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Cano-López I, Catalán-Aguilar J, Lozano-García A, Hidalgo V, Hampel KG, Tormos-Pons P, Salvador A, Villanueva V, González-Bono E. Cognitive phenotypes in patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy: Relationships with cortisol and affectivity. Clin Neuropsychol 2025; 39:400-423. [PMID: 38965831 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2024.2375605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a neurological disorder characterized by cognitive deficits. This study examined whether patients with TLE and different cognitive phenotypes differ in cortisol levels and affectivity while controlling for demographic and clinical variables. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 79 adults with TLE underwent neuropsychological evaluation in which memory, language, attention/processing speed, executive function, and affectivity were assessed. Six saliva samples were collected in the afternoon to examine the ability of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to descend according to the circadian rhythm (C1 to C6). The cortisol area under the curve concerning ground (AUCg) was computed to examine global cortisol secretion. RESULTS Three cognitive phenotypes were identified: memory impairment, generalized impairment, and no impairment. The memory-impairment phenotype showed higher cortisol levels at C4, C5, and C6 than the other groups (p = 0.03, η2 = 0.06), higher cortisol AUCg than the generalized-impairment phenotype (p = 0.004, η2 = 0.14), and a significant reduction in positive affectivity after the evaluation (p = 0.026, η2 = 0.11). Higher cortisol AUCg and reductions in positive affectivity were significant predictors of the memory-impairment phenotype (p < 0.001; Cox and Snell R2 = 0.47). CONCLUSIONS Patients with memory impairment had a slower decline in cortisol levels in the afternoon, which could be interpreted as an inability of the HPA axis to inhibit itself. Thus, chronic stress may influence hippocampus-dependent cognitive function more than other cognitive functions in patients with TLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Cano-López
- Institut d'Investigació en Psicologia dels Recursos Humans, del Desenvolupament Organitzacional i de la Qualitat de Vida Laboral (IDOCAL)/Department of Psychobiology, Psychology Center, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Judit Catalán-Aguilar
- Institut d'Investigació en Psicologia dels Recursos Humans, del Desenvolupament Organitzacional i de la Qualitat de Vida Laboral (IDOCAL)/Department of Psychobiology, Psychology Center, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alejandro Lozano-García
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Valencian International University, Valencia, Spain
- Department of Psychology, Universidad Europea de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Vanesa Hidalgo
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, Area of Psychobiology, Social and Human Sciences Center, University of Zaragoza, Teruel, Spain
| | - Kevin G Hampel
- Refractory Epilepsy Unit, Neurology Service, Member of ERN EPICARE, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Paula Tormos-Pons
- Institut d'Investigació en Psicologia dels Recursos Humans, del Desenvolupament Organitzacional i de la Qualitat de Vida Laboral (IDOCAL)/Department of Psychobiology, Psychology Center, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alicia Salvador
- Institut d'Investigació en Psicologia dels Recursos Humans, del Desenvolupament Organitzacional i de la Qualitat de Vida Laboral (IDOCAL)/Department of Psychobiology, Psychology Center, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Vicente Villanueva
- Refractory Epilepsy Unit, Neurology Service, Member of ERN EPICARE, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Esperanza González-Bono
- Institut d'Investigació en Psicologia dels Recursos Humans, del Desenvolupament Organitzacional i de la Qualitat de Vida Laboral (IDOCAL)/Department of Psychobiology, Psychology Center, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
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Stalder T, Oster H, Abelson JL, Huthsteiner K, Klucken T, Clow A. The Cortisol Awakening Response: Regulation and Functional Significance. Endocr Rev 2025; 46:43-59. [PMID: 39177247 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnae024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
In healthy individuals, the majority of cortisol secretion occurs within several hours surrounding morning awakening. A highly studied component of this secretory period is the cortisol awakening response (CAR), the rapid increase in cortisol levels across the first 30 to 45 minutes after morning awakening. This strong cortisol burst at the start of the active phase has been proposed to be functional in preparing the organism for the challenges of the upcoming day. Here, we review evidence on key regulatory and functional processes of the CAR and develop an integrative model of its functional role. Specifically, we propose that, in healthy individuals, the CAR is closely regulated by an intricate dual-control system, which draws upon key circadian, environmental, and neurocognitive processes to best predict the daily need for cortisol-related action. Fine-tuned CAR expression, in turn, is then assumed to induce potent glucocorticoid action via rapid nongenomic and slower genomic pathways (eg, affecting circadian clock gene expression) to support and modulate daily activity through relevant metabolic, immunological, and neurocognitive systems. We propose that this concerted action is adaptive in mediating two main functions: a primary process to mobilize resources to meet activity-related demands and a secondary process to help the organism counterregulate adverse prior-day emotional experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Stalder
- Department of Psychology, University of Siegen, 57076 Siegen, Germany
| | - Henrik Oster
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - James L Abelson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | - Tim Klucken
- Department of Psychology, University of Siegen, 57076 Siegen, Germany
| | - Angela Clow
- Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, London W1W 6UW, UK
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Farkas I, Végh J, Ivaskevics K, Szabó EM, Haller J. The effects of expected and unexpected stress on inappropriate aggression in simulated police interventions. Heliyon 2023; 9:e17871. [PMID: 37483715 PMCID: PMC10362074 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Here we performed a before-after ABA-design study in police cadets (N = 82) to compare the effects of unexpected (event-triggered) and expected (anticipatory) stressors on aggression. On the first day of the study, participants filled in the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) and were fitted with heart rate (HR) monitors, which remained attached till the end of the study. On day 2, they were instructed to perform a police intervention in a realistic training environment. The intervention was preceded either by a warning or by a reassuring audio recording that forecasted violent or routine interventions, respectively. Both groups encountered hostile suspects at the intervention site, the behavior of which, however, did not justify the use of force e.g., aggression. The warning resulted in a gradually developing anticipatory stress as shown by HRs. Cadets exposed to the reassuring audio recording showed minimal anticipatory stress but responded to the hostile suspects by an abrupt increase in HRs, which was missing in the warned group. The magnitude of HR responses was similar in the two groups, only their temporal evolution differed. Although aggression showed some associations with BPAQ and BIS scores, the main predictors of behavior were HR changes according to a Multiple Regression analysis. The gradually developing anticipatory stress was associated with low, whereas the abrupt increase in HRs was associated with high aggression. Our findings suggest that the anticipation of a stressful event improves behavioral control whereas an unexpected stress strongly promotes aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - József Végh
- International Training Centre, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Krisztián Ivaskevics
- University of Public Service, Department of Criminal Psychology, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - József Haller
- University of Public Service, Department of Criminal Psychology, Budapest, Hungary
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Meruelo AD, Timmins MA, Irwin MR, Coccaro EF. Salivary cortisol awakening levels are reduced in human subjects with intermittent explosive disorder compared with controls. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 151:106070. [PMID: 36863129 PMCID: PMC10262314 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in human aggressive behavior is poorly characterized, though some studies report that, unlike depression, circulating or salivary levels of cortisol are low compared with controls. METHODS In this study, we collected three salivary cortisol levels (two in the morning and one in the evening) on three separate days in 78 adult study participants with (n = 28) and without (n = 52) prominent histories of impulsive aggressive behavior. Plasma C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) were also collected in most study participants. Aggressive study participants meet DSM-5 criteria for Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) while non-aggressive participants either had a history of a psychiatric disorder or no such history (Controls). RESULTS Morning, but not evening, salivary cortisol levels were significantly lower in IED (p < 0.05), compared with control, study participants. In addition, salivary cortisol levels correlated with measures of trait anger (partial r = -0.26, p < 0.05) and aggression (partial r = -0.25, p < 0.05) but not with measures of impulsivity, psychopathy, depression, history of childhood maltreatment, or other tested variables that often differ in individuals with IED. Finally, plasma CRP levels correlated inversely with morning salivary cortisol levels (partial r = -0.28, p < 0.05); plasma IL-6 levels showed a similar, though not statistically significant (rp = -0.20, p = 0.12) relationship with morning salivary cortisol levels. CONCLUSION The cortisol awakening response appears to be lower in individuals with IED compared with controls. In all study participants, morning salivary cortisol levels correlated inversely with trait anger, trait aggression, and plasma CRP, a marker of systemic inflammation. This suggests the present of a complex interaction between chronic-low level inflammation, the HPA axis, and IED that warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro D Meruelo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Matthew A Timmins
- Clinical Neuroscience and Psychotherapeutics Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Michael R Irwin
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences and Medicine, Norman Cousins Center, and Semel Institute, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Emil F Coccaro
- Clinical Neuroscience and Psychotherapeutics Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
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Wang H, Zhang S, Wu S, Qin S, Liu C. Cortisol awakening response and testosterone jointly affect adolescents' theory of mind. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105258. [PMID: 36116196 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a critical period for the maturation of neurobiological processes and hormone secretion. Recent studies on the dual-hormone hypothesis have indicated that basal cortisol and testosterone jointly affect dominant and aggressive behavior among adolescents and adults. Whether this hypothesis applies to prosocial-related understanding of others' mental states remains unclear. The present study investigated associations between basal testosterone, basal cortisol (and cortisol awakening response [CAR]), and the cognitive/affective theory of mind (ToM) in 243 adolescents (67.9 % male, aged 14 to 17 years, Mage = 16.09, standard deviation = 0.62). Cognitive ToM (cToM) and affective ToM (aToM) were assessed with a cartoon story reasoning task: In the cToM condition, participants viewed a comic strip story and needed to predict what would happen based on a character's intentions, and in the aToM condition, they viewed a comic strip of two characters interacting and needed to think about what would make the protagonist feel better. The results showed that basal testosterone and basal cortisol did not interact with each other to affect the performance of ToM, either in terms of ToM accuracy or response speed. However, under the condition of low CAR, testosterone is associated with the fast performance of cToM, although the interaction of testosterone and CAR occurred only in female adolescents. Overall, our data provide new evidence for the dual-hormone hypothesis and further extend the hypothesis to social understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huagen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing, China; Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing, China
| | - Sihui Zhang
- Department of General Adult Psychiatry, Heidelberg University, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Simeng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing, China; Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing, China
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing, China; Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing, China.
| | - Chao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing, China; Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing, China.
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Abstract
The effects of glucocorticoids on aggression can be conceptualized based on its mechanisms of action. These hormones can affect cell function non-genomically within minutes, primarily by affecting the cell membrane. Overall, such effects are activating and promote both metabolic preparations for the fight and aggressive behavior per se. Chronic increases in glucocorticoids activate genomic mechanisms and are depressing overall, including the inhibition of aggressive behavior. Finally, excessive stressors trigger epigenetic phenomena that have a large impact on brain programming and may also induce the reprogramming of neural functions. These induce qualitative changes in aggression that are deemed abnormal in animals, and psychopathological and criminal in humans. This review aims at deciphering the roles of glucocorticoids in aggression control by taking in view the three mechanisms of action often categorized as acute, chronic, and toxic stress based on the duration and the consequences of the stress response. It is argued that the tripartite way of influencing aggression can be recognized in all three animal, psychopathological, and criminal aggression and constitute a framework of mechanisms by which aggressive behavior adapts to short-term and log-term changes in the environment.
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Romero-Martínez Á, Sarrate-Costa C, Moya-Albiol L. Reactive vs proactive aggression: A differential psychobiological profile? Conclusions derived from a systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 136:104626. [PMID: 35331815 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Scholars have established subcategories of aggressive behavior in order to better understand this construct. Specifically, a classification based on motivational underpinnings makes it possible to differentiate between reactive and proactive aggression. Whereas reactive aggression is characterized by emotional lability, which means it is prone to impulsive reactions after provocation, proactive aggression is driven by low emotionality and high levels of instrumentality to obtain benefits. Some authors have conceived these two types as having a dichotomous nature, but others argue against this conceptualization, considering a complementary model more suitable. Hence, neuroscientific research might help to clarify discussions about their nature because biological markers do not present the same biases as psychological instruments. AIM The main objective of this study was to carry out a systematic review of studies that assess underlying biological markers (e.g., genes, brain, psychophysiological, and hormonal) of reactive and proactive aggression. METHODS To carry out this review, we followed PRISMA quality criteria for reviews, using five digital databases complemented by hand-searching. RESULTS The reading of 3993 abstracts led to the final inclusion of 157 papers that met all the inclusion criteria. The studies included allow us to conclude that heritability accounted for approximately 45% of the explained variance in both types of aggression, with 60% shared by both, especially, for overt and physical expression forms, and 10% specific to each type. Regarding allelic risk factors, whereas low functioning variants affecting serotonin transport and monoaminoxidase increased the risk of reactive aggression, high functioning variants were associated with proactive aggression. Furthermore, brain analysis revealed an overlap between the two types of aggression and alterations in the volume of the amygdala and temporal cortex. Moreover, high activation of the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) facilitated proneness to both types of aggression equally. Whereas stimulation of the right ventrolateral (VLPFC) and dorsolateral (DLPFC) reduced proneness to aggression, inhibition of the left DLPFC increased it. Finally, psychophysiological and hormonal correlates in general did not clearly differentiate between the two types because they were equally related to each type (e.g., low basal cortisol and vagal variability in response to acute stress) CONCLUSIONS: This study reinforces the complementary model of both types of aggression instead of a dichotomous model. Additionally, this review also offers background about several treatments (i.e., pharmacological, non-invasive brain techniques…) to reduce aggression proneness.
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Knappe S, Martini J, Muris P, Wittchen HU, Beesdo-Baum K. Progression of externalizing disorders into anxiety disorders: Longitudinal transitions in the first three decades of life. J Anxiety Disord 2022; 86:102533. [PMID: 35092927 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2022.102533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a notable comorbidity between externalizing disorders and anxiety disorders, which may be explained by the co-occurrence of two prevalent early-onset disorders, by shared vulnerability and risk factors, or as evidence that one disorder group might be causally related to the other. AIM To investigate the longitudinal trajectories of externalizing disorders, their interplay with anxiety disorders, and putative predictors for symptom progression in youth. METHODS 1053 adolescents (14-17 years) from the general population were assessed at baseline and prospectively at 2, 4, and 10-year follow-up using a standardized interview of mental disorders (DIA-X/M-CIDI) to assess "early" (oppositional-defiant disorder, conduct disorder, ADHD) and "late" (antisocial behavior, substance use disorders) externalizing disorders as well as anxiety disorders. Longitudinal associations and predictors for symptom progression were examined using Kaplan-Meier-analyses. RESULTS Lifetime prevalence of early externalizing disorders were 9.1% and 6.4% among those with and without any anxiety disorder. A late externalizing disorder was reported by 50.3% of those with an early externalizing disorder and in 26.6% of those with any anxiety disorder. Both early (HR: 1.5, 95%CI: 1.0-2.3) and late externalizing disorders (HR: 2.1, 95%CI: 1.7-2.6) were associated with incident anxiety disorders. Higher parental rejection, lower volitional inhibition, and higher volitional avoidance predicted incident anxiety disorders among those with early externalizing disorders. DISCUSSION Early externalizing disorders likely follow a homotypic continuity (to late externalizing disorders) and/or a heterotypic continuity to anxiety disorders, and thus appear as a useful target for prevention and early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Knappe
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 36, 01187 Dresden, Germany; Evangelische Hochschule Dresden (ehs), University of Applied Sciences for Social Work, Education and Nursing, Dürerstr. 25, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Julia Martini
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 36, 01187 Dresden, Germany; Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Peter Muris
- Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Hans-Ulrich Wittchen
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 36, 01187 Dresden, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Nußbaumstr. 7, 80336 Munich, Germany.
| | - Katja Beesdo-Baum
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Behavioral Epidemiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 36, 01187 Dresden, Germany.
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Blomquist GE, Hinde K, Capitanio JP. Inheritance of hormonal stress response and temperament in infant rhesus macaques (Macaca Mulatta): Nonadditive and sex-specific effects. Behav Neurosci 2022; 136:61-71. [PMID: 34516165 PMCID: PMC9373718 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Early life interindividual variation in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) reactivity to stress is predictive of later life psychological and physical well-being, including the development of many pathological syndromes that are often sex-biased. A complex and interactive set of environmental and genetic causes for such variation has been implicated by previous studies, though little attention has been paid to nonadditive effects (e.g. dominance, X-linked) or sex-specific genetic effects. METHOD We used a large pedigreed sample of captive 3-4 months old infant rhesus macaques (N = 2,661, 54% female) to fit univariate and multivariate linear mixed quantitative genetic models for four longitudinal blood cortisol samples and three reliable ratings of infant temperament (nervousness, gentleness, confidence) during a mother-infant separation protocol. RESULTS Each trait had a moderate narrow-sense heritability (h², 0.26-0.46), but dominance effects caused the first two cortisol samples to have much larger broad-sense heritabilities (H², 0.57 and 0.77). We found no evidence for X-linked variance or common maternal environment variance. There was a sex difference in heritability of the first cortisol sample (hf² < hm²), suggesting differing genetic architecture of perception of maternal separation and relocation during infancy. Otherwise, genetic covariance matrices for the sexes were very similar. Genetic correlations between cortisol levels and temperament were weak (< |0.4|) but stronger than residual or phenotypic correlations. CONCLUSIONS HPA reactivity and temperament had a primarily additive genetic basis in infant macaques, but there were important complexities to the genetic architecture of including genetic dominance and sex differences in heritability at this early life stage. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory E. Blomquist
- Corresponding author contact information: 112 Swallow Hall, Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, 573-882-4731,
| | - Katie Hinde
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University
| | - John P. Capitanio
- California National Primate Research Center and Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
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Cavelti M, Rinnewitz L, Walter M, van der Venne P, Parzer P, Josi J, Bertsch K, Brunner R, Resch F, Koenig J, Kaess M. Psychobiological Correlates of Aggression in Female Adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder. Psychopathology 2022; 55:37-48. [PMID: 34872101 DOI: 10.1159/000520228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Aggressive behavior in reaction to threats, frustration, or provocation is prevalent in borderline personality disorder (BPD). This study investigated aggressive behavior and its biological correlates in adolescents with BPD. METHODS Twenty-one female adolescents with a DSM-IV BPD diagnosis and 25 sex- and age-matched healthy controls participated in the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP), a laboratory-based experiment measuring aggressive behavior in the interpersonal context. Heart rate was measured and saliva samples were taken throughout the experiment. RESULTS Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression analyses revealed no significant group difference in aggressive behavior induced by the TAP. Additionally, the two groups did not differ in cortisol, testosterone, and heart rate responses to the aggression induction. The BPD group showed a significant cortisol increase in the time preceding the start of the TAP in contrast to the healthy control group, in whom a significant heart rate increase from baseline to the first block of the TAP was observed. DISCUSSION There was no evidence, either at the phenomenological or the biological level, of increased task-induced aggression in adolescents with BPD. The results may indicate that adolescents with BPD experienced fearful stress in anticipation of the experimental task in contrast to healthy controls who showed an adaptive response of the autonomic nervous system necessary to deal with the upcoming demand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marialuisa Cavelti
- University Hospital for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland,
| | - Lena Rinnewitz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Section for Translational Psychobiology in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Moritz Walter
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Section for Translational Psychobiology in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Patrice van der Venne
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Section for Translational Psychobiology in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Parzer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Josi
- University Hospital for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilans-University Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Romuald Brunner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Regensburg, Regenbsurg, Germany
| | - Franz Resch
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julian Koenig
- University Hospital for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Section for Experimental Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Kaess
- University Hospital for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Section for Translational Psychobiology in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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Shi X, Nie X, Wu J. The cortisol awakening response and the late positive potentials evoked by unpleasant emotional pictures in healthy adults. Stress 2022; 25:40-47. [PMID: 34882046 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2021.2008902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The cortisol awakening response (CAR) refers to a sharp rise in cortisol concentrations within the 45 min following morning awakening. Alterations in CAR have been associated with various internalizing symptoms and brain function. The current study aimed to investigate the association between CAR and neural activity in response to unpleasant emotional pictures. A total of 46 healthy adults (22.55 years ± 1.69) collected saliva samples at 0, 30, and 45 min post-awakening on two days to assess the CAR. In the afternoon after CAR measurement on the first day, electroencephalograms were recorded when the participants completed a passive viewing task. The results showed that a greater CAR was associated with a decreased late positive potential difference score between unpleasant and neutral stimuli. This finding indicates that a larger CAR may be associated with decreased attentional engagement to unpleasant emotional information in healthy adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Shi
- Department of Psychology, Tianjin University of Technology and Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Xin Nie
- Department of Psychology, Tianjin University of Technology and Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianhui Wu
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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Benítez-Burraco A, Pörtl D, Jung C. Did Dog Domestication Contribute to Language Evolution? Front Psychol 2021; 12:695116. [PMID: 34589022 PMCID: PMC8473740 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.695116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Different factors seemingly account for the emergence of present-day languages in our species. Human self-domestication has been recently invoked as one important force favoring language complexity mostly via a cultural mechanism. Because our self-domestication ultimately resulted from selection for less aggressive behavior and increased prosocial behavior, any evolutionary or cultural change impacting on aggression levels is expected to have fostered this process. Here, we hypothesize about a parallel domestication of humans and dogs, and more specifically, about a positive effect of our interaction with dogs on human self-domestication, and ultimately, on aspects of language evolution, through the mechanisms involved in the control of aggression. We review evidence of diverse sort (ethological mostly, but also archeological, genetic, and physiological) supporting such an effect and propose some ways of testing our hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Benítez-Burraco
- Department of Spanish, Linguistics, and Theory of Literature (Linguistics), Faculty of Philology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Daniela Pörtl
- Psychiatric Department, Saale-Unstrut Klinikum, Teaching Hospital Leipzig and Jena Universities, Naumburg, Germany
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13
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Vollebregt O, Koyama E, Zai CC, Shaikh SA, Lisoway AJ, Kennedy JL, Beitchman JH. Evidence for association of vasopressin receptor 1A promoter region repeat with childhood onset aggression. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 140:522-528. [PMID: 34161896 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.05.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Childhood onset aggression can cause major suffering to affected families and is associated with many negative outcomes in the child's later life, including poor academic performance, adolescent delinquency, drug abuse, depression and antisocial personality disorder. Currently available prevention and intervention strategies have limited efficacy, but a better understanding of underlying genetic and neurobiological factors can lead to more effective prevention and treatment strategies, through genetic screening programs and novel therapies. METHOD This study examined the RS1 (n = 299 aggression, n = 192 controls) and RS3 (n = 291 aggression, n = 189 controls) microsatellite repeats within the promoter region of the vasopressin receptor 1A gene (AVPR1A) and their association with extreme childhood aggression, as assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), as well as the Teacher Report Form (TRF) and Youth Self Report (YSR). Binary logistic regression was used to model the relationship between microsatellite length and childhood aggression. Age and sex were used as covariates. RESULTS Logistic regression revealed a nominally significant association between one specific RS3 repeat and non-aggressive status. No association was found for any of the RS1 repeats. In a separate model, grouping repeats into short and long, carriers of long RS3 repeats were nominally significantly associated with non-aggressive status. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest a role for AVPR1A and its RS3 microsatellite in extreme childhood aggression and could lead to a better understanding of the biological pathways of aggressive behavior. However, independent replication and further research into the functionality of studied genetic variants is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olav Vollebregt
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Emiko Koyama
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Clement C Zai
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Medical Science & Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sajid A Shaikh
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amanda J Lisoway
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Medical Science & Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - James L Kennedy
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Medical Science & Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Joseph H Beitchman
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Medical Science & Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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14
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Popescu ER, Semeniuc S, Hritcu LD, Horhogea CE, Spataru MC, Trus C, Dobrin RP, Chirita V, Chirita R. Cortisol and Oxytocin Could Predict Covert Aggression in Some Psychotic Patients. MEDICINA-LITHUANIA 2021; 57:medicina57080760. [PMID: 34440968 PMCID: PMC8401973 DOI: 10.3390/medicina57080760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Background: The covert or indirect type of aggression has a risk of converting in violent acts and, considering that, it is very important to identify it in order to apply effective preventive measures. In cases of psychotic patients, the risk of becoming violent is harder to predict, as even neuter stimuli may be perceived as threat and trigger aggression. Treating all the psychiatric patients as potential aggressive subjects is not the best preventive measure as only a few of them are aggressive and this measure may further enhance the stigma on mentally ill patients. There is a current need for better understanding of covert aggression and to find objective measures, such as biological markers, that could be indicative of potential violent behavior. In this work, we try to investigate the role of cortisol and oxytocin as potential biomarkers of aggression in patients with psychosis. Material and Methods: We analyzed the level of peripheral oxytocin (pg/mL) and cortisol level (ng/mL) in 28 psychotic patients (they were not on psychotropic treatment at the moment of admission and those with substance abuse or personality disorder were excluded from the study) and correlated it with the intensity of aggression reported by the patient (overt and covert type) using the Overt Covert Aggression Inventory and the level of observed aggression of the patient in the past 7 days (rated by the health care provider) using the Modified Overt Aggression Scale. Results: We found that psychotic patients with a higher level of covert aggression had a lower level of cortisol (61.05 ± 8.04 ng/mL vs. 216.33 ± 12.6.9 ng/mL, p ˂ 0.01) and a higher level of oxytocin (102.87 ± 39.26 vs. 70.01 ± 25.07, p = 0.01) when compared with patients with a lower level of covert aggression. Furthermore, we observed significant negative correlation between cortisol and covert aggression (r = −0.676, p < 0.001) and between oxytocin and covert type of aggression (r = 0.382, p = 0.04). Moreover, we found that a lower level of cortisol together with a higher level of oxytocin are significant predictors of a style of internalized manifestation of aggression, with the predictive model explaining 55% of the variant of the internalized manifestation of aggression (F (2.25) = 17.6, p < 0.001, β = 0.35, R2 = 55.2). We did not find significant correlations between cortisol and overt aggression, and neither between oxytocin and overt aggression. Positive correlations were also found between the overt type of self-reported aggression and overt aggression reported by the rater (r = 0.459, p = 0.01). Conclusions: The importance of a predictive model in understanding covert aggression is imperative and the results of our study show that oxytocin and cortisol warrant to be further investigated in establishing a definitive predictive model for covert aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Rodica Popescu
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16th Universitatii, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (E.R.P.); (R.P.D.); (R.C.)
| | - Suzana Semeniuc
- Faculty of Psychology, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, Bd. Carol I, 20A, 700505 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Luminita Diana Hritcu
- Ion Ionescu de la Brad University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine, 3 Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, Romania; (C.E.H.); (M.C.S.)
- Correspondence: (L.D.H.); (C.T.)
| | - Cristina Elena Horhogea
- Ion Ionescu de la Brad University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine, 3 Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, Romania; (C.E.H.); (M.C.S.)
| | - Mihaela Claudia Spataru
- Ion Ionescu de la Brad University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine, 3 Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, Romania; (C.E.H.); (M.C.S.)
| | - Constantin Trus
- Department of Morphological and Functional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dunarea de Jos University, 800008 Galati, Romania
- Correspondence: (L.D.H.); (C.T.)
| | - Romeo Petru Dobrin
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16th Universitatii, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (E.R.P.); (R.P.D.); (R.C.)
| | | | - Roxana Chirita
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16th Universitatii, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (E.R.P.); (R.P.D.); (R.C.)
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15
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Mikkelsen MB, Tramm G, Zachariae R, Gravholt CH, O’Toole MS. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of emotion regulation on cortisol. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021; 5:100020. [PMID: 35754452 PMCID: PMC9216322 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2020.100020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
It is generally acknowledged that hormones are implicated in socioemotional behavior, yet little is known about the role of hormones in the context of emotion regulation. The aims of the present review and meta-analysis were to review and synthesize the available evidence pertaining to the effect of emotion regulation instructions on hormones, and to investigate whether this effect varies according to: type of hormone, context (e.g., emotion-induction procedure), emotion regulation characteristics (e.g., emotion regulation strategy), and presence and type of psychiatric disorder. PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were searched for experimental studies assessing the effect of instructed emotion regulation on levels of hormones (i.e., testosterone, cortisol, oxytocin, estradiol, and vasopressin) in physically healthy adults. The literature search yielded 17 relevant studies, 16 investigating cortisol and one investigating testosterone. Of these, 12 cortisol studies had eligible data for the meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis indicated no statistically significant effect of receiving an emotion regulation instruction compared with receiving no instruction on the cortisol response to subsequent emotion induction (g = −0.05, p = .48). However, within-person comparisons of change from an unregulated response to a regulated response indicated a significant change in cortisol levels (g = 0.18, p = .03) consistent with the specified regulation goal (i.e., either up- or downregulation). No statistically significant effects were found in subgroup meta-analyses conducted according to context, emotion regulation characteristics or psychiatric disorders. Taken together, the findings indicate that emotion-induction procedures are associated with increases in cortisol that may subsequently return to equilibrium regardless of emotion-regulation instructions. Based on the large gaps in research (e.g., few studies investigated other hormones than cortisol, few studies included self-report measures of emotions) identified in the present review, we conclude that the effect of emotion regulation on hormones remains poorly understood. Prospero registration CRD42020157336. Research on the effect of emotion regulation on hormones has focused on cortisol. Emotion regulation does not influence cortisol responses to emotion induction. Psychological confounders have received little attention in the reviewed research. The effect of emotion regulation on hormones remains poorly understood.
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16
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Qing L, Gao C, Ji A, Lü X, Zhou L, Nie S. Association of mineralocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C2) hypermethylation in adult males with aggressive behavior. Behav Brain Res 2020; 398:112980. [PMID: 33250445 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Aggressive behavior may have adaptive value under some environmental conditions. However, when it is extreme or improper, it may also lead to maladaptive results, seriously threatening human and social well-being. Aggressive behavior is a multifactorial disease, and the etiology is largely unknown. The stress-related hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a crucial system in the stress response that has emerged as a potential mechanism of aggressive behavior. The NR3C2 gene is an important regulator of the HPA axis: it is involved in regulating HPA axis activity and behavioral adaptation to stressors. Moreover, the epigenetic mechanism of DNA methylation has been suggested to mediate the development of aggressive behavior. However, the association between NR3C2 methylation and aggressive behavior has not been studied. In the present study, we assessed NR3C2 methylation (including three regions: promoter P1, exon 1α, and the sequence downstream of exon 1α) in peripheral blood DNA of adult males with aggressive behavior (n = 106) and healthy controls (n = 104). We found the NR3C2 gene to be associated with aggressive behavior, with hypermethylation detected in the entire aggressive behavior group as well as in the robbery subgroup compared to controls. In addition, analysis of methylation at 75 CpG sites revealed that some important CpG sites are associated with aggressive behavior. Our results suggest that HPA axis-related gene NR3C2 methylation is associated with aggressive behavior. These results lend support for using NR3C2 DNA methylation as a potential biomarker of aggressive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Qing
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Changqing Gao
- Mental Health Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Aicen Ji
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Lü
- Mental Health Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Zhou
- Mental Health Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shengjie Nie
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China.
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17
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Kaya Ş, Özsoy F, Taşcı G, Kalaycı M. Nesfatin-1 Hormone Levels in Patients with Antisocial Personality Disorder and Their Relationship with Clinical Variables. Psychiatry Investig 2020; 17:889-895. [PMID: 32894929 PMCID: PMC7538249 DOI: 10.30773/pi.2020.0067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate the levels of nesfatin-1-hormone in patients with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) and their relationship with clinical variables. METHODS A total of 90 people (45 ASPD, 45 controls) were included in our study. Sociodemographic Data Form, Beck-Depression-Inventory (BDI), Beck-Anxiety-Inventory (BAI), Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11), Buss-Durkee-Hostility-Inventory (BDHI) were applied to all participants. Venous blood samples were taken from participants at the same time of the day when they were hungry. RESULTS It was found that the BDI and BAI scores of the ASPD were higher than those of the controls (p<0.001, for both scales). The scores in BIS-11; motor and nonplanning-impulsivity subscales were higher than those of the controls (p<0.001, 0.036, respectively). The scores obtained by the ASPD were higher in all subscales of BDHI (p<0.001). For the nesfatin-1-hormone, the values of the ASPD were lower than those of the controls (p=0.044). No relationship was found between the nesfatin-1-hormone and any other laboratory parameters and applied scales (p>0.05). CONCLUSION This is the first study to examine the nesfatin-1-hormone levels in patients with any personality disorder. Further studies with more participants are needed in different types of personality disorders to understand the relationship between personality disorder and nesfatin-1-hormone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Şüheda Kaya
- Elazığ Mental Health and Diseases Hospital, Elazığ, Turkey
| | - Filiz Özsoy
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokat State Hospital, Tokat, Turkey
| | - Gülay Taşcı
- Elazığ Fethi Sekin City Hospital, Elazığ, Turkey
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18
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Tang L, Chen Y, Xiang Q, Xiang J, Tang Y, Li J. The GCAG Haplotype of the CRHBP Gene May Decrease the Risk for Robbery Behavior Among the Han Chinese. Genet Test Mol Biomarkers 2020; 24:436-442. [PMID: 32551975 DOI: 10.1089/gtmb.2020.0011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims: Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis gene polymorphisms have been reported to affect aggressive behavior. Corticotropin releasing hormone binding protein (CRHBP) polymorphisms have been shown to contribute to the susceptibility to stress-related disorders, including aggressive behavior. However, no study has been conducted on the relationship between CRHBP polymorphisms and aggressive behavior risk in the Han Chinese population. Methods: A case-control study that comprised 194 male criminals and 303 healthy controls was carried out to investigate the genetic association between several CRHBP gene polymorphisms and aggressive behavior risk in the Hunan Han population. Genotyping was conducted by using the improved multiplex ligase detection reaction method for four CRHBP loci: rs10062367, rs32897, rs7718461, and rs7721799. Results: The incidence of the rs32897C allele was significantly lower in the robbery group compared with the control subjects after a Bonferroni correction (p = 0.016), indicating a protective role for the C allele of rs32897. Interestingly, a haplotypic analysis that was stratified by robbery and intentional injury showed that the haplotype consisting of rs10062367G, rs32897C, rs7718461A, and rs7721799G (which includes the protective rs32897 C allele) was significantly associated with decreased robbery risk (odds ratio [OR] = 0.31, p = 0.0005), but not for intentional injury (OR = 0.82, p = 0.44). The haplotype consisting of rs10062367G, rs32897T, rs7718461A, and rs7721799G carrying the rs32897 T allele significantly increased the risk for robbery (OR = 1.47, p = 0.0213), but not for intentional injury (OR = 0.92, p = 0.64). Conclusions: The rs32897 alleles and the haplotypes containing the rs32897 alleles, including GCAG and GTAG, may be factors associated with committing robbery in the Hunan Han population, and could be used to provide clinical counseling with regard to aggressive behavior. However, further studies including multiple ethnicities are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Tang
- Department of Rehabilitation, Xiangya Boai Rehabilitation Hospital, Changsha, China.,Department of Anatomy, Changsha Medical University, Changsha, China
| | - Yongjun Chen
- Department of Neurology, Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Qin Xiang
- Department of Rehabilitation, Xiangya Boai Rehabilitation Hospital, Changsha, China.,Department of Anatomy, Changsha Medical University, Changsha, China
| | - Ju Xiang
- Department of Rehabilitation, Xiangya Boai Rehabilitation Hospital, Changsha, China.,Department of Anatomy, Changsha Medical University, Changsha, China
| | - Yonghong Tang
- Department of Neurology, Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Jianming Li
- Department of Rehabilitation, Xiangya Boai Rehabilitation Hospital, Changsha, China.,Department of Anatomy, Changsha Medical University, Changsha, China.,Department of Neurology, Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang, China
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19
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Liu L, Li J, Qing L, Yan M, Xiong G, Lian X, Hu L, Nie S. Glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) is hypermethylated in adult males with aggressive behaviour. Int J Legal Med 2020; 135:43-51. [PMID: 32577827 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-020-02328-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Aggressive behaviour is a serious threat to the personal safety and property of others due to the potential that the assailant may hurt people, himself/herself or objects, and aggression has always been one of the focuses of research and concern. Accumulating evidence suggests that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis plays a major role in the development, elicitation, enhancement and genetic susceptibility of aggressive behaviour in humans and animals. GR (NR3C1) plays a crucial role in controlling HPA activity, which directly affects aggressive behaviour. Here, we investigated the methylation state of the NR3C1 gene promoter region and its role in aggressive behaviour in adult males for the first time by applying a case-control approach (N = 106 controls, N = 104 patients). Methylation of NR3C1 was measured in peripheral blood samples at exons 1D, 1B and 1F via sodium bisulfite treatment combined with the MethylTarget method. Methylation of the NR3C1 gene was significantly correlated with aggressive behaviour, and the methylation levels of 1D, 1B and 1F were upregulated in the aggressive behaviour group, intentional injury subgroup and robbery subgroup, and the significance varied. In addition, multiple CpG sites were found to be significantly associated with aggressive behaviour. These results suggest that epigenetic aberrations of NR3C1 are associated with aggressive behaviour, and epigenetic processes might mediate aggressive behaviour by affecting the activity of the HPA axis. This correlative study between DNA methylation of the NR3C1 gene and aggressive behaviour in patients may be helpful for forensic assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Liu
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiajue Li
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Lili Qing
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Yan
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Gen Xiong
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinqing Lian
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Liping Hu
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shengjie Nie
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China.
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20
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Abdelall ES, Eagle Z, Finseth T, Mumani AA, Wang Z, Dorneich MC, Stone RT. The Interaction Between Physical and Psychosocial Stressors. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:63. [PMID: 32528259 PMCID: PMC7247805 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Do physical and psychosocial stressors interact to increase stress in ways not explainable by the stressors alone? A preliminary study compared participants' stress response while subjected to a physical stressor (reduced or full physical load) and a predetermined social stressor (confronted by calm or aggressive behavior). Salivary cortisol samples measured endocrine stress. Heart rate variability (HRV) and electrodermal activity (EDA) measured autonomic stress. Perceived stress was measured via discomfort and stress state surveys. Participants with a heavier load reported increased distress and discomfort. Encountering an aggressive individual increased endocrine stress, distress levels, and perceived discomfort. Higher autonomic stress and discomfort were found in participants with heavier physical load and aggressive individuals. The results suggest a relationship where physical load increases the stressfulness of aggressive behavior in ways not explainable by the effects of the stressors alone. Future research is needed to confirm this investigation's findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esraa S Abdelall
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States.,Industrial Engineering Department, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Zoe Eagle
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Tor Finseth
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Ahmad A Mumani
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States.,Industrial Engineering Department, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Zhonglun Wang
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Michael C Dorneich
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Richard T Stone
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
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21
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Hagan MJ, Waters SF, Holley S, Moctezuma L, Gentry M. The interactive effect of family conflict history and physiological reactivity on different forms of aggression in young women. Biol Psychol 2020; 153:107888. [PMID: 32335128 PMCID: PMC7518347 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Evidence indicates that patterns of biological reactivity underlie different forms of aggression, but greater precision is needed in research targeting biopsychosocial processes that underlie such differences. This study investigated how sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system (SNS and PNS) responses to social stress were associated with multiple forms of aggression in an ethnically-diverse sample of young adult females; it further examined whether early life exposure to family conflict moderated these relationships. In the context of high levels of family conflict history, greater SNS activation during a social conflict task was associated with more direct proactive aggression and increasing RSA was associated with more direct reactive aggression. Greater SNS activation during the task was associated with more direct reactive aggression regardless of family conflict history. Our findings affirm the need to capture the contributions of multiple physiological systems simultaneously and the importance of considering family history in the study of aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Hagan
- San Francisco State University, United States; University of California, San Francisco, United States.
| | - Sara F Waters
- Washington State University, Vancouver, United States
| | - Sarah Holley
- San Francisco State University, United States; University of California, San Francisco, United States
| | | | - Miya Gentry
- San Francisco State University, United States
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22
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Neely-Prado A, Navarrete G, Huepe D. Socio-affective and cognitive predictors of social adaptation in vulnerable contexts. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218236. [PMID: 31199834 PMCID: PMC6568406 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
People living in vulnerable environments face a harder set of challenges adapting to their context. Nevertheless, an important number of them adapt successfully. However, which cognitive and socio-affective variables are specifically related to these variations in social adaptation in vulnerable contexts has not been fully understood nor directly addressed. Here we evaluated socio-affective variables (anxious attachment style, internal locus of control, self-esteem and stress) and cognitive variables (fluid intelligence, crystallized intelligence, working memory, numeracy, probabilistic reasoning and logical reasoning) to explain variations in social adaptation in a sample of 232 adults living in vulnerable contexts (M = 42.3, SD = 14.9, equal amount of men and women). Our results show that an important amount of variance in social adaptation can be explained by socio-affective variables, principally by self-esteem, while cognitive variables also contributed significantly. As far as we know, this is one of the first steps towards understanding the role of cognitive and socio-affective features on social adaptation. In the long run, this area of research could play an important role on the assignation of resources to ease people's integration into society. Our data and R analysis scripts can be found at: https://osf.io/egxy5/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Neely-Prado
- Center of Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gorka Navarrete
- Center of Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - David Huepe
- Center of Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
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23
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Duan H, Fang H, Zhang Y, Shi X, Zhang L. Associations between cortisol awakening response and resting electroencephalograph asymmetry. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7059. [PMID: 31198648 PMCID: PMC6553442 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The cortisol awakening response (CAR), a rapid cortisol rise in the morning after awakening, has been proposed to provide energy to cope with daily demands and suggested to be associated with brain functions. Electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry studies have implicated asymmetric cortical activation, especially in frontal cortex, in approach-withdrawal motivation. In this study, we examined the relationship between the CAR and lateralized cortical activity under rest in 55 university male students. Saliva samples were collected at 0, 15, 30 and 60 min after awakening on the two consecutive workdays. The lateralized cortical activity at frontocentral sites was examined by alpha asymmetry score. The results showed that a higher CAR was positively associated with alpha asymmetry score, which indicated that the higher CAR is linked with more left-sided cortical activity at frontocentral sites under resting state. This association still existed even after controlling psychological and sleep quality variables. These results suggested that appropriately mobilizing energy resource storage after awakening revealed as CAR might be associated with goal-directed approach tendencies before any eventual stressful situation, characteristic of more left than right resting-state frontocentral cortical activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxia Duan
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Huihua Fang
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuling Zhang
- Zaoyang First People’s Hospital, Zaoyang, Hubei, China
| | - Xia Shi
- Department of Psychology, Tianjin University of Technology and Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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24
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Rinnewitz L, Parzer P, Koenig J, Bertsch K, Brunner R, Resch F, Kaess M. A Biobehavioral Validation of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm in Female Adolescents. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7036. [PMID: 31065043 PMCID: PMC6504877 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43456-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
This research assessed the behavioral, emotional, endocrinological and autonomic reactivity to the laboratory Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP) in a sample of healthy female adolescents. Twenty participants were induced with the TAP to behave aggressively (aggression group) and 20 age-matched participants were not induced to behave aggressively (control group). Regression analysis revealed that the aggression group displayed significant higher levels of aggressive behavior compared to the control group (χ2 (2) = 255.50, p < 0.0001). Aggressive behavior was not related to self-reported measures of trait aggression, impulsiveness or psychopathy features. Regarding the biological responses, regression analysis on cortisol, missed the set level of significance (χ2 (1) = 3.73, p = 0.054), but showed significant effects on heart rate as a function of aggression induction (χ2 (1) = 5.81, p = 0.016). While aggression induction was associated with increased autonomic arousal (heart rate), the interpretation of the effects on cortisol warrant caution, given existing differences between groups at baseline and overly elevated cortisol attributable to the general experimental procedures and not the TAP per se. No differences were found with respect to testosterone. In summary, the present study lends preliminary support for the validity of the TAP and its use in female adolescents on a behavioral and autonomic level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Rinnewitz
- Section for Translational Psychobiology in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Blumenstrasse 8, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Blumenstrasse 8, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Parzer
- Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Blumenstrasse 8, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julian Koenig
- Section for Translational Psychobiology in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Blumenstrasse 8, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Clinic of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Vossstrasse 2, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Romuald Brunner
- Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Blumenstrasse 8, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 84, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Franz Resch
- Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Blumenstrasse 8, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Kaess
- Section for Translational Psychobiology in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Blumenstrasse 8, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Blumenstrasse 8, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany. .,University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bolligenstrasse 111, 3000 Bern 60, Switzerland.
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25
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Zhu Y, Chen X, Zhao H, Chen M, Tian Y, Liu C, Han ZR, Lin X, Qiu J, Xue G, Shu H, Qin S. Socioeconomic status disparities affect children's anxiety and stress-sensitive cortisol awakening response through parental anxiety. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 103:96-103. [PMID: 30665044 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Socioeconomic status (SES) disparities have profound impacts on child development and health, which are linked to negative emotions and alterations in the integrity of stress-sensitive hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis system. However, its underlying psychophysiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we investigate how family SES, in concert with parental anxiety, affects children's anxiety and their integrity of HPA-axis system in two studies involving a total of 1318 children and their parents. In Study 1 with a cohort of 1088 children and their parents, we found that low-SES children relative to high-SES ones experienced a higher level of anxiety mediated by increasing parental anxiety. In Study 2 with an independent cohort of 230 children and their parents, we found that low-SES children exhibited an increase in pre-bedtime basal cortisol but a decrease in cortisol awakening response (CAR). Structural equation modeling (SEM) further revealed that the association between low SES and children's reduced CAR was mediated by increased parental and child anxiety. Our findings suggest that low-SES children are more vulnerable to anxiety and altered HPA-axis integrity, most likely mediated through increased parental anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Chen
- Faculty of Psychology at Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Menglu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanqiu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuo Rachel Han
- Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuyun Lin
- Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Faculty of Psychology at Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Gui Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Hua Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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26
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Buades-Rotger M, Krämer UM. From words to action: Implicit attention to antisocial semantic cues predicts aggression and amygdala reactivity to angry faces in healthy young women. Aggress Behav 2018; 44:624-637. [PMID: 30141188 DOI: 10.1002/ab.21787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Implicit measures of aggressiveness are able to circumvent response biases that plague self-reports, but it is unclear how they link to neural activation during aggressive interactions and to aggression-related endocrine function. Here, we tested whether an implicit attentional bias toward antisocial semantic information was associated with endogenous testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) levels, as well as with aggressive behavior and amygdala reactivity to angry faces in a separate competitive paradigm. On Day one, participants (39 healthy young women) completed an emotional word Stroop task in which they had to indicate the font color of antisocial, prosocial, or neutral words. On Day two, we measured subjects' brain activity during a competitive reaction time task in which the female opponent displayed angry or neutral facial expressions at the start of each trial and provoked participants with increasingly strong sound blasts. T and C were measured in saliva during a regular weekday as well as before and after scanning. We previously showed that aggression was associated with enhanced amygdala reactivity to angry faces in this sample. The present analyses revealed that subjects were slower to identify the font color of antisocial relative to neutral words, and that this attentional bias predicted higher aggression. T and C were uncorrelated with Stroop scores. Crucially, the relationship between implicit attention to antisocial words and aggression was mediated by amygdala reactivity to angry faces. Our data indicate that a tendency to dwell on implicit hostile cues reflects enhanced responsivity to overt anger displays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macià Buades-Rotger
- Department of Neurology; University of Lübeck; Lübeck Germany
- Institute of Psychology II; University of Lübeck; Lübeck Germany
| | - Ulrike M. Krämer
- Department of Neurology; University of Lübeck; Lübeck Germany
- Institute of Psychology II; University of Lübeck; Lübeck Germany
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27
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Roy A, Laas K, Kurrikoff T, Reif A, Veidebaum T, Lesch KP, Harro J. Family environment interacts with CRHR1 rs17689918 to predict mental health and behavioral outcomes. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 86:45-51. [PMID: 29772307 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Corticotrophin-releasing hormone receptor-1 gene (CRHR1) variants have been implicated in mental health. However, little is known of the effects of CRHR1 on long-term mental health and behavior in presence of environmental stressors. We assess the effects of CRHR1 variant (rs17689918)-by-environment interactions on emotionality and behavioral traits, including anxiety, depression, aggression and antisocial behaviors. We also determine effects of rs17689918-by-environment-by-sex interactions on the above-mentioned outcomes. METHODS Genotypic assessments were carried out in 564 children (mean age 10 years, 52.5% females) from the ongoing longitudinal Estonian Children Personality Behaviour and Health Study (ECPBHS). Information on stressful life events and family relationships were available at baseline and information on behavioral and mental health outcomes (self- and parent-reports) were available at follow-up ages of 18 and 25 years. ANOVAs were used to determine associations of two-way CRHR1-by-environment and three-way CRHR1-by-sex-by-environment interactions on behavioral and mental health outcomes. RESULTS Two-way CRHR1 interaction effects showed associations between low familial warmth and hostility in individuals with the GG genotype. Associations of low familial warmth with aggression, of higher number of stressful life events with aggression, and of stressful live events with anxious-depressive symptoms were noted in male A-allele carriers and female GG homozygotes. CONCLUSION CRHR1-by-familial environment interactions influence both outwardly-directed aggression as well as mood and anxiety disorder symptoms in a sex-specific manner. The type of environmental stressor can also influence effects of CRHR1 on behavioral and mental health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arunima Roy
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Kariina Laas
- Division of Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Triin Kurrikoff
- Institute of Social Studies, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt - Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia; Department of Translational Neuroscience, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jaanus Harro
- Division of Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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28
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Haller J. The Role of the Lateral Hypothalamus in Violent Intraspecific Aggression-The Glucocorticoid Deficit Hypothesis. Front Syst Neurosci 2018; 12:26. [PMID: 29937719 PMCID: PMC6002688 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2018.00026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
This review argues for a central role of the lateral hypothalamus in those deviant forms of aggression, which result from chronic glucocorticoid deficiency. Currently, this nucleus is considered a key region of the mechanisms that control predatory aggression. However, recent findings demonstrate that it is strongly activated by aggression in subjects with a chronically downregulated hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis; moreover, this activation is causally involved in the emergence of violent aggression. The review has two parts. In the first part, we review human findings demonstrating that under certain conditions, strong stressors downregulate the HPA-axis on the long run, and that the resulting glucocorticoid deficiency is associated with violent aggression including aggressive delinquency and aggression-related psychopathologies. The second part addresses neural mechanisms in animals. We show that the experimental downregulation of HPA-axis function elicits violent aggression in rodents, and the activation of the brain circuitry that originally subserves predatory aggression accompanies this change. The lateral hypothalamus is not only an integral part of this circuitry, but can elicit deviant and violent forms of aggression. Finally, we formulate a hypothesis on the pathway that connects unfavorable social conditions to violent aggression via the neural circuitry that includes the lateral hypothalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- József Haller
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Institute of Behavioural Sciences and Law Enforcement, National University of Public Service, Budapest, Hungary
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29
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Fight or flight? Effects of vaginal oestrus on cortisol, testosterone, and behaviour in guinea pig female-female interaction. Behav Processes 2018; 157:625-631. [PMID: 29654828 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
It is accepted that social stress in relation to confrontation and competition can elicit behavioural and hormonal changes in social mammals. These effects have, however, been less frequently studied among female-female interactions. In the present study female-female confrontation experiments were carried out to monitor socio-positive and agonistic behaviour by controlling for the oestrus cycles of 12 individuals. Additionally, plasma cortisol (CORT) and testosterone (T) levels were determined before and after the experiments. During non-oestrus conditions a significant increase in CORT levels from pre- to post confrontation was registered and females spent more time to sit side by side. During vaginal oestrus the confrontation experiments revealed avoiding of a conspecific female by showing increased flight behaviour. However, during that period no changes in CORT levels were found. But, a non-significant increase in T was measured from pre- to post confrontation in both cycle phases, while no differences in the display of aggressive behaviours were found. These findings indicate considerable influences of different oestrus cycle phases on social stress-induced CORT secretion and the modulation of socio-positive and agonistic behaviour in female guinea pigs.
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30
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Efficacious treatment for neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), pain and weight loss for dementia patients is desperately needed. This review presents an up-to-date look at the literature investigating the use of cannabinoid for these symptoms in dementia. RECENT FINDINGS We searched electronically for publications regarding cannabinoid use in dementia, with a focus on Alzheimer's disease. Seven studies and one case report have been conducted to examine the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of NPS of dementia, and three of these trials reported on the effect of cannabinoids on weight. Five studies reported decreased agitation or improvements in sleep with cannabinoid use. One crossover trial found that cannabinoids positively impacted weight, whereas a chart review study found no impact on weight with cannabinoids, but an increase in food intake. There were no trials examining the use of cannabinoids for pain in dementia. SUMMARY Findings from trials with small sample sizes and various clinical populations suggest that cannabinoid use may be well tolerated and effective for treatment of NPS such as agitation as well as weight and pain management in patients with dementia. Additional studies are necessary to further elucidate the relative risks and benefits of this treatment.
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31
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Xu XM, Chi QS, Cao J, Zhao ZJ. The effect of aggression I: The increases of metabolic cost and mobilization of fat reserves in male striped hamsters. Horm Behav 2018; 98:55-62. [PMID: 29288636 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2017] [Revised: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/24/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Aggression can benefit individuals by enhancing their dominance and thereby their ability to acquire and retain resources that increase survival or fitness. Engaging in aggressive behavior costs energy and how animals manage their energy budget to accommodate aggression remains unclear. We conducted three experiments to examine changes in physiological, behavioral and hormonal markers indicative of energy budget in male striped hamsters subject to resident-intruder aggression tests. Body temperature, metabolic rate and serum corticosterone levels significantly increased in resident hamsters immediately after the introduction of intruders. Energy intake did not change, but the metabolic rate of residents increased by 16.1% after 42-days of repeated encounters with intruders. Residents had significantly decreased body fat content and serum thyroxine (T4) levels, and a considerably elevated tri-iodothyronine (T3)/T4 ratio compared to a control group that had no intruders. Attack latency considerably shortened, and the number of attack bouts and total duration of attacks, significantly increased in residents on day 42 compared to day 1 of experiments. These findings may suggest that the conversion of T4 to T3 is involved in defensive aggression behavior. The mobilization of fat reserves resulting in lean body mass is probably common response to the increased metabolic cost of aggression in small mammals. Aggressive behavior, which is important for the successful acquisition and defense of resources, may be of significance for adaptation and evolution of metabolic rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ming Xu
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Qing-Sheng Chi
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management for Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Jing Cao
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Zhao
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China.
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32
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Pfattheicher S, Keller J. A motivational perspective on punishment in social dilemmas. EUROPEAN REVIEW OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/10463283.2017.1375662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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33
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Tekieh E, Riahi E, Kazemi M, Sahraei H, Tavakoli H, Aliyary H, Hajinasrollah M, Salehi M, Meftahi G, Saberi M. Role of basal stress hormones and amygdala dimensions in stress coping strategies of male rhesus monkeys in response to a hazard-reward conflict. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES 2017; 20:951-957. [PMID: 29085588 PMCID: PMC5651482 DOI: 10.22038/ijbms.2017.9120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In the present study the effect of stress on monkeys that had learned to retrieve food from a five-chamber receptacle, as well as the relationship between their behavior and the serum cortisol and epinephrine levels and relative size of the amygdala was evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS Six male rhesus monkeys were individually given access to the food reward orderly. They could easily retrieve the rewards from all chambers except for the chamber 4, which a brief, mild electric shock (3 V) was delivered to them upon touching the chamber's interior. The coping behaviors were video-recorded and analyzed offline. Baseline serum cortisol and epinephrine levels were measured before the experiments using monkey enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. One week after the behavioral experiment, the monkeys' brains were scanned using magnetic resonance imaging under general anesthesia. The cross-sectional area of the left amygdala in sagittal plane relative to the area of the whole brain in the same slice was evaluated by the planimetric method using ImageJ software. RESULTS Exposure to the distressing condition caused different behavioral responses. Monkeys with higher baseline levels of serum cortisol and epinephrine and larger amygdala behaved more violently in the face of stress, indicating adopting emotion-focused stress-coping strategies. Conversely, those with low plasma epinephrine, moderate cortisol, and smaller amygdala showed perseverative behavior, indicating a problem-focused coping style. CONCLUSION In dealing with the same stress, different responses might be observed from nonhuman primates according to their cortisol and epinephrine levels as well as their amygdala dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaheh Tekieh
- Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Esmail Riahi
- Department of Physiology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoomeh Kazemi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hedayat Sahraei
- Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hassan Tavakoli
- Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Aliyary
- Department of Electrical, Biomedical and Mechatronics Engineering, Qazvin Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Mostafa Hajinasrollah
- Animal Core Facility, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Salehi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholamhossein Meftahi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Saberi
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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34
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Buades-Rotger M, Engelke C, Beyer F, Keevil BG, Brabant G, Krämer UM. Endogenous testosterone is associated with lower amygdala reactivity to angry faces and reduced aggressive behavior in healthy young women. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38538. [PMID: 27924836 PMCID: PMC5141420 DOI: 10.1038/srep38538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Testosterone and cortisol have been proposed to influence aggressive behavior by altering the neural processing of facial threat signals. However, this has not been investigated in direct social interactions. Here, we explored the joint impact of testosterone, cortisol, and brain reactivity to anger expressions on women’s reactive aggression in the Social Threat Aggression Paradigm (STAP). The STAP is a competitive reaction time task in which the purported opponent displays either an angry or a neutral facial expression at the beginning of each trial and delivers increasingly loud sound blasts to the participants, successfully provoking them. Strikingly, salivary testosterone at scan-time was negatively related to both aggression and basolateral amygdala (BLA) reactivity to angry faces, whereas cortisol had no effect. When the opponent looked angry, BLA-orbitofrontal coupling was reduced, and BLA reactivity was positively related to aggression. The latter relationship was fully mediated by bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG) activation. Our results thus support previous neurobiological models of aggression, and extend them by demonstrating that fast amygdala responses to threat modulate STG activity in order to favor aggressive retaliation. Furthermore, our study agrees with recent evidence underscoring a fear-reducing and strategically prosocial effect of testosterone on human social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macià Buades-Rotger
- Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.,Institute of Psychology II, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | | | - Frederike Beyer
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Brian G Keevil
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital of South Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Georg Brabant
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Ulrike M Krämer
- Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.,Institute of Psychology II, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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35
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Herpertz SC, Mancke F, Bertsch K. Aggressivität, emotionale Instabilität und Impulsivität bei der Borderline-Persönlichkeitsstörung. FORENSISCHE PSYCHIATRIE, PSYCHOLOGIE, KRIMINOLOGIE 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11757-016-0379-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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36
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Dierolf AM, Arlt LE, Roelofs K, Kölsch M, Hülsemann MJ, Schächinger H, Naumann E. Effects of basal and acute cortisol on cognitive flexibility in an emotional task switching paradigm in men. Horm Behav 2016; 81:12-9. [PMID: 26944609 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Revised: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The stress hormone cortisol is assumed to influence cognitive functions. While cortisol-induced alterations of declarative memory in particular are well-investigated, considerably less is known about its influence on executive functions. Moreover, most research has been focused on slow effects, and rapid non-genomic effects have not been studied. The present study sought to investigate the impact of acute cortisol administration as well as basal cortisol levels on cognitive flexibility, a core executive function, within the non-genomic time frame. Thirty-eight healthy male participants were randomly assigned to intravenously receive either cortisol or a placebo before performing a task switching paradigm with happy and angry faces as stimuli. Cortisol levels were measured at six points during the experiment. Additionally, before the experiment, basal cortisol measures for the cortisol awakening response were collected on three consecutive weekdays immediately following awakening and 30, 45, and 60min after. First and foremost, results showed a pronounced impact of acute and basal cortisol on reaction time switch costs, particularly for angry faces. In the placebo group, low basal cortisol was associated with minimal switch costs, whereas high basal cortisol was related to maximal switch costs. In contrast, after cortisol injection, basal cortisol levels showed no impact. These results show that cognitive flexibility-enhancing effects of acute cortisol administration are only seen in men with high basal cortisol levels. This result supports the context dependency of cortisol administration and shows the relevance of taking basal cortisol levels into account.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lea Esther Arlt
- Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54286 Trier, Germany.
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Postbus 9104, 65000 HE Nijmegen, Netherlands.
| | - Monika Kölsch
- Division of Clinical Psychophysiology, Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier , Johanniterufer 15, 54290 Trier, Germany.
| | | | - Hartmut Schächinger
- Division of Clinical Psychophysiology, Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier , Johanniterufer 15, 54290 Trier, Germany.
| | - Ewald Naumann
- Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54286 Trier, Germany.
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Pflüger LS, Gutleb DR, Hofer M, Fieder M, Wallner B, Steinborn R. Allelic variation of the COMT gene in a despotic primate society: A haplotype is related to cortisol excretion in Macaca fuscata. Horm Behav 2016; 78:220-30. [PMID: 26657779 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Revised: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 11/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Sequence variations in genes of the monoamine neurotransmitter system and their common function in human and non-human primate species are an ongoing issue of investigation. However, the COMT gene, coding for the catechol-O-methyltransferase, has not yet attracted much scientific attention regarding its functional role in non-human primates. Considering that a polymorphism of the human COMT gene affects the enzyme activity and cortisol level in response to a social stressor, this study investigated the impact of COMT on endocrine stress and behavioural parameters in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). The species exemplifies a despotic hierarchy in which males' social rank positions require an adaptation of behaviour strategies. During the mating period steroid secretion and the frequency of aggressive encounters between males increase. We addressed i) whether this species exhibits potential functional COMT variants, ii) whether these variants are associated with faecal cortisol excretion of males, iii) how they are distributed among different social rank positions and iv) whether they are associated with behavioural strategies during times of mate competition. By genotyping 26 males we identified three COMT haplotypes (HT), including a putative splice mutant (HT3). This variant was associated with increased cortisol excretion. Given the observed inverse correlation between cortisol and physical aggression, we assume that different COMT haplotypes may predispose individuals to pursue more or less aggressive strategies. How these gene-stress effects might favour a specific social role is discussed. Our study of non-invasive genotyping in combination with behavioural and endocrine parameters represents an important step towards the understanding of gene-stress effects in a hierarchically organised primate society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena S Pflüger
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria; Genomics Core Facility, VetCore, University of Veterinary Medicine, A-1210 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Daria R Gutleb
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria; Genomics Core Facility, VetCore, University of Veterinary Medicine, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Hofer
- Genomics Core Facility, VetCore, University of Veterinary Medicine, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Fieder
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernard Wallner
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria; Department of Behavioural Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ralf Steinborn
- Genomics Core Facility, VetCore, University of Veterinary Medicine, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
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Saxbe DE, Adam EK, Dunkel Schetter C, Guardino CM, Simon C, McKinney CO, Shalowitz MU, Shriver EK. Cortisol covariation within parents of young children: Moderation by relationship aggression. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 62:121-8. [PMID: 26298691 PMCID: PMC4549795 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Revised: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Covariation in diurnal cortisol has been observed in several studies of cohabiting couples. In two such studies (Liu et al., 2013; Saxbe and Repetti, 2010), relationship distress was associated with stronger within-couple correlations, suggesting that couples' physiological linkage with each other may indicate problematic dyadic functioning. Although intimate partner aggression has been associated with dysregulation in women's diurnal cortisol, it has not yet been tested as a moderator of within-couple covariation. This study reports on a diverse sample of 122 parents who sampled salivary cortisol on matched days for two years following the birth of an infant. Partners showed strong positive cortisol covariation. In couples with higher levels of partner-perpetrated aggression reported by women at one year postpartum, both women and men had a flatter diurnal decrease in cortisol and stronger correlations with partners' cortisol sampled at the same timepoints. In other words, relationship aggression was linked both with indices of suboptimal cortisol rhythms in both members of the couples and with stronger within-couple covariation coefficients. These results persisted when relationship satisfaction and demographic covariates were included in the model. During some of the sampling days, some women were pregnant with a subsequent child, but pregnancy did not significantly moderate cortisol levels or within-couple covariation. The findings suggest that couples experiencing relationship aggression have both suboptimal neuroendocrine profiles and stronger covariation. Cortisol covariation is an understudied phenomenon with potential implications for couples' relationship functioning and physical health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darby E. Saxbe
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California; Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Emma K. Adam
- School of Education and Social Policy and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University; Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | | | | | - Clarissa Simon
- NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Chelsea O. McKinney
- NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Madeleine U. Shalowitz
- NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA,University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
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Sollberger S, Bernauer T, Ehlert U. Salivary testosterone and cortisol are jointly related to pro-environmental behavior in men. Soc Neurosci 2015; 11:553-66. [PMID: 26566048 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2015.1117987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Recently, cortisol has been suggested to moderate the positive relationship between testosterone and antisocial behavior. More precisely, high testosterone levels have been found to be related to aggressive or dominant behavior especially when cortisol levels were low. In the present study, we aimed to extend these findings to pro-environmental behavior as an indicator of prosocial behavior. In a first step, 147 male participants provided information on their everyday pro-environmental behavior by completing an online questionnaire on various energy-saving behaviors. In a second step, subjects provided two saliva samples for the assessment of testosterone and cortisol on two subsequent mornings after awakening. We found that testosterone was negatively related to pro-environmental behavior, but only in men with low cortisol. In conclusion, our findings provide first evidence for the joint association of testosterone and cortisol with everyday pro-environmental behavior. These results further reinforce the importance of considering interdependent hormone systems simultaneously rather than focusing on a single hormone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silja Sollberger
- a Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy , University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Thomas Bernauer
- b Center for Comparative and International Studies (CIS) and Institute for Science, Technology and Policy (ISTP) , ETH Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Ehlert
- a Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy , University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland
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Cortisol awakening response predicts intrinsic functional connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex in the afternoon of the same day. Neuroimage 2015; 122:158-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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Sinai C, Hirvikoski T, Nordström AL, Nordström P, Nilsonne Å, Wilczek A, Åsberg M, Jokinen J. Thyroid hormones and adult interpersonal violence among women with borderline personality disorder. Psychiatry Res 2015; 227:253-7. [PMID: 25858801 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Revised: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Elevated T3 levels have been reported in men with antisocial behavior. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between thyroid hormones and expressed adult interpersonal violence in female patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Furthermore, expressed adult interpersonal violence in female BPD patients was compared to healthy female controls. A total of 92 clinically euthyroid women with BPD and 57 healthy women were assessed with the Karolinska Interpersonal Violence Scales (KIVS). Baseline thyroid function was evaluated by measuring plasma free and bound triiodothyronine (FT3 and T3), thyroxine (FT4 and T4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) with immunoassays in patients. Plasma cortisol was also measured. Among females with BPD, expressed interpersonal violence as an adult showed a significant positive correlation with the T3 levels. The mean expression of interpersonal violence as an adult was significantly higher in BPD patients as compared to healthy controls. The multiple regression model indicated that two independent predictors of KIVS expressed interpersonal violence as an adult: T3 and comorbid diagnosis of alcohol abuse. Association between T3 levels and violent/aggressive behavior earlier reported exclusively in male samples may be valid also in females with BPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cave Sinai
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience/Psychiatry, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Tatja Hirvikoski
- Department of Children's and Women's Health, Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Gävlegatan 22B, 113 30 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna-Lena Nordström
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience/Psychiatry, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter Nordström
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience/Psychiatry, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Åsa Nilsonne
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience/Psychiatry, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alexander Wilczek
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience/Psychiatry, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marie Åsberg
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Danderyd Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jussi Jokinen
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience/Psychiatry, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Clinical Sciences/Psychiatry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Rausch J, Gäbel A, Nagy K, Kleindienst N, Herpertz SC, Bertsch K. Increased testosterone levels and cortisol awakening responses in patients with borderline personality disorder: gender and trait aggressiveness matter. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 55:116-27. [PMID: 25796037 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Revised: 02/04/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by antagonism, negative affectivity, disinhibition, and impairments in interpersonal functioning, including enhanced impulsive aggression. Interpersonal dysfunctions may be related to alterations in endocrine systems. The current study investigated alterations in basal activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) reproductive and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress system in BPD patients and their association to anger-related aggression with a particular focus on effects of gender and comorbid conditions of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHOD Saliva testosterone levels as well as cortisol awakening responses were assessed in 55 medication-free female and male patients with BPD and compared to 47 gender-, age-, and intelligence-matched healthy volunteers. In addition, analyses controlling for current depression and PSTD and bivariate correlations between testosterone and cortisol levels on the one hand and anger and aggressiveness on the other hand were performed. RESULTS The results revealed increased saliva testosterone levels in female and male patients with BPD as well as elevated cortisol awakening responses in female, but not male patients with BPD compared to healthy volunteers. Cortisol awakening responses were positively related to anger and aggressiveness in female patients with BPD, but no associations were found with testosterone levels. CONCLUSION In line with previous reports, the present results suggest endocrine alterations in BPD which may be associated with interpersonal impairments, such as increased anger-related aggressive behavior and could have implications for the development of new (psychopharmaco-) therapeutic interventions that may help to restore the alterations in the HPA and HPG systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Rausch
- Department for General Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andrea Gäbel
- Department for General Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Krisztina Nagy
- Department for General Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Kleindienst
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sabine C Herpertz
- Department for General Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department for General Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
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Impulsivity, risk taking, and cortisol reactivity as a function of psychosocial stress and personality in adolescents. Dev Psychopathol 2014; 26:1093-111. [DOI: 10.1017/s0954579414000212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAlthough adolescence is characterized by hormonal changes and increased disinhibited behaviors, explanations for these developmental changes that include personality and environmental factors have not been fully elucidated. We examined the interactions between psychosocial stress and the traits of negative emotionality and constraint on impulsive and risk-taking behaviors as well as salivary cortisol reactivity in 88 adolescents. In terms of behavioral outcomes, analyses revealed that negative emotionality and constraint were protective of impulsivity and risk taking, respectively, for adolescents in the no-stress condition; personality did not relate to either behavior in the stress condition. Low-constraint adolescents in the stress condition engaged in less risk taking than low-constraint adolescents in the no-stress condition, whereas there was no effect of stress group for high-constraint adolescents. In terms of cortisol reactivity, analyses revealed that low-constraint adolescents in the stress condition exhibited greater cortisol reactivity compared to high-constraint adolescents, which suggests that low-constraint adolescents mobilize greater resources (e.g., increased cognitive control, heightened attention to threat) in stressful situations relative to nonstressful ones. These results demonstrate that two facets of disinhibition and cortisol reactivity are differentially affected by psychosocial stress and personality (and their interactions) in adolescents.
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Hirokawa K, Taniguchi T, Fujii Y. Job stress and agentic-communal personality traits related to serum cortisol levels of male workers in a Japanese medium-sized company: a cross-sectional study. Int J Behav Med 2014; 22:11-7. [PMID: 24590829 DOI: 10.1007/s12529-014-9403-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although serum cortisol is a widely accepted index of stress levels, associations between job stress and cortisol levels have been inconsistent. Individual differences in personality traits were discussed as one compelling explanation for this discrepancy. Agentic-communal personality traits have been examined as possible predictive factors for psychological stress. PURPOSE This study investigated correlations among agentic-communal personality traits and serum cortisol levels. It was also investigated whether job stress levels modified correlations between agentic-communal personality and cortisol levels. METHODS Participants were 198 male workers (mean age = 52.2 years) employed by a shipbuilding company in Japan. Questionnaire data and blood samples were collected during an annual health checkup. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire that included the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) that assesses job control as job stress levels the Communion-Agency scale (CAS) and questions regarding health behaviors. RESULTS Communion positively correlated with serum cortisol levels and unmitigated agency negatively correlated with serum cortisol levels. Stratified by job control, communion positively correlated with serum cortisol levels and agency negatively correlated with serum cortisol levels in participants with low levels of job control. Unmitigated agency negatively correlated with serum cortisol levels in participants with high levels of job control. CONCLUSION Levels of job control may modify correlations of gender-related personality with serum cortisol levels. Especially with exposure to high job stress, male workers with high femininity (i.e., high communion and low agency) were more likely to have a high stress response as measured by serum cortisol levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumi Hirokawa
- Department of Nursing, Baika Women's University, 2-19-5 Shukunosho, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-8578, Japan,
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Pfattheicher S, Keller J. Towards a biopsychological understanding of costly punishment: the role of basal cortisol. PLoS One 2014; 9:e85691. [PMID: 24416441 PMCID: PMC3885749 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/04/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent findings have documented a negative relation of basal endogenous cortisol and aggression after a provocation (i.e., reactive aggression) in humans. We build on these findings and investigated the relation of endogenous cortisol and reactive aggression in a social dilemma situation, that is, costly punishment of individuals who did not appropriately contribute to a common group project. Specifically, we predicted that basal cortisol is negatively related to costly punishment of uncooperative individuals. In the present study, basal cortisol was assessed prior to a public goods game with the option to punish other group members. In line with previous research on reactive aggression and basal cortisol, we found that basal cortisol was indeed negatively related to costly punishment. The findings are important for understanding costly punishment because this tendency has been documented as a possible basis for the evolution of cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Johannes Keller
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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Haller J. The glucocorticoid/aggression relationship in animals and humans: an analysis sensitive to behavioral characteristics, glucocorticoid secretion patterns, and neural mechanisms. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2014; 17:73-109. [PMID: 24515548 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2014_284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids control a wide array of biological processes from glucose homeostasis to neuronal function. The mechanisms mediating their effects are similarly varied and include rapid and transient nongenomic effects on calcium trafficking, various neurotransmitter receptors, and other membrane/cytoplasmic proteins, as well as slowly developing but durable genomic effects that are mediated by a large number of glucocorticoid-sensitive genes that are affected after variable lag-times. Given this complexity, we suggest that the aggression/glucocorticoid relationship cannot be reduced to the simple "stimulation/inhibition" question. Here, we review the effects of glucocorticoids on aggression by taking into account the complexities of glucocorticoid actions. Acute and chronic effects were differentiated because these are mediated by different mechanisms. The effects of chronic increases and decreases in glucocorticoid production were discussed separately, because the activation of mechanisms that are not normally activated and the loss of normal functions should not be confounded. Findings in healthy/normal subjects and those obtained in subjects that show abnormal forms of behavior or psychopathologies were also differentiated, because the effects of glucocorticoids are indirect, and largely depend on the properties of neurons they act upon, which are altered in subjects with psychopathologies. In addition, the conditions of glucocorticoid measurements were also thoroughly evaluated. Although the role of glucocorticoids in aggression is perceived as controversial by many investigators, a detailed analysis that is sensitive to glucocorticoid and behavioral measure as well as to the mediating mechanism suggests that this role is rather clear-cut; moreover, there is a marked similarity between animal and human findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- József Haller
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, 67, Budapest, 1450, Hungary,
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Kruk MR. Hypothalamic attack: a wonderful artifact or a useful perspective on escalation and pathology in aggression? A viewpoint. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2014; 17:143-188. [PMID: 24852798 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2014_313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
W.R. Hess' early demonstration of aggressive responses evoked by electrical stimulation in the cat's hypothalamus had a significant impact on the development of psychological and behavioral concepts. Many ideas on behavioral routines, allegedly organized in the brainstem, derive from his observation. Similar responses have since been evoked from the hypothalamus of many different species, suggesting that the mechanism mediating these responses is evolutionarily well preserved. However, these effects have also been portrayed as artificial responses to an artificial stimulus in an artificial environment. True enough; after many years of research, crucial questions on the underlying mechanism remain unanswered. Questions such as: How do they emerge in the first place? What neuronal elements mediate these responses? What is their role in "spontaneous" aggression? In the first part of this chapter we show methodology to study such questions in a consistent way using behavioral, physiological, anatomical, and pharmacological findings on hypothalamic attack in rats. In the second part we suggest that one important function of the underlying mechanism is to match the dynamics of the endocrine stress response with the dynamics of the behavioral and physiological requirements of coping with conflicts. This neuroendocrine-behavioral matching seems crucial right from the first emergence of the aggressive response in inexperienced animals, up to the full-blown violent responding in fully experienced animals. Impeding these essential functions results in inadequate coping with conflicts. The stress response during a first conflict in an inexperienced individual in an unfamiliar environment seems to rapidly initialize a crucial change in a mechanism involved in the appraisal of social signals during conflict. That change has enduring consequences for future conflict strategies. This concept opens another perspective on "escalated" or "pathological" aggression, especially so in individuals with a dysfunctional stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menno R Kruk
- Gorleus Lab, Department of Medical Pharmacology, Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research (LACDR), Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden, Netherlands,
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Pfattheicher S, Landhäußer A, Keller J. Individual Differences in Antisocial Punishment in Public Goods Situations: The Interplay of Cortisol with Testosterone and Dominance. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/bdm.1811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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The CRHR1 Gene Contributes to Genetic Susceptibility of Aggressive Behavior Towards Others in Chinese Southwest Han Population. J Mol Neurosci 2013; 52:481-6. [DOI: 10.1007/s12031-013-0160-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Schlarb AA, Sopp R, Ambiel D, Grünwald J. Chronotype-related differences in childhood and adolescent aggression and antisocial behavior – A review of the literature. Chronobiol Int 2013; 31:1-16. [DOI: 10.3109/07420528.2013.829846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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