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Souza-Talarico JN, Chesak S, Elizalde N, Liu W, Moon C, Oberfrank NDCF, Rauer AJ, Takao CL, Shaw C, Saravanan A, Longhi Palacio FG, Buck H. Exploring the interplay of psychological and biological components of stress response and telomere length in the transition from middle age to late adulthood: A systematic review. Stress Health 2024:e3389. [PMID: 38442010 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3389] [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: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Ageing and chronic stress have been linked to reduced telomere length (TL) in mixed-age groups. Whether stress response components are linked to TL during the midlife-to-late adulthood transition remains unclear. Our study aimed to synthesise evidence on the relationship between psychological and biological components of stress response on TL in middle-aged and older adults. We conducted a systematic review of studies obtained from six databases (PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus) and evaluated by two independent reviewers. Original research measuring psychological and biological components of stress response and TL in human individuals were included. From an initial pool of 614 studies, 15 were included (n = 9446 participants). Synthesis of evidence showed that higher psychological components of the stress response (i.e., global perceived stress or within a specific life domain and cognitive appraisal to social-evaluative stressors) were linked to shorter TL, specifically in women or under major life stressors. For the biological stress response, cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and IGF-1/cortisol imbalance, IL-6, MCP-1, blood pressure, and heart rate presented a significant association with TL, but this relationship depended on major life stressors and the stress context (manipulated vs. non-manipulated conditions). This comprehensive review showed that psychological and biological components of the stress response are linked to shorter TL, but mainly in women or those under a major life stressor and stress-induced conditions. The interaction between stressor attributes and psychological and biological reactions in the transition from middle to late adulthood still needs to be fully understood, and examining it is a critical step to expanding our understanding of stress's impact on ageing trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Nery Souza-Talarico
- College of Nursing, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- School of Nursing, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sherry Chesak
- Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Natalie Elizalde
- College of Nursing, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Wen Liu
- College of Nursing, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Chooza Moon
- College of Nursing, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | | | - Amy Joanna Rauer
- Department of Child and Family Studies, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - Clarissa Shaw
- College of Nursing, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Anitha Saravanan
- School of Nursing, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Harleah Buck
- College of Nursing, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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Rasero J, Verstynen TD, DuPont CM, Kraynak TE, Barinas-Mitchell E, Scudder MR, Kamarck TW, Sentis AI, Leckie RL, Gianaros PJ. Stressor-evoked brain activity, cardiovascular reactivity, and subclinical atherosclerosis in midlife adults. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.02.05.24302236. [PMID: 38370849 PMCID: PMC10871357 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.05.24302236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Background Cardiovascular responses to psychological stressors have been separately associated with preclinical atherosclerosis and hemodynamic brain activity patterns across different studies and cohorts; however, what has not been established is whether cardiovascular stress responses reliably link indicators of stressor-evoked brain activity and preclinical atherosclerosis that have been measured in the same individuals. Accordingly, the present study used cross-validation and predictive modeling to test for the first time whether stressor-evoked systolic blood pressure (SBP) responses statistically mediated the association between concurrently measured brain activity and a vascular marker of preclinical atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries. Methods 624 midlife adults (aged 28-56 years, 54.97% female) from two different cohorts underwent two information-conflict fMRI tasks, with concurrent SBP measures collected. Carotid artery intima-media thickness (CA-IMT) was measured by ultrasonography. A mediation framework that included harmonization, cross-validation, and penalized principal component regression was then employed, while significant areas in possible direct and indirect effects were identified through bootstrapping. Sensitivity analysis further tested the robustness of findings after accounting for prevailing levels of cardiovascular disease risk and brain imaging data quality control. Results Task-averaged patterns of hemodynamic brain responses exhibited a generalizable association with CA-IMT, which was mediated by an area-under-the-curve measure of aggregate SBP reactivity. Importantly, this effect held in sensitivity analyses. Implicated brain areas in this mediation included the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, insula and amygdala. Conclusions These novel findings support a link between stressor-evoked brain activity and preclinical atherosclerosis accounted for by individual differences in corresponding levels of stressor-evoked cardiovascular reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Rasero
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, PA
- School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
| | | | - Caitlin M DuPont
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Thomas E Kraynak
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | | | - Mark R Scudder
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Thomas W Kamarck
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Amy I Sentis
- School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Regina L Leckie
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Peter J Gianaros
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
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Steffen PR. Using the Research Domain Criteria as a framework to integrate psychophysiological findings into stress management and psychotherapy interventions. FRONTIERS IN NEUROERGONOMICS 2023; 4:1245946. [PMID: 38234487 PMCID: PMC10790878 DOI: 10.3389/fnrgo.2023.1245946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Research on the psychophysiology of stress is expanding rapidly, but the field lacks a clear integrative framework to help translate research findings into empirically supported stress interventions. The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) is an excellent candidate to explore as a framework to integrate stress research. The RDoC framework is a dimensional, multi-modal approach to psychopathology proposed as an alternative to categorical approaches used by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). The goal of this paper is to explore the RDoC as a framework to integrate psychophysiology research into therapeutic interventions for stress. The RDoC consists of six domains: negative valence systems, positive valence systems, cognitive systems, social processes systems, arousal/regulatory systems, and sensorimotor systems, and provides an excellent structure for integrating information from multiple levels of functioning including physiology, behavior, and self-report, as well as genes, molecules, cells, and brain circuits. Integrating psychophysiological research on stress using the RDoC framework can direct and amplify stress management and psychotherapeutic interventions. First, the RDoC provides a clear foundation for conceptualizing the stress response in terms of important concepts such as allostasis and adaptation. In this perspective, the terms "allostatic response" or "adaptation response" are more descriptive terms than "stress response" in understanding bodily responses to life threats and challenges. Second, psychophysiological approaches can be used in the context of modalities such as biofeedback and mindfulness to both collect psychophysiological data and then integrate that data into a broader therapeutic framework. Heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback is being used more frequently as part of a therapeutic intervention package with stress management and psychotherapy, and HRV data is also used to provide outcome evidence on the efficacy of treatment. Mindfulness practices are commonly used in combination with stress management and psychotherapy, and psychophysiological data (HRV, EEG, blood pressure, etc.) is often collected to explore and understand mind/body relationships. In conclusion, the lack of a clear framework to assess and understand mind/body functioning limits current stress research and interventions. The RDoC provides a strong framework to assess and integrate physiological and psychological data and improve stress interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick R. Steffen
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
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Bourassa KJ, Caspi A, Brennan GM, Hall KS, Harrington H, Houts R, Kimbrel NA, Poulton R, Ramrakha S, Taylor GA, Moffitt TE. Which Types of Stress Are Associated With Accelerated Biological Aging? Comparing Perceived Stress, Stressful Life Events, Childhood Adversity, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Psychosom Med 2023; 85:389-396. [PMID: 37053097 PMCID: PMC10239326 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Stress and stressful events are associated with poorer health; however, there are multiple ways to conceptualize and measure stress and stress responses. One physiological mechanism through which stress could result in poorer health is accelerated biological aging. This study tested which types of stress were associated with accelerated biological aging in adulthood. METHODS Studying 955 participants from the Dunedin Longitudinal Study, we tested whether four types of stress assessed from ages 32 to 45 years-perceived stress, number of stressful life events, adverse childhood experiences, and posttraumatic stress disorder-were associated with accelerated biological aging. RESULTS Higher levels of all four measures of stress were significantly associated with accelerated aging in separate models. In a combined model, more perceived stress and more stressful life events remained associated with faster aging, and the stress measures explained 6.9% of the variance in aging. The magnitudes of the associations between the four measures of stress and biological aging were comparable to associations for smoking and low education, two established risk factors for accelerated aging. People with high levels of perceived stress, numerous adverse childhood experiences (4+), high stressful life event counts, or posttraumatic stress disorder were aging an additional estimated 2.4 months, 1.1 additional months, 1.4 months, and 1.4 months per year, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Assessing stress, particularly perceived stress, could help identify people at risk of accelerated aging. Intervening to treat stress or the health-relevant sequelae of stress could potentially slow the rate at which people are aging, improving their health as they age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J. Bourassa
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham VA Healthcare System
| | - Avshalom Caspi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Center for the Study of Population Health & Aging, Duke University Population Research Institute
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University
| | - Grace M. Brennan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University
| | - Katherine S. Hall
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham VA Healthcare System
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Duke University
| | | | - Renate Houts
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University
| | - Nathan A. Kimbrel
- VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Durham VA Healthcare System
- VA Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham VA Healthcare System
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine
| | - Richie Poulton
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Sandhya Ramrakha
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Gregory A. Taylor
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham VA Healthcare System
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Duke University
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center
| | - Terrie E. Moffitt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Center for the Study of Population Health & Aging, Duke University Population Research Institute
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University
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Davis C, Turner-Cobb JM. The Perceived Stress Scale for Kids (PeSSKi): Initial development of a brief measure for children aged 7-11 years. Stress Health 2023; 39:125-136. [PMID: 35688796 PMCID: PMC10084385 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Perceived stress, a known risk factor for poor health, has been extensively assessed in adult populations. Yet an equivalent assessment tool for measurement of global perceived stress in children is lacking. This study aimed to develop and provide initial validation of a scale to measure perceived stress in children aged 7-11 years. Using a two-phase design, we conducted semi-structured interviews with thirteen child-parent dyads for development of items. In a sample of 123 children (age range 7-11 years, Mage = 9 years 7 months, 54.5% male) we administered the resulting Perceived Stress Scale for Kids (PeSSKi). Exploratory factor analysis of the 10-item PeSSKi yielded support for both a one-factor and a two-factor solution (negative, positive item wording). The PeSSKi was associated positively with the Penn-State Worry Questionnaire for Children (r = 0.748, p < 0.001) and negatively with the Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (r = 0.381, p < 0.001) indicating strong convergent/divergent validity respectively. Girls showed higher scores on the PeSSKi than boys with no effects observed by age. Initial psychometrics suggest the PeSSKi provides a robust scale for assessment of perceived stress in children. Further validation is needed across different child populations, over time and with physical measures of stress and health outcomes.
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