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What is the evidence for psychobiological harm from the use of ‘ecstasy’ (MDMA)?
Published in Philip N. Murphy, The Routledge International Handbook of Psychobiology, 2018
Carl Alexander Roberts, Catharine Montgomery
Cortisol release follows an established diurnal pattern, increasing rapidly within the first thirty minutes of awakening (cortisol awakening response) (Pruessner et al., 1997), and remaining elevated for up to sixty minutes. Following this, a general decline in cortisol levels throughout the day is normal. Wetherell and Montgomery (2014) assessed diurnal salivary cortisol levels in heavy and light ecstasy users as well as controls over two days, one of which was considered a ‘high-stress’ day as participants were subjected to a multitasking stressor. On the high-stress day, heavy ecstasy users displayed increased cortisol levels on waking, and both ecstasy user groups had higher cortisol levels than controls at bed time. Frokjaer et al. (2014) also observed an increased cortisol awakening response (as well as increases in perceived stress) in MDMA users versus controls. As such, there appears to be a link between ecstasy use and cortisol awakening responses which warrants further investigation, but potentially reflects altered neurohormonal functioning due to adaptations in serotonin signalling.
Movement therapies
Published in Hilary McClafferty, Mind–Body Medicine in Clinical Practice, 2018
The effects of yoga have also been evaluated in an extended retreat setting in a study by Cahn et al. in 38 adults. The retreat included daily meditation and yoga practice, vegetarian diet, and participation in community projects around the retreat center. Daily activities included 2 hours of sitting meditation, 1–2 hours of yoga practice which had a meditation component, and 1 hour of chanting. Subjects had increases in self-reported mindfulness (p < 0.0001) and decreases in reported anxiety (p < 0.0001) and depression (p < 0.01). Measures of BDNF (associated with enhanced neurogenesis/neuroplasticity) increased by threefold (p < 0.001) and were inversely associated with anxiety scores in pre-retreat (p < 0.05, r = 0.40) and post-retreat (p < 0.005, r = 0.52) samples. Body mass index decreased in the group (p < 0.0001). Changes in pro-inflammatory markers were mixed, with some decreasing significantly, such as the pro-inflammatory IL-12 (p < 0.05) whereas other such as IL-6 increased. Significant increases in cortisol awakening response were seen, reflecting the improved rhythm of adrenocortical activity which is related to enhanced levels of alertness and physiologic arousal, considered a positive marker of stress resilience (Cahn et al. 2017).
Stress and recovery in applied settings
Published in Michael Kellmann, Jürgen Beckmann, Sport, Recovery, and Performance, 2017
K. Wolfgang Kallus, Kerstin Gaisbachgrabner
Long-term stress or more severe stress reactions lead to changes in the morning values of cortisol, which is termed the cortisol awakening response (CAR; Kirschbaum, 1991) and can be measured from salvia samples. Salvia samples after waking up were collected during phases of normal working hours and long working hours for the seven subjects of the above-mentioned sample. Shifts with long working hours are accompanied by a significant increase in cortisol awakening values, which declines in the recovery phase (Figure 16.2).
A validation study on fingernail cortisol: correlations with one-month cortisol levels estimated by hair and saliva samples
Published in Stress, 2021
Shuhei Izawa, Nagisa Sugaya, Namiko Ogawa, Kentaro Shirotsuki, Shusaku Nomura
The saliva collection methods were described in our previous study (Sugaya et al., 2020). Saliva sample collections were conducted for 30 days. Participants were asked to collect saliva upon awakening (t1), 30 min after awakening (t2), and at bedtime (t3) on each day by using the passive drool method (Granger et al., 2007). Participants were asked to pool saliva in their mouths for 3 min and expectorate saliva through a short plastic straw into a microtube. We followed the practical procedures described in the consensus guideline for cortisol awakening response (Stalder et al., 2016). Participants were instructed not to eat, drink, or brush their teeth for 30 min after awakening or one hour before bedtime. Furthermore, participants were required to access an online survey (i.e. Google form) during the time of pooling saliva, in which the actual times of saliva collections were recorded in the online server.
Hair cortisol predicts avoidance behavior and depressiveness after first-time and single-event trauma exposure in motor vehicle crash victims
Published in Stress, 2020
Katja Petrowski, Susann Wichmann, Jaroslav Pyrc, Susann Steudte-Schmiedgen, Clemens Kirschbaum
The present findings further revealed significant predictive power of post-MVC increased HCC for higher levels of subsequent depressiveness as measured three months post-MVC. This finding agrees with data of Goodyer, Tamplin, Herbert, and Altham (2000) as well as LeMoult, Ordaz, Kircanski, Singh, and Gotlib (2015) suggesting that the new onset of a major depressive disorder was predicted by the combined effects of recent stressful life events (e.g. dangers to self or to others, permanent losses) and elevated daily salivary cortisol levels. The present data further agree with previous research that found a higher cortisol awakening response to be a risk factor for the development of a new-onset major depressive disorder (Adam et al., 2010; Vrshek-Schallhorn et al., 2013).
How Does Childhood Trauma Impact Women’s Sexual Desire? Role of Depression, Stress, and Cortisol
Published in The Journal of Sex Research, 2020
Julia I. O’Loughlin, Alessandra H. Rellini, Lori A. Brotto
Upon obtaining written consent, an in-person meeting with a research assistant was scheduled to review the study procedures for the saliva sampling kit. Specifically, participants were instructed to allow saliva to pool in the mouth and deposit it into 1.6 ml vials through a straw at four time points in the diurnal cycle: at awakening, 30 and 60 min after waking, and immediately before bedtime, on 3 separate, typical weekdays (note: collection days were not required to be consecutive). For the purposes of the current study, only salivary cortisol measurements at 60 min after waking and immediately before bedtime were used as a measure of HPA axis functioning. The samples at the other time points (i.e., awakening and 30 min after waking) were collected for analyses concerning cortisol awakening response which are presented elsewhere (see Basson et al., 2019). Participants were asked to avoid consuming chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories on saliva collection days, as these items may alter cortisol levels. Additionally, participants were asked to avoid eating, brushing teeth, flossing teeth, consuming beverages (other than water), using mouthwash, chewing gum, or eating a large meal within an hour of collecting a saliva sample, to avoid contamination. Prior to sample collection (except upon waking), participants were asked to perform a cold-water rinse. Samples were briefly stored in the participant’s freezer (at approximately −15°C) until sample collection was completed at which point they were transported to the laboratory for analysis.