males. We addressed whether the sexually dimorphic neural activation pattern noted following AIS was also observed with the short-term stress of FS. In the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and the amygdala, FS similar to AIS resulted in robust increases in neural activation in both sexes. The pattern of neural activation evoked by FS was distinct across sexes, with a heightened neural activation noted in the prelimbic mPFC subdivision and hippocampal subfields in females and differed from the pattern noted with AIS. This indicates that the sex differences in neural activation patterns observed within stress-responsive brain regions are dependent on the nature of stressor experience.
TL;DR: The hypothesis that association of MD on day 11 with a saline injection would alter emotional behavior, CORT response, and brain monoamine levels, in male and female adult rats was tested and it was found that males may be vulnerable to motivation-related disorders.
Abstract: Maternal deprivation (MD) disinhibits the adrenal glands, rendering them responsive to various stressors, including saline injection, and this increased corticosterone (CORT) response can last for as long as 2 h. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that association of MD on day 11 with a saline injection would alter emotional behavior, CORT response, and brain monoamine levels, in male and female adult rats. Rats were submitted to the novelty suppressed feeding (NSF), the sucrose negative contrast test (SNCT), social investigation test (SIT), and the elevated plus maze (EPM). One quarter of each group was not tested (providing basal values of CORT and brain monoamines) and the remainder was decapitated 15, 45, or 75 min after the EPM, to assess CORT reactivity. Monoamine levels were determined in the hypothalamus (HPT), frontal cortex (FC), amygdala (AMY), ventral, and dorsal hippocampus (vHPC, dHPC, respectively). MD reduced food intake, in the home-cage, and latency to eat in the NSF in both sexes; females explored less the target animal in the SIT and explored more the open arms of the EPM than males; the CORT response to the EPM was greater in maternally-deprived males and females than in their control counterparts, and this response was further elevated in maternally-deprived females injected with saline. Regarding monoamine levels, females were less affected, showing isolated effects of the stressors, while in males, MD increased 5-HT levels in the HPT and decreased this monoamine in the FC, MD associated with saline reduced dopamine levels in all brain regions, except the HPT. MD at 11 days did not alter emotional behaviors in adult rats, but had an impact in neurobiological parameters associated with this class of behaviors. The impact of MD associated with saline on dopamine levels suggests that males may be vulnerable to motivation-related disorders.
TL;DR: It is hypothesized that CMS in sheep during early gestation augments later acute stress-induced decreases of UBF, and aggravates the fetal hormonal, cardiovascular, and metabolic stress responses during later development, and CMS enhances maternal–fetal stress transfer by prolonged reduction in UBF and increased fetal HPA responsiveness.
Abstract: Acute stress-induced reduction of uterine blood flow (UBF) is an indirect mechanism of maternal-fetal stress transfer during late gestation. Effects of chronic psychosocial maternal stress (CMS) during early gestation, as may be experienced by many working women, on this stress signaling mechanism are unclear. We hypothesized that CMS in sheep during early gestation augments later acute stress-induced decreases of UBF, and aggravates the fetal hormonal, cardiovascular, and metabolic stress responses during later development. Six pregnant ewes underwent repeated isolation stress (CMS) between 30 and 100 days of gestation (dGA, term: 150 dGA) and seven pregnant ewes served as controls. At 110 dGA, ewes were chronically instrumented and underwent acute isolation stress. The acute stress decreased UBF by 19% in both the CMS and control groups (p < .05), but this was prolonged in CMS versus control ewes (74 vs. 30 min, p < .05). CMS increased fetal circulating baseline and stress-induced cortisol and norepinephrine concentrations indicating a hyperactive hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis and sympathetic-adrenal-medullary system. Increased fetal norepinephrine is endogenous as maternal catecholamines do not cross the placenta. Cortisol in the control but not in the CMS fetuses was correlated with maternal cortisol blood concentrations; these findings indicate: (1) no increased maternal-fetal cortisol transfer with CMS, (2) cortisol production in CMS fetuses when the HPA-axis is normally inactive, due to early maturation of the fetal HPA-axis. CMS fetuses were better oxygenated, without shift towards acidosis compared to the controls, potentially reflecting adaptation to repeated stress. Hence, CMS enhances maternal-fetal stress transfer by prolonged reduction in UBF and increased fetal HPA responsiveness.
TL;DR: The involvement of VGluT3 in innate fear, but not in the development of fear memory and generalization, is confirmed with a significant contribution to HPA alterations.
Abstract: Glutamatergic neurons, characterized by vesicular glutamate transporters (VGluT1-3) provide the main excitation in the brain. Their disturbances have been linked to various brain disorders, which c...
TL;DR: Data indicate that increased Per1 mRNA may be a means by which extra-SCN molecular clocks adapt to environmental stimuli (e.g. stress), and in the PFC this effect is largely independent of glucocorticoids.
Abstract: Oscillating clock gene expression gives rise to a molecular clock that is present not only in the body’s master circadian pacemaker, the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), but also in extr...
TL;DR: The present data indicate absence of interaction on autonomic imbalance evoked by either high-fat diet or chronic variable stress protocol, which is independent of stress exposure.
Abstract: Obesity and chronic stress are considered independent risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases and changes in autonomic system activity. However, the cardiovascular consequences induced by the association between high-fat diet (HFD) and chronic stress are not fully understood. We hypothesized that the association between HFD and exposure to a chronic variable stress (CVS) protocol for four weeks might exacerbate the cardiovascular and metabolic disturbances in rats when compared to these factors singly. To test this hypothesis, male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control-standard chow diet (SD; n = 8); control-HFD (n = 8); CVS-SD (n = 8); and CVS-HFD (n = 8). The CVS consisted of repeated exposure of the rats to different inescapable and unpredictable stressors (restraint tress; damp sawdust, cold, swim stress and light cycle inversion). We evaluated cardiovascular function, autonomic activity, dietary intake, adiposity and metabolism. The HFD increased body weight, adiposity and blood glucose concentration (∼15%) in both control and CVS rats. The CVS-HFD rats showed decreased insulin sensitivity (25%) compared to CVS-SD rats. The control-HFD and CVS-HFD rats presented increased intrinsic heart rate (HR) values (∼8%). CVS increased cardiac sympathetic activity (∼65%) in both SD- and HFD-fed rats. The HFD increased basal HR (∼10%). Blood pressure and baroreflex analyzes showed no differences among the experimental groups. In conclusion, the present data indicate absence of interaction on autonomic imbalance evoked by either CVS or HFD. Additionally, HFD increased HR and evoked metabolic disruptions which are independent of stress exposure.
TL;DR: Prenatal stress more strongly increased placental GR and 11βHSD2 levels among Dom mice than in Subs, protecting fetuses from effects of prenatal stress upon postnatal development.
Abstract: Prenatal stress may increase concentrations of maternal glucocorticoids, which restrict fetal growth, with variable impact upon postnatal development. Among key regulators of stress hormone effects are the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-2 (11βHSD2), the enzyme that inactivates glucocorticoid. This study utilized mice selectively bred for social dominance (Dom) or submissiveness (Sub), respectively exhibiting resilience or sensitivity to stress, to test whether stress-induced alterations in placental GR and 11βHSD2 protein expression may mediate divergent effects of prenatal adversity upon postnatal development. Pregnant Dom and Sub dams underwent prenatal restraint stress (PRS) for 45 min on gestational days (GD) 15-17. PRS induced a similar spike in serum corticosterone concentrations of dams from each strain on GD15 (p < .001, n = 8), and impaired fetal growth (p < .01, n = 5 litters), although Dom placentae were larger than Sub placentae (p < .01). Among placentae from Dom dams, PRS elevated protein contents of both GR (p < .05, n = 5 litters) and 11βHSD2 (p < .01) on GD19. In contrast, GR contents were reduced among placentae from PRS-exposed Sub mice (p < .01), without changes in 11βHSD2 content. Correspondingly, Dom PRS pup growth recovered by PND14, yet Sub PRS pups remained underweight into adolescence (p < .0001, n = 40 pups). Thus, prenatal stress more strongly increased placental GR and 11βHSD2 levels among Dom mice than in Subs. Increased GR may improve placental function and up-regulate 11βHSD2 expression, protecting fetuses from effects of prenatal stress upon postnatal development. Placental recruitment of GR and 11βHSD2 are potential markers of stress-induced developmental disorders, in accordance with maternal resilience or sensitivity to stress.
TL;DR: Increases in perceived stress during a 5-year period were associated with decreases in CRP among healthy men, and the observed association was possibly modified by coping strategy or social support.
Abstract: Inconsistent associations have been reported between perceived stress and C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation. We previously observed a male-specific inverse relationship be...
TL;DR: The findings suggest that cognitive training may be a viable method to address cognitive impairments for patients with ED, whereas the effects of aerobic exercise on cognition may be more limited when performed during a restricted time period.
Abstract: Stress-related exhaustion has been associated with selective and enduring cognitive impairments. However, little is known about how to address cognitive deficits in stress rehabilitation and how th ...
TL;DR: Evidence is provided that food restriction paradigms used in rodents require food restriction to provoke motivational states that facilitate approach behaviors and may have unintended effects in some behavioral protocols.
Abstract: Microglia are resident immune cells of the brain that can regulate neural communication and excitability. Any environmental influence on microglial activity has the potential to alter subsequent neural physiology and behavior. Within the prefrontal cortex, several types of stressors have been shown to increase microglial expression of activation markers such as ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule-1 (Iba-1), which suggests altered microglial activity. Recent reports in rodents suggest that exposure to forms of early-life stress such as maternal separation can alter microglial responsivity to subsequent challenges. Several learning paradigms used in rodents require food restriction to provoke motivational states that facilitate approach behaviors. Here, we tested whether food restriction (increasing from 13 g/day-23 g/day in males and 10 g/day-20 g/day in females, which reduced body weight to 72-84% free-fed weight) in adolescent rats is a sufficient challenge to affect microglial Iba-1 expression, and whether previous exposure to postnatal maternal separation influenced microglial outcomes. We measured prefrontal cortex Iba-1 expression and microglial morphology after 20 days of ad libitum or restricted food availability in males and females with or without exposure to maternal separation. Food-restricted animals displayed higher levels of Iba-1 in the prefrontal cortex, with hyper-ramified microglial morphology in maternally separated males and control females, compared to those that were free-fed. Together, our data provide evidence that food restriction paradigms may have unintended effects in some behavioral protocols.
TL;DR: Results suggest high-sensitivity magnetic multiplex assay is able to detect changes in plasma concentrations of IL-6 as a result of acute stress in humans.
Abstract: Circulating concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, an inflammatory biomarker widely assessed in humans to study the inflammatory response to acute psychological stress, have for decades been quantif...
TL;DR: The results shed light on the importance and the complexity of the construct of meaning in life and offer a possible explanation for why some people who face stressors may be more vulnerable than others to developing stress-related health problems.
Abstract: Previous studies have suggested that meaning in life may buffer the negative effects of stress. This study is the first to investigate the moderating role of meaning in life in the relationship between the perception of stress and diurnal cortisol in two independent samples of healthy adults. In study 1 (n = 172, men = 82, women = 90, age range = 21–55 years, mean age = 37.58 years), the results of moderated regression analyses revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between overall perceived stress in the past month and both diurnal cortisol levels (area-under-the-curve with respect to the ground; AUCg) and the diurnal cortisol slope (DCS) only in individuals with low levels of meaning in life conceptualized as the degree to which one engages in activities that are personally valued and important. In study 2 (n = 259, men = 125, women = 134, age range = 18–54 years, mean age = 29.06 years), we found a non-significant interaction term between meaning in life conceptualized as h...
TL;DR: Assessment of the dynamics of immunoendocrine and biochemical variables responses of birds exposed to a heat stressor applied during daylight hours, during the chronic stress and the recovery periods suggests that immunity is already threatened when heat stress is sustained for three or more days.
Abstract: Avian require comfortable temperatures for optimal development and heat stress is a high concern in warm weather countries. We aimed to assess the dynamics of immunoendocrine and biochemical variab...
TL;DR: Contrary to expectations, stress induces a distinct increase in the neuroenergetic status in the human brain, suggesting that the underlying central nervous mechanisms of stress-induced overeating may involve the regulation of the brain energy homeostasis.
Abstract: Psychosocial stress may lead to increased food consumption and overweight. In turn, obesity is related to reduced brain energy content. We hypothesized that psychosocial stress influencing food int...
TL;DR: It is suggested that perceived stress is not homogeneous in the caregivers community and thus these two groups could be differentiated and provided the baseline information to initiate social actions addressed to each group of caregivers to increase their wellbeing.
Abstract: Caregiving induces chronic stress with physical and psychological impact on informal caregivers health. Therefore, subjective and objective indicators are needed for the early diagnosis of pathologic stress to prevent the risk of developing stress-related diseases in caregivers. Our aim was to assess the self-perceived stress, that is, how and how much the stressor affects the individual, through endocrine, metabolic, and immunologic biomarkers levels in geriatric and oncologic informal caregivers. Informal caregivers and non-caregivers were invited to participate in a cross-sectional study at the Clinic Hospital of Barcelona. Demographic and lifestyle characteristics, self-perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Stress Visual Analogue Scale), and biomarkers (copeptin, glucose, glycated hemoglobin, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), cholesterol, triglycerides, α-amylase, cortisol, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and Interleukins (IL-6 and IL-10)) were evaluated. Descriptive and non-parametric statistical data analysis were performed. Fifty-six subjects (19 non-caregivers, 17 geriatric caregivers, and 20 oncologic caregivers) participated. Median age (IQR) was 57 years (47-66) and 71.46% were women. Self-perceived stress was higher in oncologic caregivers than geriatric caregivers in all psychometric test analyzed (Wilcoxon Rank Sum test, p value .05). These findings suggest that perceived stress is not homogeneous in the caregivers community and thus these two groups could be differentiated. These results provide the baseline information to initiate social actions addressed to each group of caregivers to increase their wellbeing.