RESUMEN
PURPOSE: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are used in cancer patients to manage treatment-related gastrointestinal symptoms and to prevent damage to the gastric mucosal lining during treatment. However, PPI use may contribute to cognitive problems. To compare PPI-users and non-users, breast cancer survivors reported cognitive problems in three studies. METHODS: In Study 1, breast cancer survivors (N = 209; n = 173 non-users, n = 36 PPI-users; stages 0-IIIC) rated their cognitive function on the Kohli scale prior to cancer treatment, as well as one and two years later. In Study 2, women (N = 200; n = 169 non-users, n = 31 PPI-users, stages 0-IIIa, M = 11 months post-treatment) rated their cognitive function on the Kohli scale and BCPT checklist at three visits over a six-month period. In Study 3, participants (N = 142; n = 121 non-users, n = 21 PPI-users; stages I-IIIa, M = 4 years post-treatment) rated their cognitive function on the Kohli scale, BCPT checklist, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy cognitive scale (FACT-cog). RESULTS: In Study 1, PPI-users reported more severe concentration problems (p = 0.039) but not memory problems (p = 0.17) than non-users. In Study 2, PPI-users reported more severe concentration problems (p = 0.022) than non-users, but not memory problems or symptoms on the BCPT (ps = 0.11). Study 3's PPI-users reported more severe memory problems (p = 0.002), poorer overall cognitive function (p = 0.006), lower quality of life related to cognitive problems (p = 0.005), greater perceived cognitive impairment (p = 0.013), and poorer cognitive abilities (p = 0.046), but not more severe concentration problems (p = 0.16), compared to non-users. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: PPI use may impair breast cancer survivors' memory, concentration, and quality of life.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias de la Mama/psicología , Supervivientes de Cáncer/psicología , Cognición/efectos de los fármacos , Disfunción Cognitiva/etiología , Inhibidores de la Bomba de Protones/efectos adversos , Calidad de Vida/psicología , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Neoplasias de la Mama/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias de la Mama/mortalidad , Disfunción Cognitiva/psicología , Femenino , Humanos , Estudios Longitudinales , Masculino , Persona de Mediana EdadRESUMEN
The Western diet, characterized by high intake of saturated fat, sugar, and salt, is associated with elevated inflammation and chronic disease risk. Few studies have investigated molecular mechanisms linking diet and inflammation; however, a small number of randomized controlled trials suggest that consuming an anti-inflammatory diet (i.e., a primarily plant-based diet rich in monounsaturated fat and lean protein) decreases proinflammatory gene expression. The current study investigated the association between everyday diet and proinflammatory gene expression, as well as the extent to which central adiposity and social involvement modulate risk. Participants were healthy middle-aged and older adults (Nâ¯=â¯105) who completed a food frequency questionnaire and reported how many close social roles they have. Anthropometric measurements and blood samples also were collected; gene expression data were analyzed from LPS-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells for interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. The inflammatory potential of each participant's diet was calculated using the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®). Participants with higher DII® scores, indicating a more proinflammatory diet, had greater IL-6 (bâ¯=â¯-0.02, SEâ¯=â¯0.008, pâ¯=â¯.01), IL-1ß (bâ¯=â¯-0.01, SEâ¯=â¯0.006, pâ¯=â¯.03), and TNF-α (bâ¯=â¯-0.01, SEâ¯=â¯0.005, pâ¯=â¯.04) gene expression if they had a smaller sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD); effects were not seen among those with higher SADs. Social involvement served a protective role, such that participants with smaller SADs had greater IL-6 (bâ¯=â¯0.01, SEâ¯=â¯0.004, pâ¯=â¯.049) and IL-1ß (bâ¯=â¯0.01, SEâ¯=â¯0.003, pâ¯=â¯.045) gene expression only if they had less social involvement; there was no effect of diet on gene expression among those who reported greater social participation. Results are the first to demonstrate a link between self-reported diet and proinflammatory gene expression. Importantly, the effect of diet on gene expression depended upon both body fat composition and social participation, both of which have previously been linked directly with proinflammatory gene expression and inflammation.
Asunto(s)
Dieta Occidental/psicología , Inflamación/genética , Inflamación/metabolismo , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Composición Corporal/genética , Composición Corporal/fisiología , Peso Corporal/genética , Peso Corporal/fisiología , Dieta/psicología , Dieta Occidental/efectos adversos , Grasas de la Dieta , Femenino , Expresión Génica/genética , Humanos , Interleucina-1beta/sangre , Interleucina-6/sangre , Relaciones Interpersonales , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Obesidad/metabolismo , Factores de Riesgo , Aislamiento Social/psicología , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa/sangreRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis dysregulation is associated with disease and may be indexed by poor cortisol habituation (i.e., a failure to show decreased responding with repeated stressor exposure). Thus, stress management training that can enhance HPA axis habituation may benefit health. To date, the effects of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions on HPA axis habituation remain untested. To test the effects of MBSR and CBT on HPA axis habituation, the present study used a parallel arm randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Healthy adults reporting moderate-to-high stress (nâ¯=â¯138) were randomly assigned to a 6-week MBSR intervention, a 6-week CBT intervention, or Waitlist control group. Post-intervention, participants completed a social-evaluative performance stressor during each of two laboratory visits scheduled 48-h apart. Salivary cortisol was collected pre-stressor, and 25, 35, and 60â¯min post-stressor onset during each visit. Final analyses included 86 participants who completed procedures up to the first laboratory visit. RESULTS: Relative to the control condition, both MBSR and CBT groups showed greater cortisol habituation. The MBSR group exhibited marginally greater habituation than the Waitlist group in cortisol samples corresponding to the recovery time points (35 and 60â¯min post-stressor onset). In contrast, the CBT group showed greater habituation than the Waitlist across all sampling timepoints collected (pre-stressor, 25, 35, and 60â¯min post-stressor onset). Yet, the CBT group also demonstrated elevated pre-stressor cortisol during the first visit. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that MBSR and CBT interventions promote greater HPA axis habituation relative to no training, but do not reduce overall cortisol output (i.e., across both visits). Observed differences between CBT and MBSR training in relation to cortisol habituation are discussed.
Asunto(s)
Terapia Cognitivo-Conductual/métodos , Habituación Psicofisiológica/fisiología , Atención Plena/métodos , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Hidrocortisona/análisis , Hidrocortisona/metabolismo , Sistema Hipotálamo-Hipofisario/química , Masculino , Sistema Hipófiso-Suprarrenal/química , Saliva/química , Estrés Psicológico/psicología , Estrés Psicológico/terapiaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Lonely people's heightened risks for chronic health conditions and early mortality may emerge in part through cellular aging. Lonelier people have more severe sympathetic responses to acute stress, increasing their risk for herpesvirus reactivation, a possible path to shorter telomeres. Parasympathetic function may modulate this risk. PURPOSE: The current study aimed to examine the associations among loneliness, herpesvirus reactivation, and telomere length, with parasympathetic activity as a moderator, in healthy middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: A sample of 113 healthy men and women of ages 40-85 provided blood samples that were assayed for telomere length, as well as the latent herpesviruses cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). They also provided heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of parasympathetic activity, and reported on their feelings of loneliness. RESULTS: Lonelier people with lower HRV (i.e., lower parasympathetic activity) had greater CMV reactivation and shorter telomeres compared with their less lonely counterparts, above and beyond demographics, health behaviors, resting heart rate, and social network size. However, loneliness was not associated with viral reactivation or telomere length among those with higher HRV. In turn, greater CMV and EBV reactivation was associated with shorter telomeres. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these data implicate parasympathetic function in novel links between loneliness and accelerated cellular aging.
Asunto(s)
Envejecimiento Prematuro , Infecciones por Citomegalovirus , Infecciones por Virus de Epstein-Barr , Frecuencia Cardíaca , Inmunosenescencia , Soledad , Sistema Nervioso Parasimpático , Acortamiento del Telómero , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Envejecimiento Prematuro/inmunología , Envejecimiento Prematuro/metabolismo , Envejecimiento Prematuro/fisiopatología , Infecciones por Citomegalovirus/inmunología , Infecciones por Virus de Epstein-Barr/inmunología , Femenino , Frecuencia Cardíaca/fisiología , Humanos , Inmunosenescencia/fisiología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Sistema Nervioso Parasimpático/fisiopatología , Acortamiento del Telómero/fisiologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Revealing one's sexual identity to others is a complex process marked by a shift in the types of stressors faced by sexual minority young adults. Such stressors influence the secretion of health-relevant hormones, including cortisol, yet how dimensions of disclosure (i.e., the degree and context) influence neuroendocrine functioning remains poorly understood. The current study examined the association between disclosure context (disclosure to family members, friends/co-workers/acquaintances, and members of religious groups) and diurnal cortisol while allowing disclosure to vary in degree (i.e., how much is disclosed). METHODS: One hundred twenty-one sexual minority young adults (aged 18-35 years, 54.5% female, free of major psychiatric/endocrine disorders) completed an initial survey that assessed the degree and context of sexual minority identity disclosure. A randomly selected subset (n = 58) also provided salivary cortisol samples at wake, 45 minutes after wake, 12 hours after wake, and at bedtime for 1 week. RESULTS: Greater total disclosure and greater disclosure to family members were associated with reduced cortisol output, defined as Area Under the Curve relative to ground (AUCg; F(1,230) = 5.95, p = .015, and F(1,231) = 10.90, p = .001, respectively). Disclosure to co-workers, friends, acquaintances, or religious groups was unrelated to cortisol AUCg. All disclosure contexts tested were unrelated to the shape of diurnal cortisol slopes (including the cortisol awakening response). CONCLUSIONS: Disclosure to family members uniquely predicted cortisol AUCg. Therefore, these results suggest that effects of disclosure on diurnal cortisol and its associated health outcomes may occur in the context of familial relationships.
Asunto(s)
Familia , Hidrocortisona/metabolismo , Minorías Sexuales y de Género , Revelación de la Verdad , Adolescente , Adulto , Área Bajo la Curva , Ritmo Circadiano/fisiología , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Saliva , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Current evidence suggests that exposure to social-evaluative threat (SET) can elicit a physiological stress response, especially cortisol, which is an important regulatory hormone. However, an alternative explanation of these findings is that social-evaluative laboratory tasks are more difficult, or confer greater cognitive load, than non-evaluative tasks. Thus, the current experiment tested whether social-evaluative threat, rather than cognitive load, is truly an "active ingredient" in eliciting a cortisol response to stressors. METHODS: Healthy undergraduate students (Nâ¯=â¯142, 65% female) were randomly assigned to one of four speech-stressor conditions in a fully-crossed two (social-evaluative threat [SET] manipulation: non-SET versus SET) by two (cognitive load manipulation: low versus high) stressor manipulation. Social-evaluative threat was manipulated by the presence (SET) or absence (non-SET) of two evaluators, while cognitive load was manipulated by the presence (LOAD) or absence (non-LOAD) of a tone-counting task during the speech stressor. Salivary cortisol and cardiovascular measures were taken before, during, and after the speech stressor. RESULTS: Compared to the non-SET condition, SET condition led to greater cortisol and cardiovascular responses to the speech stressor. There were no main or additive effects of cognitive load on cortisol and cardiovascular responses to the speech stressor. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that social-evaluative threat is a central aspect of stressors that elicits a cortisol response; however we found no evidence that increased difficulty, or cognitive load, contributed to greater cardiovascular or cortisol responses to stressors.
Asunto(s)
Estrés Fisiológico/fisiología , Estrés Psicológico/metabolismo , Estrés Psicológico/patología , Adolescente , Presión Sanguínea/fisiología , Sistema Cardiovascular/metabolismo , Cognición/fisiología , Femenino , Humanos , Hidrocortisona/análisis , Masculino , Saliva/química , Autoimagen , Conducta Social , Habla/fisiología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
PURPOSE: Researchers benefit from controlling for individual differences that systematically account for variance in acute cortisol responses (e.g., sex). Similarly, some suggest that education could be used as a cortisol covariate because prior work found a negative relationship between education and the magnitude of acute cortisol responses in middle-aged adults. Nevertheless, education is seldom controlled for in tests of cortisol responses to acute stress, in part because the effect of education on acute cortisol responses has yet to be tested in a college sample. The present study therefore tested the relationship between education and cortisol responses to acute stress in college students. METHOD: Participants (124 healthy undergraduate students) self-reported education level and were subjected to a stressful speech task. Salivary cortisol was collected 0, + 15, + 25, + 40, and + 55 min post-stressor onset. Participant also completed a battery of questionnaires assessing individual differences, day-to-day demands, and stress-related appraisals. RESULTS: Students in their fourth year of college education or above had significantly less curvilinear responses to the stress task relative to first-, second-, and third-year students. CONCLUSION: The effect of education on cortisol responses previously found in middle-aged adults was replicated in college students. Future research may therefore benefit from controlling for education when analyzing acute cortisol responses in college samples.
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Escolaridad , Hidrocortisona/metabolismo , Saliva/química , Estrés Psicológico/metabolismo , Estudiantes/psicología , Adulto , Femenino , Voluntarios Sanos , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estrés Fisiológico , Estrés Psicológico/psicología , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Universidades , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Mindfulness, or the practice of observing present moment experiences with acceptance, is thought to improve health at least partially by limiting hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis over-responsiveness during episodes of acute stress. However, models of allostatic load suggest that HPA axis under-responsiveness can also be detrimental to health, and the relationship between mindfulness and cortisol under-responsiveness has yet to be examined. The present study therefore aimed to address this knowledge gap, and to revisit the relationship between mindfulness and acute cortisol response magnitude while excluding (or statistically controlling for) individuals displaying HPA axis under-responsiveness. METHODS: Participants (124 healthy undergraduate students) were subjected to a stressful speech task, and completed a trait mindfulness questionnaire. Salivary cortisol was collected 0, +15, +25, +40, and +55â¯min post-stressor onset. RESULTS: Greater trait mindfulness was associated with greater odds of displaying a cortisol response relative to none, but was unrelated to the magnitude of cortisol responses among those who displayed an acute response. CONCLUSIONS: In the present sample, trait mindfulness was associated with cortisol responses, but this was driven by the fact that subjects low in mindfulness were more likely to be non-responders. Contrasting the effects of mindfulness on the presence (i.e., present vs. absent) and the degree (i.e., magnitude) of acute stress responses may therefore be warranted in future research.
Asunto(s)
Hidrocortisona/metabolismo , Estrés Psicológico/metabolismo , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Sistema Hipotálamo-Hipofisario/metabolismo , Masculino , Atención Plena/métodos , Sistema Hipófiso-Suprarrenal/metabolismo , Saliva/metabolismo , Estudiantes , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Stress may contribute to illness through the impaired recovery or sustained activity of stress-responsive biological systems. Rumination, or mental rehearsal of past stressors, may alter the body's stress-responsive systems by amplifying and prolonging exposure to physiological mediators, such as cortisol. The primary aim of the current investigation was to test the extent to which the tendency to ruminate on stress predicts diminished diurnal cortisol recovery (i.e., elevated evening cortisol) in a sample of sexual and gender minority young adults. Participants included 58 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender young adults (Mage = 25.0, SD = 4.1) who completed an initial online survey that assessed trait rumination and current depressed mood. Participants completed daily evening questionnaires and provided salivary cortisol samples at wake, 45 min post-wake, 12 h post-wake, and at bedtime over seven consecutive days. Trait rumination predicted significantly higher cortisol concentrations at bedtime, but was unrelated to other cortisol indices (e.g., morning cortisol, diurnal slope, total output). The association with trait rumination was not accounted for by daily negative affect, and was largely independent of depressed mood. These results have implications for identifying and treating those who may be at risk for impaired diurnal cortisol recovery and associated negative health outcomes.
Asunto(s)
Hidrocortisona/análisis , Rumiación Cognitiva/fisiología , Saliva/química , Minorías Sexuales y de Género , Estrés Psicológico/inmunología , Adolescente , Adulto , Bisexualidad , Ritmo Circadiano/fisiología , Depresión/inmunología , Femenino , Homosexualidad Femenina , Homosexualidad Masculina , Humanos , Masculino , Fenotipo , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Personas Transgénero , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Understanding the relationship between stress and telomere length (a marker of cellular aging) is of great interest for reducing aging-related disease and death. One important aspect of acute stress exposure that may underlie detrimental effects on health is physiological reactivity to the stressor. METHODS: This study tested the relationship between buccal telomere length and physiological reactivity (salivary cortisol reactivity and total output, heart rate (HR) variability, blood pressure, and HR) to an acute psychosocial stressor in a sample of 77 (53% male) healthy young adults. RESULTS: Consistent with predictions, greater reductions in HR variability (HRV) in response to a stressor and greater cortisol output during the study session were associated with shorter relative buccal telomere length (i.e. greater cellular aging). However, the relationship between cortisol output and buccal telomere length became non-significant when adjusting for medication use. Contrary to past findings and study hypotheses, associations between cortisol, blood pressure, and HR reactivity and relative buccal telomere length were not significant. Overall, these findings may indicate there are limited and mixed associations between stress reactivity and telomere length across physiological systems.
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Presión Sanguínea , Frecuencia Cardíaca , Hidrocortisona/metabolismo , Mucosa Bucal/metabolismo , Estrés Psicológico/metabolismo , Telómero/metabolismo , Adolescente , Biomarcadores , Senescencia Celular/genética , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Mucosa Bucal/citología , Saliva/química , Estrés Psicológico/fisiopatología , Estrés Psicológico/psicología , Estudiantes/psicología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: It has been proposed that the inflammatory cytokine system is regulated through the vagus nerve, where vagal activation inhibits release of inflammatory cytokines and, therefore, inflammation. Thus, loss of vagal activation (i.e., reduced high-frequency heart rate variability [HF-HRV]) should result in greater inflammation. Evidence to date for this relationship has relied on animal models and resting states in humans. The present study used a psychosocial stressor to test whether stress-induced decreases in HF-HRV predict increases in circulating inflammatory markers. METHODS: Thirty healthy young women completed a speech stressor. HF-HRV was assessed before and during the stressor while circulating plasma interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor α, and C-reactive protein were assessed before and 1 hour after the stressor. RESULTS: Consistent with the neural reflex for immunity, greater reductions in HF-HRV during the stressor were associated with greater increases in tumor necrosis factor α (ß = -0.29 to -0.47) and interleukin 6 (ß = -0.40 to -0.68) but not C-reactive protein (ß = 0.10 to 0.29) 1 hour after the stressor. CONCLUSIONS: These findings expand on the current literature by showing that changes in HF-HRV predict and precede changes in circulating inflammatory cytokines in humans and may have implications for treatment of inflammatory diseases.
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Frecuencia Cardíaca/fisiología , Inflamación/sangre , Sistema Nervioso Parasimpático/fisiopatología , Estrés Psicológico/sangre , Estrés Psicológico/fisiopatología , Adulto , Proteína C-Reactiva/metabolismo , Femenino , Humanos , Interleucina-6/sangre , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa/sangre , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Past work has linked negative repetitive thought (worry, rumination) about stressors to sustained stress responses. Less is known about the effects of neutral types of repetitive thought (e.g., reflection) on physiological stress responses. The present study examined whether greater trait reflection was associated with a lower inflammatory response to an acute psychosocial stressor. Thirty-four healthy undergraduate women completed a speech stressor, and plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels were assessed before and after the stressor. Higher levels of reflection predicted lower IL-6 responses 1h after the stressor. Stressor appraisal was not a significant mediator. These preliminary findings stand in contrast to existing evidence that other forms of repetitive thought like worry and rumination may exacerbate or prolong the inflammatory stress response and indicate that reflection is a notable factor worth considering when examining the relationship between stress, inflammation, and health.
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Interleucina-6/sangre , Estrés Psicológico/sangre , Estrés Psicológico/psicología , Adolescente , Adulto , Ansiedad/sangre , Ansiedad/psicología , Proteína C-Reactiva/metabolismo , Cognición/fisiología , Citocinas/sangre , Femenino , Humanos , Hidrocortisona/sangre , Inflamación/sangre , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa/sangre , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Ruminative thought about stressors has been linked to extended post-stressor cardiovascular activation, which in turn predicts negative long-term health outcomes. Past work indicates that the nature of thought (mental imagery or verbal thought) may shape cardiovascular responses. Some evidence suggests that individuals with rumination tendencies may be especially vulnerable to stress-related cardiovascular activation, although it is unclear to what extent type of thought (imagery or verbal thought) influences this relationship. This study included a laboratory stressor followed by a stressor recall task in which mentation type was manipulated. Healthy undergraduate students (N = 138; 47% female) underwent a speech stressor and then were randomly assigned to complete a stressor recall task using either mental imagery or verbal-linguistic mentation. Heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were measured throughout. Self-report trait rumination was measured at baseline. Results indicated that trait rumination and mentation type interacted to predict HR. Individuals with high trait rumination scores had significantly greater increases in HR during the verbal-linguistic conditions compared to the mental imagery conditions. There were no mentation type differences in the low trait ruminators, no differences in BP and no main effects of trait rumination. Results suggest that mentation type may be a key in understanding the relationship between rumination and cardiovascular activation, especially for trait ruminators.
Asunto(s)
Presión Sanguínea/fisiología , Frecuencia Cardíaca/fisiología , Imaginación/fisiología , Recuerdo Mental/fisiología , Personalidad , Estrés Psicológico/fisiopatología , Pensamiento , Adolescente , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Autoinforme , Habla , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Psychological detachment from work is important for facilitating recovery. This can be threatened by rumination, or thinking about the day's stressors. Rumination may lead to distress, fatigue and extended activation of stress-related systems, but findings are not unequivocal. Level of construal (abstract or concrete) and type of mentation (imagery or verbal thought) used during stressor-focused rumination may shape physiological and affective responses and impact recovery. This study tested whether blood pressure (BP) and anxiety responses to stressor-focused rumination differ by mentation type and construal level. Healthy undergraduates (n = 136) performed a speech stressor and then completed a rumination task in one of four randomly assigned conditions: concrete imagery, abstract imagery, concrete verbal thought or abstract verbal thought. Anxiety and continuous BP were assessed. Concrete rumination led to greater BP, whereas rumination with abstract construals led to lower BP. Furthermore, participants in the abstract conditions had greater increases in anxiety following stressor-focused rumination than in the concrete conditions. Results suggest that the immediate physiological and psychological consequences of stressor-focused rumination depend upon mode of thought.
Asunto(s)
Afecto/fisiología , Presión Sanguínea/fisiología , Estrés Psicológico/psicología , Pensamiento/fisiología , Análisis de Varianza , Ansiedad/etiología , Ansiedad/fisiopatología , Femenino , Humanos , Imaginación/fisiología , Masculino , Recuerdo Mental/fisiología , Desempeño Psicomotor/fisiología , Autoeficacia , Estrés Psicológico/fisiopatología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Stress-related physiological activation may last longer for those who ruminate, or dwell, on past stressors. Correlational and quasi-experimental research has linked rumination to immune activity and elevated cortisol. This study's aim was to experimentally test whether rumination (relative to distraction) can sustain stress-induced increases in inflammation and cortisol. Concentrations of poststressor cortisol and inflammatory markers were hypothesized to be greater for those who ruminated compared with those who were distracted. METHOD: Thirty-four healthy young women completed a laboratory speech stressor and were then randomly assigned to either ruminate on the stressor or engage in distraction for 5 minutes. Salivary cortisol and circulating plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were assessed throughout the 2-hr visit. RESULTS: As predicted, CRP and cortisol responses differed for the rumination and distraction groups. In the distraction group, participants' CRP concentrations increased poststressor and then returned to prestressor levels by the end of the visit. In contrast, participants in the rumination condition demonstrated increases in CRP that did not return to prestressor levels by the end of the visit. Similarly, poststressor cortisol was higher for those who ruminated compared with those who were distracted. Plasma IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations increased over the visit, but did not differ by experimental group. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS suggest that ruminating on stressors may sustain CRP and cortisol responses, whereas distraction may diminish them. Findings have implications for understanding potential risk and protective factors for stress-related activation.
Asunto(s)
Proteína C-Reactiva/metabolismo , Hidrocortisona/metabolismo , Estrés Psicológico/metabolismo , Estrés Psicológico/psicología , Pensamiento/fisiología , Proteína C-Reactiva/análisis , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Humanos , Hidrocortisona/análisis , Interleucina-6/sangre , Saliva/química , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa/sangre , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
This experiment examined how reactions to HIV disclosure by a male stimulus person are influenced by the discloser's HIV status and sexual orientation as well as the disclosure recipient's gender. Participants (152 male and female college students) disclosed more intimately about themselves (revealing highly personal facts and personal feelings) when the man's HIV test result was positive versus negative. The effects of HIV status disclosure on participants' self-disclosure and social support were also moderated by the man's sexual orientation and participants' gender. The results document circumstances when HIV disclosure may lead to positive reactions instead of avoidance and exclusion.