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To assess whether performance in attention and executive functions evaluated with the Epitrack screening tool before surgery can differentiate memory and quality of life (QOL) profiles, and detect different post-surgical change patterns in these variables in patients with epilepsy.This is a longitudinal study. Seventy-seven patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (mean age = 37.91) underwent a neuropsychological assessment before and one year after surgery. Epitrack, a screening tool that exclusively evaluates attention and executive functioning, was administered in the pre-surgical assessment, and verbal and visual memory and QOL were assessed before and after surgery.Patients with impaired Epitrack performance had poorer verbal and visual memory than those with intact Epitrack performance, regardless of the time point (for all,Our findings underline the utility of Epitrack screening tool to detect different patterns of verbal and visual memory dysfunction, as well as to predict post-surgical verbal memory decline in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Patients with lower pre-surgical Epitrack scores appear to be at increased risk for post-surgical memory decline.

Memory deficits are very frequent in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, but they predict a small proportion of variance of their quality of life (QOL) in previous studies, possibly due to the lack of consideration of mediating factors of this relationship. This study aimed to examine whether trait anxiety mediates the relationship between memory and QOL in this population, controlling the influence of demographic and seizure-related factors.In this cross-sectional study, 119 adults with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) underwent a neuropsychological evaluation, in which memory, anxiety, and QOL were assessed.In the total sample, better delayed memory had an effect on better QOL indirectly through lower trait anxiety (B = 0.13, SE = 0.06, p = 0.04, abThese findings suggest that trait anxiety is an important factor in understanding the relationship between memory and QOL in patients with TLE, considering the influence of demographic and seizure-related variables, and may have relevant implications for decision-making in this population.

El estrés es un factor de riesgo para las enfermedades cardiovasculares en la población general. La epilepsia se ha considerado un modelo adecuado de estrés crónico, con mayor incidencia de mortalidad cardiovascular que la población general. Este estudio proporciona datos preliminares sobre la respuesta cardiovascular ante un estresor cognitivo y una evaluación neuropsicológica en pacientes con epilepsia, explorando las relaciones entre la respuesta cardiovascular y el rendimiento cognitivo dependiendo del hemisferio responsable de la epilepsia. Treinta y cinco pacientes con epilepsia farmacorresistente, 17 con el área epileptógena(AE) en el hemisferio izquierdo (LH) y 18 con AE en el hemisferio derecho (RH), se sometieron a un estres cognitivo y una evaluación neuropsicológica. La respuesta cardiovascular se registró durante toda la sesión en ambas condiciones. Los resultados mostraron que una evaluación neuropsicológica de larga duración fue capaz de producir una respuesta cardiovascular modulada por el hemisferio, con disminuciones de la frecuencia cardíaca (y aumentos del intervalo RR) más pronunciadas en el período post-evaluación en pacientes con epilepsia del HI que en pacientes con epilepsia del HD (p = .05, p = .01, respectivamente). El hemisferio del AE moderó la relación entre la respuesta cardiovascular y el rendimiento cognitivo (para todos, p < .03). Nuestros hallazgos podrían tener implicaciones clínicas desde una perspectiva preventiva, ya que sugieren que el hemisferio del AE podría ser un factor relevante en el afrontamiento del estrés en personas con epilepsia farmacorresistente. Stress is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in the general population. Epilepsy has been considered a suitable model of chronic stress with a higher incidence of cardiovascular mortality than the general population. This study provides preliminary data about cardiovascular response to a cognitive stressor and a neuropsychological assessment in patients with epilepsy. It also explores the relationship between cardiovascular response and cognitive performance, depending on the side of seizure focus. Thirty-five patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, 17 with epileptogenic area (EA) in the left hemisphere (LH) and 18 with EA in the right hemisphere (RH), underwent a cognitive stressor and a neuropsychological assessment. The cardiovascular response was recorded throughout both conditions. Results showed that a long-lasting neuropsychological assessment was capable of producing a hemisphere-modulated cardiovascular response with heart rate (HR) decreases (and R-R interval increases) more pronounced in the LH patients than in the RH patients at the post-assessment period (p = .05 and p = .01, respectively). The hemisphere of EA moderated the relationship between cardiovascular response and cognitive performance (for all, p < .03). Our findings may have clinical implications from a preventive perspective since the EA hemisphere may be a relevant factor for coping with stress in people with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Background Anti-seizure medications (ASMs) have been related to poor cognitive function, but their relationship with intracarotid amobarbital procedure (IAP) results remains unclear. Aims of the study To elucidate whether the number and drug load of ASMs are associated with memory scores of the IAP and the neuropsychological assessment. Methods Fifty-nine adult patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (mean age = 36.1, SD = 11.6) underwent bilateral IAP (with drawings and words as memory items) and a neuropsychological assessment to assess the risk of post-surgical memory decline. Total ASM drug load was calculated by summing the daily dose/defined daily dose ratio of every ASM of each patient. Pearson's correlations and hierarchical regressions were computed. Results Total IAP memory score was associated with total ASM drug load (r = -0.30, p = 0.02) and seizure frequency (r = -0.25, p = 0.05). After controlling clinical variables, total ASM drug load explained 16% of the variance of total IAP memory score. This relationship was especially prominent in patients with left hemisphere focus (r = -0.33, p = 0.04). The number of current ASMs was not related to IAP memory score (r = -0.16, p = 0.24). The number or drug load of ASMs were not related to neuropsychological assessment results (for all, p > 0.07). Conclusions Our findings suggest that total drug load can be a confounding variable in the IAP memory performance that could explain, at least in part, the reverse asymmetries reported in different studies.

Stress has been suggested as a trigger factor for seizures in epilepsy patients, but little is known about cortisol levels, as indicators of stress, in adults with epilepsy. This systematic review summarizes the evidence on this topic. Following PRISMA guidelines, 38 articles were selected: 14 analyzing basal cortisol levels, eight examining antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) effects, 13 focused on seizure effects, and three examining stress. Higher basal cortisol levels were found in patients than in healthy people in studies with the most homogeneous samples (45% of 38 total studies). Despite heterogeneous results associated with AEDs, seizures were related to increases in cortisol levels in 77% of 38 total studies. The only study with acute stress administration found higher cortisol reactivity in epilepsy than in healthy controls. In studies using self-reported stress, high seizure frequency was related to increased cortisol levels and lower functional brain connectivity. Findings suggest that epilepsy could be considered a chronic stress model. The potential sensitizing role of accumulative seizures and issues for future research are discussed.

People with drug-resistant epilepsy are exposed to unpredictable and uncontrollable seizures, which can be considered as a chronic stress condition. Additionally, these patients present memory deficits and a high prevalence of depression and anxiety. Cortisol, the main stress hormone, has a modulatory role on memory in healthy individuals and patients with emotional disorders, but its role in memory and emotional processes remains unclear in people with epilepsy. This study analyzes the differences in cortisol levels in people with epilepsy with high and low memory performance, and the relationships among cortisol levels, epilepsy-related factors, memory, anxiety, and depression. Fifty-two adults with drug-resistant epilepsy underwent a neuropsychological evaluation, in which nine saliva samples were collected to analyze the ability of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to descend in accordance with the circadian rhythm. Cortisol area under the curve (AUC) was computed to study the global cortisol changes. Patients with low immediate and delayed memory performance and left-hemisphere focus showed higher cortisol levels. Additionally, patients with low memory scores had higher cortisol AUC, and therefore slower declining levels in the afternoon. Memory performance was negatively related to the cortisol AUC and trait anxiety, being both reliable predictors of memory performance, especially in patients with left-hemisphere focus. These results suggest that memory deficits in people with drug-resistant epilepsy may be influenced by exposure to cortisol derived from chronic stress. Additionally, trait anxiety could contribute to increasing the vulnerability to stress. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stress has been related to alterations in eating behavior, but only a few studies have been focused on how overweight can modulate the way individuals cope with stress, including appetite and food preference assessment. Our study examines the differences in psychological, hormonal, and cardiovascular response to acute stress between young healthy men with overweight and with normal-weight, in comparison with a control situation. After experimental manipulation, the motivational drivers to different types of food were evaluated using a picture choice task. Results suggest that men with overweight show a buffered stress response of salivary cortisol and lower recovery in heart rate variability with respect to normal-weight participants. Additionally, stress favored an appetite for high-fat sweet aliments, but only in the normal-weight men, and not in participants with overweight. The results also suggest a loop between stress and food appetite, with men with overweight showing a deficit in adaptive coping with acute stress and changes in appetite for high-fat sweet aliments after stress. Further research is needed to confirm whether certain profiles of stress response can be considered as early signs of obesity risk from a preventive view.

Objective: To investigate the relative contribution of factors non-directly related to seizures such as negative affectivity, social support, somatic symptoms and memory performance on quality of life (QOL) in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Seventy patients with drug-resistant epilepsy were consecutively recruited from the inpatient Epilepsy Unit, Hospital Universitario y Politecnico La Fe, between April 2015 and October 2017. Medical history provided demographic characteristics of the patients (sex, age, and educational level), and clinical data (age at epilepsy onset, duration of epilepsy in years, frequency of seizures per month, type of seizures and number of AEDs). Presurgical assessment included diagnosis of the type of epilepsy and the lateralization of the epileptogenic area. All the patients underwent a neuropsychological assessment in which QOL (QOLIE-31), negative affectivity, social support, somatic symptoms, and memory were evaluated. Results: Negative affectivity (including anxiety-trait and depression), social support, neurosensory symptoms, and long-term verbal memory were significantly related to QOL composite score (for all, p < .009), subscales of QOL showing different sensitivities to them. Even after controlling for negative affectivity, neurosensory symptoms and long-term verbal memory significantly contribute to QOL composite score (p = .0001). Conclusion: Results suggest that clinical management of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy should consider the treatment of verbal memory impairments at an early stage. Recognition of negative affectivity, poor social support and high somatic symptoms would also lead health professionals to develop different strategies to improve the QOL of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) surgery is an effective procedure that can produce cognitive changes. However, the prognostic factors related with cognitive outcomes need to be better understood. The aim of the present study is to know if age at surgery is a reliable predictor of verbal memory competence and considering factors such as: hemisphere; type of surgery; pre-surgical seizure frequency; and epilepsy duration. Sixty-one typically dominant patients with drug-resistant TLE (34 with left TLE [L-TLE] and 27 with right TLE [R-TLE]) underwent a neuropsychological assessment before and a year after surgery. Results showed that R-TLE patients had better evolution in short- and long-term verbal memory and naming than L-TLE patients (for all, p.04). L-TLE patients also more frequently showed a strong and reliable decline in these functions than R-TLE patients. No effects for gender or type of surgery were found. From a multivariate approach, patients with improvements in verbal competence underwent surgery at earlier ages and suffered epilepsy for less time (for all, p0.4). The relevance of age at surgery was confirmed as a predictor of long-term verbal memory changes, although the frequency of partial seizures also explains, at least partially, these changes. In addition, the frequency of partial seizures explains short-term verbal memory changes. These results emphasize the importance of early intervention, independently of the resected hemisphere, in order to minimize the cognitive side-effects of epilepsy treatment, as well the need to consider cognitive functions as related processes and network dependent.

Chronic exposure to seizures in patients with left hemisphere (LH) epileptic focus could favor higher activation in the contralateral hemisphere during language processing, but the cognitive effects of this remain unclear. This study assesses the relationship between asymmetry in hemispheric activation during language fMRI and performance in verbal and non-verbal tasks. Whereas prior studies primarily used fMRI paradigms that favor frontal lobe activation and less prominent activation of the medial or superior temporal lobes, we used a verbal comprehension paradigm previously demonstrated to activate reliably receptive language areas. Forty-seven patients with drug-resistant epilepsy candidates for surgery underwent a multidisciplinary assessment, including a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation and an fMRI verbal comprehension paradigm. Patients were distributed in two groups depending on laterality indexes (LI): typical hemispheric asymmetry (unilateral left activation preponderance; n = 23) and atypical hemispheric asymmetry (bilateral or unilateral right preponderance; n = 24). Right-handedness and right hemisphere (RH) focus were significant predictors of typical asymmetry. Patients with typical activation pattern presented better performance intelligence quotient and verbal learning than patients with atypical hemispheric asymmetry (for all, p 0.014). Patients with LH focus had more frequently atypical hemispheric asymmetry than patients with RH focus (p = 0.05). Specifically, they showed lower LI and this was related to worse performance in verbal and non-verbal tasks. In conclusion, an increased activation of homologous RH areas for verbal comprehension processing could imply a competition of cognitive resources in the performance of the same task, disrupting cognitive performance.

Antecedentes. Los actuales planes de estudio permiten superar la tradicional división entre teoría y práctica en la docencia universitaria, artificial en términos formativos. Para que esta integración sea efectiva en la dinámica del aula, se requieren actividades que efectivamente integren conocimientos teóricos con habilidades y destrezas y que estimulen el trabajo autónomo del estudiante. Objetivos/Hipótesis. Este estudio se centra en analizar la satisfacción y percepción subjetiva de logro de competencias del alumnado universitario tras la implementación de metodologías activas de aprendizaje en una asignatura centrada en aspectos fisiológicos de la conducta. Método. Se implementaron metodologías activas de aprendizaje a 54 estudiantes (edad media: 24.17 años), incluyendo la realización de una fase experimental en el aula, la aplicación del método del caso, el desarrollo de estrategias de ludificación y la potenciación del alineamiento docente. Al final de la asignatura, se administró al alumnado un cuestionario de satisfacción. Resultados. La metodología docente fue unos de los aspectos mejor valorados por el estudiantado, seguido de los resultados del aprendizaje y, en menor medida, de la adquisición de competencias. Conclusiones. La implementación de metodologías docentes innovadoras en el ámbito universitario ha resultado satisfactoria para el estudiantado, en diferente medida en función del aspecto considerado. Background. The current curricula allow to overcome the traditional division between theory and practice in higher education teaching, artificial in formative terms. For this integration to be effective in the classroom dynamic, activities are required that effectively integrate theoretical knowledge with skills and abilities and that stimulate the independent work of the student. Objectives/hypotheses. This study focuses on analysing the satisfaction and subjective perception of achievement of competencies of university students after the implementation of active learning methodologies in a subject focused on physiological aspects of behaviour. Method. Active learning methodologies were implemented for 54 students (mean age: 24.17 years), including an experiment in the classroom, the case method, the development of gamification strategies and the strengthening of constructive alignment. At the end of the course, a satisfaction questionnaire was administered to the students. Results. The learning methodology was one of the aspects most highly valued by the students, followed by learning outcomes and, to a lesser extent, the acquisition of competences. Conclusions. The implementation of innovative learning methodologies in the university environment has been satisfactory for the students, to a different extent depending on the aspect considered.

Introduction Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) surgery is an effective procedure that produces cognitive changes. Factors modulating such changes have been proposed, but the influence of cognitive reserve remains unclear. Objective To examine the effect of intellectual quotient (IQ) on postsurgical changes in verbal fluency, naming, and verbal and visual memory in a sample of patients with TLE. Patients and methods 64 adult patients with drug-resistant TLE (mean age ± SD: 39.16 ± 11.67) underwent a neuropsychological evaluation before and one year after surgery. Results Patients with high IQ showed better immediate visual memory before surgery than those with medium IQ, as well as an absence of postsurgical changes. Patients with high manipulative IQ had better naming before surgery than those with medium manipulative IQ, as well as a significant postsurgical worsening. Both before and after surgery, patients with high IQ showed better phonemic and semantic verbal fluency and short- and long-term verbal memory than those with medium IQ. Conclusions IQ is a relevant factor in the evolution of immediate visual memory and naming after surgery in patients with TLE. Surgery does not impact on the advantage of high IQ patients in verbal fluency and verbal memory, suggesting that cognitive reserve has a positive effect on cognitive function, even after TLE surgery.

Introduction: Stimulation-evoked focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizure (FBTCS) can be a stressful and possibly harmful adverse event for patients during cortical stimulation (CS). We evaluated if drug load reduction of anti epileptic drugs (AEDs) during CS increases the risk of stimulation-evoked FBTCS. Material and methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we searched our local database for patients with drug resistant epilepsy who underwent invasive video-EEG monitoring and CS in the University Hospital la Fe Valencia from January 2006 to November 2016. The AED drug load was calculated with the defined daily dose. We applied a uni- and multivariate logistic regression model to estimate the risk of stimulation-evoked FBTCS and evaluate possible influencing factors. Furthermore, we compared patients whose AEDs were completely withdrawn with those whose AEDs were not. Results: Fifty-eight patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Stimulating 3806 electrode contact pairs, 152 seizures were evoked in 28 patients (48.3%). Ten seizures (6.6%) in seven patients (12.1%) evolved to FBTCS. In the univariate and multivariate analysis, a 10% reduction in drug load was associated with an increase of the odds ratio (OR) of stimulation-evoked FBTCS by 1.9 (95%-CI 1.2, 4.0, p-value = 0.04) and 1.9 CI 1.2, 4.6, p-value = 0.04), respectively. In patients, whose AEDs were completely withdrawn he OR of FBTCS increased by 9.1 (95%CI 1.7, 69.9, p-value = 0.01) compared with patients whose AEDs were not completely withdrawn. No other factor (implantation type, maximum stimulus intensity, number of stimulated contacts, history of FBTCS, age, gender, or epilepsy type) appears to have a significant effect on the risk of stimulation-evoked FBTCS. Conclusions: The overall risk of stimulation-evoked FBTCS during CS is relatively low. However, a stronger reduction and, especially, a complete withdrawal of AEDs are associated with an increased risk of stimulation-evoked FBTCS. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The existence of mild forms of autistic-like characteristics in parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has been defined as a broader autistic phenotype (BAP). Excessive prenatal exposure to testosterone (T) seems to play a role in its development. The aims of this study were to characterize whether ASD parents show masculinized brains or high T prenatal exposure compared to a normative population, using cognitive questionnaires, and also to examine the T level changes in response to different cognitive tasks. ASD parents were found to present higher autistic and lower empathic trait scores than controls. They also have higher T levels and magnitude of T response to cognitive tasks. Specific correlation patterns between masculinized brain types and T levels were observed only in ASD parents. Thus, it seems that first-degree relatives of people with ASD have high T levels during task performance, which, in turn, produce slight cognitive masculinization. Our findings should be considered for understanding the role of androgens in the etiology of ASD. Nevertheless, the masculinization parameters described throughout the study are subtle and require further analysis.

Mindfulness-based interventions have demonstrated to be effective in reducing stress and health complaints in clinical populations. However, to our knowledge, biological health markers have not been used in studies of the effectiveness of mindfulness programs in caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). This study aimed to assess the effects of a mindfulness intervention on mood disturbances and health complaints in this population compared with non-caregivers. The design of the study was quasi-experimental, with repeated measures. Self-reported health, cortisol awakening response (CAR), and afternoon cortisol levels before and after a mindfulness session were assessed at the beginning, middle, and end of the intervention. There was a significant reduction in mood disturbances and afternoon cortisol levels during the sessions in all participants, with the reductions being more pronounced in caregivers. Moreover, all participants showed fewer depressive and somatic symptoms at the end of the program, with an improvement in their self-perceived general health. Nevertheless, the CAR levels had not changed significantly after the program. Overall, these results indicate that mindfulness group therapy could be effective for reducing health complaints and reinforce the validity of these programs for caregivers.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators have been categorized into two groups based on their heart rate (HR) reactivity to stress following Gottman's studies. Overall, type I perpetrators tend to show autonomic underarousal, whereas type II or reactive perpetrators present a hyper-reactivity in anticipation of stress. In this study, changes in HR, pre-ejection period (PEP), vagal ratio as well as psychological state variables (anxiety and anger) in response to stress were assessed, comparing a group of type II IPV perpetrators (based on violence reports and psychological assessment; n = 17; mean age = 37) with non-violent controls (n = 17; mean age = 35) using modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test. IPV perpetrators had higher HRs and lower vagal ratios than controls, particularly during the recovery period. Moreover, the former presented shorter PEPs than controls. There were no differences between groups in the magnitude of response of the HR, PEP or vagal ratio. High baseline anxiety and anger were associated with an HR increase during the preparation time in IPV perpetrators but not in controls. These findings indicate a different cardiovascular pattern of response to psychosocial stress in IPV perpetrators, especially during recovery. Thus, they contribute to understanding the biological functioning of violence sub-types, supporting the validity of cardiovascular measures as diagnostic indicators for IPV classification.

The negative consequences of caring for people with developmental disabilities have been widely described. However, the ability to bounce back from the stress derived from care situations has been less studied. Those caregivers who have shown this ability are considered as resilient. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between resilience and self-reported health and cortisol awakening response (CAR) in a sample of caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It also aims to evaluate the role of social support as a mediator in the association between resilience and health. Caregivers with higher resilience show better perceived health, lower morning cortisol levels, and less area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg). Social support was positively related to resilience and mediated the relationship between resilience and perceived health. This mediating effect was not found in the association between resilience and CAR. Resilience could be a protective factor that modulates the negative consequences of chronic stress in the care context. Social support could be an important variable mediating the effects of resilience on health outcomes in caregivers. All these results must be considered when implementing effective psychological programs for helping caregivers.

Instances of sustained cooperative behaviour in humans can be considered as an adaptive strategy that enhances the probability of reaching a goal. This study investigates psychophysiological responses to cooperation in healthy subjects, while considering outcome and gender as potential moderators of these responses. Salivary cortisol levels (Csal), heart rate (HR), skin conductance level (SCL), nonspecific skin conductance responses (NSRs), and mood states were measured at different points before, during and after a Lego house-building task in undergraduate men (n = 22) and women (n = 20). Once the task was finished, the experimenter informed the participants about the outcome obtained (positive or negative). Cooperation produces an increase in HR, SCL, and NSR responses. When the outcome is positive it produces a gradual diminution in Csal levels, but when the outcome is negative there is a significant increase in Csal levels after the task followed by a progressive decrease. Men with positive outcomes showed a lower area under curve (AUC) in Csal than women with a negative outcome. Men had more NSR responses in all periods other than the rest period. Several mood states are differently affected by the combined effect of outcome and gender. Our laboratory results can be generalized to other situations in which negotiation, mediation, and cooperative strategies are relevant for taking decisions and/or solving problems. The authors wish to thank Dr Tinca Polderman and John Rawlins for the revision of the English text. This study was supported by the Ministry of Business, Research and Science of the Valencia Regional Government (GVPRE/2008/260, GVACOMP/2010/250, and PROMETEO/2011/048) and the Ministry of Science and Education of the Spanish Government (PSI2008-04408/PSIC).

Hormonal and neuropsychological impairment in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators could play a role in domestic violence. For characterizing whether there is a specific psychobiological response to stress, participants who had previously been jailed for IPV and controls were compared for testosterone and cortisol levels, tested for 2D:4D ratio (as an indicator of masculinization), and given several trait questionnaires and neuropsychological tests related to executive functions and theory of mind. After performing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), IPV perpetrators experienced decreases in salivary testosterone (T) levels, a moderate worsening of mood, slight anxiety, and a salivary cortisol (C) level increase. Moreover, high basal T was related with high levels of anger and anxiety and worse mood. However, that basal mood does not significantly alter T levels in response to stress. Nonetheless, controls experienced smaller changes in T and larger changes in C and psychological mood. With respect to neuropsychological and cognitive empathic features, IPV perpetrators showed poorer executive performance and emotional recognition than controls. In addition, deficits in both neuropsychological domains were positively associated. Regarding emotional empathy, IPV perpetrators showed higher levels of personal distress than controls. The 2D:4D ratio was lower in IPV perpetrators than in controls. Moreover, only in the former a smaller 2D:4D ratio was related to large increases in T in response to stress and poor emotional recognition. Together with social aspects involved in IPV, differences in psychobiological variables and their relationships could play a relevant role in the onset and perpetuation of violent behavior.

Negative affect (NA) and chronic stress are separately associated with health imbalances, and the interaction between the two aspects remains unclear. Care of relatives with long-term pathologies could be a likely model in the study of this issue, as caregivers frequently report chronic stress and health complaints. The aim of this study is examine the role of NA on psychophysiological stress-induced response and health in schizophrenia caregivers.Forty-one caregivers were distributed into two groups accordingly to their scores in NA. Thirteen non-caregivers were included as a control group. Participants were exposed to a repeated acute psychosocial stress while salivary cortisol, immunoglobulin A (IgA), and skin conductance level (SCL) were measured before, during, and after stress. Mood, state-anxiety, care conditions and perceived general health were also assessed.Caregivers with higher NA reported negative perceptions, worse health, and greater decreases in cortisol and IgA response than caregivers with low NA and than non-caregivers.NA could reduce the capability to develop adaptive psychophysiological stress responses. From a preventive view, the evaluation of NA could be useful to detect and assist high-risk individuals in potentially chronically stressed populations.

Acute stress and decision making (DM) interact in life – although little is known about the role of ambiguity and risk in this interaction. The aim of this study is to clarify the effect of acute stress on DM under various conditions. Thirty-one young healthy men were randomly distributed into two groups: experimental and control. DM processes were evaluated before and after an experimental session. For the experimental group, the session consisted of an acute stress battery; and the protocol was similar for the control group but the instructions were designed to minimize acute stress. Cardiovascular variables were continuously recorded 30 minutes before the DM tasks and during the experimental session. Cortisol, glucose, mood responses, and personality factors were also assessed. Acute stress was found to enhance disadvantageous decisions under ambiguous conditions (F(1, 29) = 4.16, p = .05, η2p = .13), and this was mainly explained by the stress induced cortisol response (26.1% of variance, F(1, 30) = 11.59, p = .002). While there were no significant effects under risky conditions, inhibition responses differed between groups (F(1, 29) = 4.21, p = .05, η2p = .13) and these differences were explained by cardiovascular and psychological responses (39.1% of variance, F(3, 30) = 7.42, p < .001). Results suggest that DM tasks could compete with cognitive resources after acute stress and could have implications for intervention in acute stress effects on DM in contexts such as addiction or eating disorders.

A contribution to a special issue on Hormones and Human Competition. Psychoneuroendocrine effects of competition have been widely accepted as a clear example of the relationship between androgens and aggressive/dominant behavior in humans. However, results about the effects of competitive outcomes are quite heterogeneous, suggesting that personal and contextual factors play a moderating role in this relationship. To further explore these dimensions, we aimed to examine (i) the effect of competition and its outcome on the psychobiological response to a laboratory competition in young men, and (ii) the moderating role of some cognitive dimensions such as causal attributions. To do so, we compared the responses of 56 healthy young men faced with two competitive tasks with different instructions. Twenty-eight men carried out a task whose instructions led subjects to think the outcome was due to their personal performance (“merit” task), whereas 28 other men faced a task whose outcome was attributable to luck (“chance” task). In both cases, outcome was manipulated by the experimenter. Salivary steroid hormones (testosterone and cortisol), cardiovascular variables (heart rate and blood pressure), and emotional state (mood and anxiety) were measured at different moments before, during and after both tasks. Our results did not support the “winner-loser effect” because no significant differences were found in the responses of winners and losers. However, significantly higher values on the testosterone and cardiovascular variables, along with slight decreases in positive mood, were associated with the merit-based competition, but not the chance-based condition. In addition, an exploratory factorial analysis grouped the response components into two patterns traditionally related to more active or more passive behaviors. Thus, our results suggest that the perception of contributing to the outcome is relevant in the psychobiological response to competition in men. Overall, our results reveal the importance of the appraisal of control and causal attribution in understanding human competitive interactions.

Taking care of offspring during a prolonged period of time is probably one of the most stressful life experiences for parents. The present study compares the cortisol awakening response (CAR) in 38 long-term caregivers (mothers and fathers of schizophrenic relatives) with a control group of 32 non-caregivers. Factors such as general stress, caregiver burden, patient severity, and institutionalization were studied. Although a blunted CAR was observed in caregivers in comparison with controls, this difference was not significant. Among caregivers, the absence of institutionalization for the patient is associated with a lack of CAR in caregivers in comparison with caregivers of institutionally supported patients. General stress, caregiver burden, and patient severity themselves did not favor significant changes in CAR. CAR shows greater sensitivity to institutional support than patient severity and perceived stress. Further research is needed to explain the impact of these factors on health and the psychological factors involved.

Caring for offspring diagnosed with a chronic psychological disorder such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is used in research as a model of chronic stress. This chronic stress has been reported to have deleterious effects on caregivers' cognition, particularly in verbal declarative memory. Moreover, such cognitive decline may be mediated by testosterone (T) levels and negative affect, understood as depressive mood together with high anxiety and anger. This study aimed to compare declarative memory function in middle-aged women who were caregivers for individuals with ASD (n = 24; mean age = 45) and female controls (n = 22; mean age = 45), using a standardised memory test (Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test). It also sought to examine the role of care recipient characteristics, negative mood and T levels in memory impairments. ASD caregivers were highly sensitive to proactive interference and verbal forgetting. In addition, they had higher negative affect and T levels, both of which have been associated with poorer verbal memory performance. Moreover, the number of years of caregiving affected memory performance and negative affect, especially, in terms of anger feelings. On the other hand, T levels in caregivers had a curvilinear relationship with verbal memory performance; that is, increases in T were associated with improvements in verbal memory performance up to a certain point, but subsequently, memory performance decreased with increasing T. Chronic stress may produce disturbances in mood and hormonal levels, which in turn might increase the likelihood of developing declarative memory impairments although caregivers do not show a generalised decline in memory. These findings should be taken into account for understanding the impact of cognitive impairments on the ability to provide optimal caregiving.

The aim of this research was to study anticipatory autonomic responses their relationship to trait anxiety. Twenty-three women prepared an evaluated speech (S-condition) and 22 women an evaluated essay (W-condition). Heart rate (HR), finger pulse volume (FPV) and skin conductance were recorded before, during and after preparation of the task and during task performance; state-anxiety was evaluated before and after the task. In the total sample, state-anxiety was higher in the S- than in W-condition and this anxiety increase was accompanied by FPV reductions. However, when the sample was split according to trait anxiety scores, HR during preparation and increases of state-anxiety were greater in S- than W-condition in only in high-anxious women. Results suggest that specificity of anticipatory HR response to a public speaking task in women is moderated by cognitive anxiety.

We previously reported that glucose intake amplifies cortisol response to psychosocial stress and smoking in healthy young men, while low blood glucose levels prevented the stress-induced activation of the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. However, it remains unknown whether this modulation is specific for glucose load or a more common effect of energy availability. To elucidate this question, 37 healthy men, who fasted for at least 8 h before the experiment, were randomly assigned to four experimental groups, who received glucose (n = 8), protein (n = 10), fat (n = 10), and water (n = 9), one h before their exposure to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Blood glucose levels were measured at baseline and following stress, while salivary cortisol was assessed repeatedly measured before after the TSST. The results show that both absolute cortisol levels and net cortisol increase were greater in the glucose group in comparison to the other groups (F(3,33) = 3.00, P0.05 and F(3,33) = 3.08, P0.05, respectively. No group differences were observed with respect to perceived stress and mood. Furthermore, the cortisol response was positively correlated with blood glucose changes (r = 0.49, P0.002). In conclusion, the results suggest a central mechanism responsible for regulation of energy balance and HPA axis activation, rather than peripheral mechanisms. We thus recommend controlling for blood glucose levels when studying HPA axis responsiveness.

Abstract This study analyzes the degree to which different amounts of training during a 4-month period affects salivary testosterone (Tsal), salivary cortisol (Csal) responses, and changes in the salivary testosterone/cortisol ratio (Tsal/Csal ratio) following acute physical effort. Two professional basketball teams with similar fitness levels carried out a maximal cycle ergometry at the beginning and in the middle of the sports season. In both sessions, saliva samples were collected to determine Tsal and Csal, and mood was assessed. Training was registered daily, total training volume being almost two-fold higher in Team 1 than in Team 2. No significant differences between the teams in anthropometric characteristics, mood, or cycle ergometer performance were found. The Tsal/Csal ratio response to ergometry decreased after training in Team 1 and increased in Team 2, whereas Tsal response did not change significantly and the Csal response to ergometry increased in Team 1 and decreased in Team 2. Results obtained are modulated by initial differences in the Csal values at baseline, with Team 1 showing higher levels than Team 2. In addition, the training volume applied was associated with the changes in the Csal and Tsal/Csal ratio responses to a maximal physical exercise in professional basketball players.

Mood and basal hormone levels were measured before and after a 4-month training period in 20 professional basketball players on 2 different teams. Training volume was daily quantified by intensities, showing that Team 1 trained nearly twofold the volume of Team 2. Apart from the lack of differences between teams in anthropometric and physical variables, results showed mood improvements in the total sample without differences between teams. However, cortisol levels decreased in Team 1 and increased in Team 2, while the free testosterone–cortisol ratio, free testosterone, prolactin, and luteinizing hormone did not show significant changes. Changes in cortisol were positively related to depression and negatively related to training volume. Results suggest that differences exist in sensitivity and/or timing of both psychological and hormonal responses to 2 given volumes of training.

Gender moderates psychophysiological responses to stress. In addition to the hormonal background, different psychological states related to social stressors, such as anxiety and mood, could affect this response. The purpose of this study was to examine the existence of gender differences in the cardiovascular and electrodermal responses to a speech task and their relationship with anxiety and the mood variations experienced. For this, non-specific skin conductance responses (NSRs), heart rate (HR), and finger pulse volume (FPV) were measured at rest, and during preparation, task and recovery periods of an academic career speech in undergraduate men (n=15) and women (n=23), with assessment of changes in the state version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) and in the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaires. Men and women did not differ in trait anxiety, hostility/aggressiveness, or in the appraisal of the task, which were evaluated with the trait version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), the Buss and Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI), and a self-report elaborated by ourselves, respectively. Women had higher FPV in all periods except during the task, and were more reactive to the stressor in state anxiety, and in the amplitude of NSRs. No gender differences for HR and for the frequency of NSRs were found. Anxiety and mood states were differently related to cardiovascular and electrodermal measurements in men and women. Further studies should consider the hormonal variations in addition to the psychological dimensions, in order to offer a more integrative perspective of the complex responses to stress.

Abstract The effects of physical training on autonomic response to acute stress are controversial. In this study, heart rate (HR) and skin conductance level (SCL) were continuously recorded in response to a mental stressor in a sample of elite athletes before and after a period of training and competition. The free testosterone to cortisol ratio (FTCR) and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) were used as markers of training impact. After the training, the men and women showed a significant FTCR decrement, although mood and the autonomic response to the acute stressor were not strongly altered. Although men showed significantly lower HR values after training, the results suggest that subjects suffered a transitory state of hormonal overstrain rather than a serious problem of adaptation to training.

This study examined the effects of an acute physical stressor on salivary testosterone (Tsal) and cortisol (Csal) and their relationship with the autonomic responsiveness to a mental task in fit young men (n = 30). Salivary testosterone (Tsal) and cortisol (Csal) levels were determined before and after a maximal bicycle exercise. Heart rate (HR) and skin conductance levels (SCL) were continuously recorded before, during, and after a Stroop task. Tsal and Csal levels diminished while HR and SCL increased in response to stressors in all the sample. When subjects were distributed in function of their endocrine response to the physical stressor, high Tsal responders showed higher HR reactivity than low responders, and high Csal responders showed higher SCL reactivity and lower reaction time in the Stroop task. These results show that the influence of an acute physical stressor on hormones is associated with the autonomic responses to a mental task.

The present study examined the rewarding properties of 4-androsten-17β-ol-3-one testosterone in intact male mice using the conditioned place preference (CPP) technique. In Experiment 1, the pharmacokinetics of 0.8 and 1.2 mg/kg of testosterone were studied to determine the most appropriate temporal interval to test behavior. Additionally, the locomotor activity was recorded to control a possible interfering effect on CPP. The maximum testosterone concentration was registered at 45 min of administration, and no effects on activity were found. In Experiment 2, three groups of male OF-1 mice received four pairings of the least-preferred compartment with testosterone (0.8, 1, or 1.2 mg/kg, SC) for 30 min. On alternate days the preferred compartment was paired with vehicle for 30 min. The control group received vehicle in both compartments. No significant differences between groups were found in the time spent in the drug-paired compartment. However, when separate analyses were performed in conjunction with the color of the drug-paired compartment, CPP was observed only in animals pairing testosterone/black compartment. These results suggest that rewarding properties of testosterone treatment can be observed in male mice; these effects probably being dependent on the environmental cues used as conditioned stimuli.

In 1 humans, hormonal responses to winning/losing and their relationships to mood and status change have mostly been examined in individual athletic competitions. In this study, the salivary testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) and mood responses to a real match between two professional basketball teams were investigated. Data about individuals’ contributions to outcome, performance appraisal, and attribution of outcome to internal/external factors were also collected. Results did not show statistically significant different T and C responses depending on the outcome. Negative mood was significantly enhanced, especially in the losers, while winners showed a better appraisal of team performance and a more internal attribution. T response did not show a significant relationship with mood changes, but it correlated positively with the “score/time playing” ratio, an indicator of individual participation in the outcome. Furthermore, T response correlated negatively with external attribution in winners and positively in losers. These results indicate that in a real, highly competitive situation, T changes are not directly a response to the outcome, but rather to the contribution the individual makes to it and to the causes he attributes. © 1999 Academic Press

The availability of energy appears to exert important regulatory functions in pituitary-adrenal stress responses. In two studies, the effects of short-term fasting and subsequent glucose administration on the free cortisol response to psychological stress and nicotine consumption were investigated. Study 1: After fasting for 8-11 h, healthy young men ingested either 100 g glucose (n = 13) or water (n = 12). One hour later they were exposed to a psychosocial stress task (Trier Social Stress Test). A third group also ingested 100 g glucose, but they were not exposed to any additional treatment (n = 10). Capillary blood glucose levels were in the lower euglycemic range before and significantly elevated after the glucose load (64.9 +/- 9.8 vs. 162.5 +/- 43.5 mg/dL; F = 149.04, P < 0.001). Although glucose load per se did not affect free cortisol levels, psychosocial stress induced a large cortisol response in glucose-treated subjects. In contrast, fasted subjects who received tap water did not respond to the Trier Social Stress Test with significant changes in cortisol levels (F = 6.27, P < 0.001). Both groups responded with a similar increase in heart rates (F = 33.53, P < 0.001) with no statistically significant difference between glucose and water-treated subjects. Study 2: Twelve habitual smokers received 100 g glucose or tap water after fasting for at least 8 h on two separate sessions (cross-over, random sequence). Forty-five min after glucose/water ingestion, they smoked two cigarettes with a nicotine content of 1.0 mg/cigarette. Subjects were euglycemic before smoking, with a significant rise of glucose levels after consumption of 100 g glucose (64.4 +/- 8.3 vs. 143.5 +/- 40.0 mg/dL; F = 40.25, P < 0.001). As in Exp 1, subjects showed a substantially larger free cortisol response to nicotine under glucose load compared with water load (F = 4.91, P < 0.001). From these data we conclude that the free cortisol response to stimulation is under significant control of center responsible for monitoring energy availability. Low glucose levels appear to inhibit adrenocortical responsiveness in healthy subjects. In agreement with results from animal studies, the present results suggest that ready access to energy is a prerequisite for hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal stress responses.

Several studies have found disruptions in cortisol awakening response in informal caregivers. Institutional support may modulate these effects, and this study analyses how the health of caregivers is affected when institutional support is provided for families of people with high-functioning autism. Self-reported health, depression and cortisol awakening response were analysed in three groups: supported caregivers, non-supported caregivers and non-caregivers. Non-supported caregivers presented higher somatic symptoms and lower cortisol awakening response than the supported caregiver and non-caregiver groups. A high number of somatic symptoms and low functionality of offspring were related to a lower cortisol awakening response only in the non-supported caregiver group. These findings demonstrate the importance of institutional support for improving the health of caregivers.

Taking care of offspring suffering a long-term illness such as schizophrenia is one of the more stressful life experiences. Care conditions may act as a protective factor in the health of the caregiver. The present study assesses heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and mood responses to psychosocial stress in 16 mothers receiving specialised support for the care of their offspring (CARE+) and in 11 mothers caring for their offspring without support (CARE−). The CARE− group take care of less functional and more symptomatic offspring; and display higher basal, but lower HR, responses after stress than the CARE+ group. No significant group effects were found for BP. For mood states, there were significant decreases in the anger subscale in the CARE− group that were not found in the CARE+ group. HR was related to active and passive coping styles, trait anxiety, and years spent providing care. In the total sample, other significant relationships between cardiovascular responses and life events and personality traits have been found. In sum, the data suggests that specialised support for patients may modulate cardiovascular responses to repeated stress in caregivers.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators were categorized into 2 groups using Gottman et al.'s (1995) typology depending on their skin conductance (SC) reactivity to stress. Overall, type I perpetrators tend to show autonomic underarousal, whereas type II perpetrators present a preparatory hyperreactivity to confront stress. Moreover, impulsivity traits and testosterone (T) levels may modulate SC responses to increase the risk of proneness to violence. In this study, SC response to stress was assessed by comparing IPV perpetrators with non-violent controls while performing a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Subjects with a history of IPV demonstrated higher non-specific SC responses during the recovery period than the non-violent controls. Nonetheless, there were no differences between groups in the case of mean SC levels. Furthermore, impulsivity and baseline T levels were associated with higher SC level reactivity during a preparation period only in IPV perpetrators, with both relationships being mediated by anger expression. Our results confirm that the IPV perpetrators correspond physiologically to type II and support the validity of SC as a diagnostic indicator for IPV classification. Our findings contribute to the development of effective treatment and prevention programs that could benefit from the use of biological indicators for analyzing the risk of recidivism in IPV perpetrators.

Providing care for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is particularly stressful and frequently associated with disturbances in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of the caregiver. This study examined whether the stress response is modulated by factors such as age of the care recipient and number of years spent by the caregiver in providing care for the ASD individual. Caregivers of children (n = 15), adolescents (n = 12), and adults (n = 11) with ASD were exposed to two episodes of acute psychosocial stressor in a 1 day session. Salivary cortisol samples were obtained before, during, and after the stressor episodes. Psychological characteristics (states of anxiety, anger, and mood) were measured before and after the stressor episodes. The characteristics of the ASD individuals (age, degree of autism, global activity, and level of autonomy) were also registered. A difference in stress response was found when caregivers of ASD children were compared with those of ASD adolescents and adults, ε = 0.25, F(2.24,53.65) = 5.82, p 0.004; ε = 0.23 and F(2.11,48.43) = 4.88, p 0.01, respectively. Thus, upon acute-stressor exposure, caregivers of ASD individuals presented a stress response that correlated with the age of the patient (the older the patient, the lower the cortisol response). Additional factors, such as number of years spent providing care and level of autonomy of the recipient, also significantly contributed to the stress response. Together, the results demonstrate that recipient characteristics contribute to the detection of high-risk individuals within a caregiver population.

Aggressive behavior and immune activity are shown to be positively associated in perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). This relationship follows an inverted-U curve, with the most violent individuals showing lower levels of immunocompetence than those with a history of moderate violence. Moreover, the activational and organizational effects of testosterone (T) may indirectly stimulate the immune response. Given this, we used the Trier Social Stress Test to establish whether the salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA) response to acute stress was a specific psychobiological feature in perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV perpetrators showed higher sIgA levels than controls for the preparation period. Moreover, higher anger expression and T (baseline and AUCi) were only related to higher sIgA levels in IPV perpetrators. We hypothesize that in IPV perpetrators, the use of violence against partners could benefit their psychological well-being - through immunological modifications such as mucosal immunity changes expressed by the sIgA - and so be rewarding for them. This research may provide a wider explanation of why IPV perpetrators use violence against their partners.

Testosterone to cortisol (T/C) ratios could be associated with feelings and expression of anger as high testosterone and low cortisol levels indicate a predisposition to violence. The basal T/C ratio has recently been proposed as a marker for proneness to social aggression; so far, however, only its value as an indicator of state anger or violence has been investigated. Given this, we aimed to establish whether the T/C ratio response to acute stress was a specific psychobiological feature in individuals with a history of violence, namely, perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). T/C ratio and anger responses were compared in men jailed for IPV and controls using the Trier Social Stress Test. IPV perpetrators had higher T/C ratios than controls, during the preparation period, and 15 and 30 minutes post-task. In IPV perpetrators, high T/C ratios were linked to better self-esteem and good mental health. An increase in anger may increase proneness to violence by altering hormones and, thereby, increasing T/C ratios. The basal T/C ratio together with acute stress responses and other indicators could serve as a marker to identify men at high risk of reacting violently to their partners.

The 2D:4D ratio is the quotient between the index and ring finger lengths and is a non-direct indicator of androgenisation. If prenatal testosterone levels in the amniotic fluid are high then the probability increases of developing lower ratio values. It has been suggested that people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their parents may have highly androgenised brains, and for this reason the 2D:4D ratio is used as a marker of such idiosyncrasies. This study aims to analyse if parents of people with ASD differ from the general population in several parameters of androgenisation related to the 2D:4D ratio. The sample was composed of 43 parents of offspring with ASD and 42 controls who had the 2D:4D ratio measured, answered several trait questionnaires, and had their testosterone and cortisol levels measured. Although there were no differences between groups in the 2D:4D ratio, the left hand of the ASD parents showed greater predictive ability to explain empathy and autism quotients, cooperative behaviour, and cortisol levels. In addition, the severity of the symptoms of their offspring was predicted only with male parents. The results indicate that the 2D:4D ratio could be used together with other parameters as an indicator of the likelihood of developing autistic traits in offspring. La ratio D2:D4 es el cociente entre la longitud de los dedos índice y anular e indicador indirecto de androgenización. A mayor testosterona prenatal, incrementa la probabilidad de desarrollar una menor ratio D2:D4. Se ha sugerido que personas con trastornos del espectro autista (TEA) y sus progenitores podrían tener cerebros altamente androgenizados, por lo que se ha utilizado como marcador de tal idiosincrasia. El objetivo principal es analizar si los progenitores de personas con TEA difieren de la población general en diversos parámetros de androgenización, principalmente la ratio D2:D4. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 43 progenitores de personas con TEA y 42 controles, de los que se midieron la ratio D2:D4, cuestionarios rasgo y niveles de testosterona y cortisol en saliva. Aunque no se encontraron diferencias por grupo en la ratio D2:D4, la ratio de la mano izquierda de progenitores de personas con TEA mostró mayor capacidad predictiva para explicar los cocientes de empatía y autismo, conductas cooperativas y niveles de cortisol. Además, en los progenitores varones predijo la gravedad de los hijos. Los resultados obtenidos indican que la ratio D2:D4 podría ser empleada, junto a otros parámetros, como indicador de la probabilidad de desarrollar rasgos autistas en los descendientes.

Hormonal and neuropsychological impairment in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators could play a role in domestic violence. For characterizing whether there is a specific psychobiological response to stress, participants who had previously been jailed for IPV and controls were compared for testosterone and cortisol levels, tested for 2D:4D ratio (as an indicator of masculinization), and given several trait questionnaires and neuropsychological tests related to executive functions and theory of mind. After performing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), IPV perpetrators experienced decreases in salivary testosterone (T) levels, a moderate worsening of mood, slight anxiety, and a salivary cortisol (C) level increase. Moreover, high basal T was related with high levels of anger and anxiety and worse mood. However, that basal mood does not significantly alter T levels in response to stress. Nonetheless, controls experienced smaller changes in T and larger changes in C and psychological mood. With respect to neuropsychological and cognitive empathic features, IPV perpetrators showed poorer executive performance and emotional recognition than controls. In addition, deficits in both neuropsychological domains were positively associated. Regarding emotional empathy, IPV perpetrators showed higher levels of personal distress than controls. The 2D:4D ratio was lower in IPV perpetrators than in controls. Moreover, only in the former a smaller 2D:4D ratio was related to large increases in T in response to stress and poor emotional recognition. Together with social aspects involved in IPV, differences in psychobiological variables and their relationships could play a relevant role in the onset and perpetuation of violent behavior.

In the caregiving model of chronic stress, few studies have been conducted with young middle-aged samples and no data exists about acute stress response in this population. To extend knowledge in this issue, health complaints and psychological, endocrine, and immunological responses to stress have been assessed in a cross-sectional sample of 41 parents of offspring with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in comparison with 37 non-caregiver parents. Salivary cortisol and immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels were measured before, during, and after a mental psychosocial stressor, while mood and state anxiety were evaluated before and after the stress. Health complaints, personality traits, socio-economic status, and characteristics of the care recipient were assessed. Caregivers reported more health complaints showing buffered cortisol and IgA responses and greater increases in fatigue to acute stress than the controls. In terms of predictive power of health complaints, IgA levels, care status, and severity of the care recipient are especially relevant for caregivers. Results strongly suggest a dysregulation in the immune and hormonal stress-induced responses in middle-aged caregivers, with immune component and care characteristics as the main modulators of health complaints. A deficit in the adaptive capability of stress response is plausible in this population, emphasizing the need to consider family approaches when planning protocols for assistance to ASD patients.

This study aimed to evaluate neuroendocrine responses and changes in perceptual asymmetry following an induced negative affect. Cortisol increasing in response to negative affect has been reported, while current brain models of emotion processing link negative affect to the right hemisphere. In this study, the Velten Mood Induction Procedure was used to generate neutral or negative affect in 44 healthy subjects. The PANAS scales were used to assess self-reported mood. A consonant-vowel dichotic listening (DL) test was applied after the neutral and negative affect inductions, and levels of salivary cortisol were determined by radioimmunoassay. For the negative affect condition, and congruent with the hypothesis tested, PANAS positive scores diminished (p

As a continuation of the study carried out by Svare more than 15 years ago (Horm. Behav. 22 (1988), 139) and to determine the tendencies of the evolution of behavioral endocrinology since then, our aim was to extend his work until 2000, assuming that the journal Hormones and Behavior would be representative of the field at large. To study this 14-year period and compare it with Svare's data, we kept the same criteria and categories, behavioral patterns, and species. Our results show that "sexual behavior" in "rodents" is still the most extensive field studied by behavioral endocrinologists, although frequency of other topics is increasing, above all "aggressive and emotional responses," and especially the interrelationships between them. Interestingly, studies dedicated to humans are slowly becoming more common. In addition to these analyses, we obtained the several citations received by a randomly selected sample of articles during the period that was divided by the number of years when the articles can be potentially cited. These ratios revealed that research on "humans," within the category of species, and on "memory, learning, and conditioning" and "aggressive and emotional responses," within the behavioral categories, present the highest visibility in the literature. Furthermore, this analysis was complemented with information about the main receptor journals of the papers published in Hormones and Behavior, classified by the same categories. All these data, although limited by the analysis of only one journal, permitted us to reflect on whether the evolution tendencies formulated by Beach (Horm. Behav. 15 (1981), 325) for this discipline were applicable to the period studied, thus confirming its status as a mature discipline for the last quarter of the 20th century.