Journal ArticleDOI
State variation in the cortisol awakening response
TLDR
This is the first review to examine studies which, although limited in number, offer a relatively coherent emerging story about state factors that influence the CAR and the impact of the CAR on daily functioning and highlights areas that require greater clarification.Abstract:
The cortisol awakening response (CAR) is a much studied but poorly understood aspect of the circadian pattern of cortisol secretion. A Scopus search of "cortisol" and "awakening" reveals 666 publications in this area since 1997 when it was first identified by Pruessner and colleagues as a "reliable biomarker of adrenocortical activity". The primary focus of the majority of these studies is centered on its utility as a biomarker associated with a range of psychosocial, physical and mental health variables. Such studies typically examine differences in the CAR (studied on 1 or 2 days) between healthy participants and other comparator groups of interest. Fewer studies (25 in our estimation) have examined correlates of day-to-day variation in the CAR in healthy participants, informing its role and regulation within the healthy circadian pattern of cortisol secretion. This is the first review to examine these studies which, although limited in number, offer a relatively coherent emerging story about state factors that influence the CAR and the impact of the CAR on daily functioning. Greater understanding of these issues helps illuminate the utility of the CAR as a promising biomarker in psychophysiological and epidemiological research. The review also highlights areas that require greater clarification and points to potentially fruitful areas of further research.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Assessment of the cortisol awakening response: Expert consensus guidelines.
Tobias Stalder,Clemens Kirschbaum,Brigitte M. Kudielka,Emma K. Adam,Jens C. Pruessner,Stefan Wüst,Samantha Dockray,Nina Smyth,Phil Evans,Dirk H. Hellhammer,Robert Miller,Mark Wetherell,Sonia J. Lupien,Angela Clow +13 more
TL;DR: Consensus guidelines are presented on central aspects of CAR assessment, including objective control of sampling accuracy/adherence, participant instructions, covariate accounting, sampling protocols, quantification strategies as well as reporting and interpreting of CAR data.
Journal ArticleDOI
Depression as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease: Genes, steroids, cytokines and neurogenesis - What do we need to know?
Joe Herbert,Paul J. Lucassen +1 more
TL;DR: There is as yet no strong indication that an epigenetic event occurs during some forms of MDD that predisposes to later AD, though the evidence is limited and substantial, rigorous and comprehensive follow-up studies are needed to better identify possible subtypes ofMDD that may represent a major predictor for later AD.
Journal ArticleDOI
Cognitive performance in irritable bowel syndrome: evidence of a stress-related impairment in visuospatial memory
Paul J. Kennedy,Gerard Clarke,Ann O'Neill,John A. Groeger,Eamonn Martin Quigley,Fergus Shanahan,John F. Cryan,Timothy G. Dinan +7 more
TL;DR: For the first time, altered cognitive function on a hippocampal-mediated test of visuospatial memory, which was related to cortisol levels and independent of psychiatric co-morbidity, has been identified in IBS.
Journal ArticleDOI
Psychosocial functioning and the cortisol awakening response: Meta-analysis, P-curve analysis, and evaluation of the evidential value in existing studies
TL;DR: P-curve and meta-analysis on 709 findings from 212 studies used to test the evidential value and estimate effect sizes of four sets of findings: those associating worse psychosocial functioning with higher or lower cortisol increase relative to the waking period (CARi) and to the output of the wakingperiod (AUCw).
Journal ArticleDOI
Day differences in the cortisol awakening response predict day differences in synaptic plasticity in the brain
Angela Clow,Robin Law,Phil Evans,Ann-Maree Vallence,Nicolette A. Hodyl,Mitchell R. Goldsworthy,John R. Rothwell,Michael C. Ridding +7 more
TL;DR: It is suggested that the cortisol awakening response may be a mediator between the master and peripheral circadian systems to entrain daily levels of synaptic plasticity.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
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Two formulas for computation of the area under the curve represent measures of total hormone concentration versus time-dependent change
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Journal ArticleDOI
Free Cortisol Levels after Awakening: A Reliable Biological Marker for the Assessment of Adrenocortical Activity
Jens C. Pruessner,Oliver T. Wolf,Dirk H. Hellhammer,Angelika Buske-Kirschbaum,K. von Auer,Silke Jobst,F. Kaspers,Clemens Kirschbaum +7 more
TL;DR: Early morning cortisol levels can be a reliable biological marker for the individual's adrenocortical activity when measured repeatedly with strict reference to the time of awakening, in contrast to single assessments at fixed times.
Effects of stress throughout the lifespan on the brain, behaviour and cognition
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Journal ArticleDOI
The cortisol awakening response (CAR): Facts and future directions
TL;DR: It is hypothesized that the anticipation of the upcoming day is of major relevance for the magnitude of the cortisol awakening response, and considerations are addressed concerning the exact function of the CAR.