What is the evidence for psychobiological harm from the use of ‘ecstasy’ (MDMA)?
Philip N. Murphy in The Routledge International Handbook of Psychobiology, 2018
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
Hilary McClafferty in 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).
Endocrinology of aging
Philip E. Harris, Pierre-Marc G. Bouloux in Endocrinology in Clinical Practice, 2014
Cortisol production has an ACTH-dependent circadian rhythm with peak levels in the early morning and a nadir at night. The mean 24-h serum cortisol concentrations can be elevated by up to 20% in both aging men and women; this is not accompanied by changes in corticosteroid-binding globulin.279,283 The nocturnal nadir of serum cortisol concentrations in the elderly occurs at an earlier time than in younger subjects. Cortisol, in aging individuals, may be affected by factors such as weight (slightly lower in obese), sleep abnormalities (slight elevation), and acute metabolic stress (increased).284–288 The cortisol awakening response was slightly higher in aging subjects who experienced significant stress, such as in Alzheimer’s patients, and social stressors (e.g., in the Whitehall II Study).289,290 There may be an association between late life events and elevated secretion of morning cortisol and high diurnal variability of cortisol.291,292
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.
Psychophysiological measures of stress in caregivers of individuals with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review
Published in Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 2019
Ciara Padden, Carolina Concialdi-McGlynn, Sinead Lydon
There are many noninvasive methods that can be employed to measure ANS and HPA-axis activity, and research has demonstrated the link between these measures and health. Chronic activation of the HPA-axis can increase reactivity to stressors and is associated with increased health risk.17 The most common measure of HPA-axis activity is the hormone cortisol, which is produced in response to activation of the HPA-axis. While cortisol can be measured in blood samples, salivary cortisol has also been found to act as a marker for HPA-axis activity,18 providing a noninvasive alternative to venepuncture (i.e. puncturing veins). Cortisol has a strong basal diurnal profile, with a characteristic increase of approximately 50%–60% in the first 30–45 min after awakening (known as the cortisol awakening response), a rapid drop over the first few hours after waking, and a gradual decline throughout the rest of the day.18 Dysregulation of the morning cortisol awakening response is associated with negative outcomes such as depression,19 while blunted cortisol reactivity and low daily cortisol levels (i.e. hypocortisolism) can result in decreased immunity and increased vulnerability to stress-related diseases.20
Maternal circadian cortisol mediates the link between prenatal distress and breastfeeding
Published in Stress, 2019
M.H. Bublitz, G. Bourjeily, C. Bilodeau, L.R. Stroud
Cortisol awakening responses significantly differed by breastfeeding group, but evening cortisol levels did not significantly differ by group. Cortisol awakening response and evening cortisol are under different neuroregulatory control (Wilhelm et al., 2007). The findings from this study suggest that neural regions that regulate the awakening response including the hippocampus and hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (Clow, Hucklebridge, & Thorn, 2010) may also be important in mammary secretory differentiation and activation. This has not yet been studied. However, evidence has demonstrated differences in patterns of maternal neural activation to infant cues among women who are breastfeeding vs. those who are not (Kim et al., 2011). More research is needed to understand the links between patterns of HPA diurnal rhythm and breastfeeding, as this area of research may reveal additional targets to increase breastfeeding.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Cortisol
- Sleep
- Stress
- Hippocampus
- Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis
- Twin Study
- Genetics
- Shift Work
- Shift Work Sleep Disorder
- Nap