Journal ArticleDOI
The awakening cortisol response: Methodological issues and significance
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TLDR
A review explores reasons for discrepancies in normative data including confounding factors such as gender, age, awakening time, light and participant adherence that suggest the awakening cortisol response is under a distinct regulatory influence different from the rest of the diurnal cortisol secretory cycle.Abstract:
The awakening cortisol response (ACR) is a discrete and distinctive part of the cortisol circadian cycle. In healthy adults salivary free cortisol concentrations increase by between 50 and 160% in the first 30 min immediately post-awakening (approximate average increase of 9 nmol/l, range 4-15 nmol/l, estimated to be equivalent to about three secretory episodes). However there are no agreed norms for the absolute concentrations of free cortisol in saliva either immediately post-awakening (range of 4.7-18.5 nmol/l) or 30 min post-awakening (range of 8.6-21.9 nmol/l). This review explores reasons for these discrepancies in normative data including confounding factors such as gender, age, awakening time, light and participant adherence. Although the physiological role of the ACR has not been clearly defined evidence is discussed that suggests it is under a distinct regulatory influence, different from the rest of the diurnal cortisol secretory cycle. Despite the difficulties associated with its measurement a range of studies have demonstrated an association between the ACR and psychosocial variables, stress and health. However it remains unclear whether positive affect and good health are consistently associated with larger or smaller awakening responses. It is early days in the search for the role and significance of the ACR. Its putative role in the regulation of physiological function across the day (e.g. the immune system) and its sensitivity to psychosocial variables make it a prime candidate as an intermediary linking mind and health.read more
Citations
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Acculturation, Childhood Trauma and the Cortisol Awakening Response in Mexican American Adults
TL;DR: Higher levels of acculturation with greater Anglo-orientation were associated with attenuation of the CAR in Mexican-American adults, suggesting that greater exposure to both risk factors was only incrementally worse than exposure to either one.
Journal ArticleDOI
The Relationship Between Work‐Related Rumination and Evening and Morning Salivary Cortisol Secretion
TL;DR: The association of work-related rumination with salivary cortisol sampled at 10 pm and the cortisol awakening response (CAR) the following morning supports the perseverative cognition hypothesis.
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Chronic stress exposure decreases the cortisol awakening response in healthy young men
TL;DR: Investigation of stress-sensitive endocrine responses to major examination stress serves as a good model of naturalistic chronic psychological stress in an otherwise healthy population and can lead to the decrease of CAR in healthy young men.
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Associations between psychosocial state variables and the cortisol awakening response in a single case study
TL;DR: Investigation of intra-individual associations between psychosocial state variables and the cortisol awakening response (CAR) in a detailed case study of a 27-year-old healthy male carried out over 50 measurement days finds an inverse relationship with the level of prior-day happiness and a positive relationship with study-day anticipations of thelevel of obligations/no leisure.
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Inter-relation between autonomic and HPA axis activity in children and adolescents
TL;DR: The interaction between sympathovagal modulation (LF, LF/HF ratio) and cortisol awakening response (AUCAG, AUCI, maximum) explained significantly greater variance in perceived stress than either stress system alone.
References
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