Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-03DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107717
Ludan Liu , Lijun Zheng
Androstadienone (AND), a putative human chemosignal, has been shown to influence women’s mate preferences, but whether it also shapes mate-choice strategies remains unclear. The present research tested the hypothesis that AND reduces women’s mate-choice copying, and that this inhibitory effect is moderated by intrasexual competition. Using a double-blind design, participants attended two sessions on consecutive days, inhaling either AND or a placebo (order randomized), and then completed a mate-choice copying task. In Study 1 (N = 54), AND reduced mate-choice copying among women low in intrasexual competition, whereas women high in intrasexual competition showed little copying under both AND and placebo conditions. Study 2 (N = 50) experimentally primed intrasexual competition and replicated these findings: when competition was primed, women displayed no mate-choice copying in either condition, whereas under non-competitive conditions AND suppressed copying. Across both studies, women exposed to AND reported a significantly lower perception of intimacy in romantic pairs compared to those in the placebo group. These findings provide the first evidence that AND regulates women’s mate-choice copying under conditions of low intrasexual competition.
{"title":"Androstadienone reduces women’s mate-choice copying: The moderating role of intrasexual competition","authors":"Ludan Liu , Lijun Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107717","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107717","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Androstadienone (AND), a putative human chemosignal, has been shown to influence women’s mate preferences, but whether it also shapes mate-choice strategies remains unclear. The present research tested the hypothesis that AND reduces women’s mate-choice copying, and that this inhibitory effect is moderated by intrasexual competition. Using a double-blind design, participants attended two sessions on consecutive days, inhaling either AND or a placebo (order randomized), and then completed a mate-choice copying task. In Study 1 (<em>N</em> = 54), AND reduced mate-choice copying among women low in intrasexual competition, whereas women high in intrasexual competition showed little copying under both AND and placebo conditions. Study 2 (<em>N</em> = 50) experimentally primed intrasexual competition and replicated these findings: when competition was primed, women displayed no mate-choice copying in either condition, whereas under non-competitive conditions AND suppressed copying. Across both studies, women exposed to AND reported a significantly lower perception of intimacy in romantic pairs compared to those in the placebo group. These findings provide the first evidence that AND regulates women’s mate-choice copying under conditions of low intrasexual competition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 107717"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145691040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-11-15DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107692
Jelena Dukic , Alexandra Johann , Mirka Henninger , Ulrike Ehlert
Background
The maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis undergoes substantial physiological changes during pregnancy and postpartum, reflected in altered cortisol secretion patterns. However, research has shown considerable heterogeneity in cortisol patterns across the peripartum period and in part contradictory findings. Individual courses of cortisol secretion and their determinants remain poorly understood.
Methods
In a longitudinal cohort of 127 healthy pregnant women, we assessed salivary cortisol at five time points from late pregnancy (gestational weeks 34–36 and 40) to eight weeks postpartum. Group-based trajectory modeling was applied to three cortisol measures to identify distinct cortisol secretion patterns. Associations with sociodemographic and psychological covariates were explored.
Results
Across all cortisol indices, two distinct trajectory groups emerged. The majority of women (79–86 %) exhibited stable, relatively lower cortisol levels during late pregnancy and postpartum, while a smaller subgroup (14–21 %) exhibited a consistently elevated and more variable cortisol trajectory. Trajectory groups showed high classification stability (98–99 %), but no sociodemographic or psychological variables significantly predicted group membership.
Conclusions
Our findings reveal two distinct maternal cortisol trajectory subgroups across the peripartum period, reflecting heterogeneity in HPA axis regulation. The lack of significant associations with the measured covariates raises the possibility that unmeasured mechanisms, such as genetic or epigenetic influences, may contribute to these patterns. These distinct cortisol trajectories may reflect differing modes of neuroendocrine regulation, offering a potential explanation for inconsistencies in prior peripartum cortisol research.
{"title":"Heterogeneous cortisol patterns during the peripartum: Insights from a longitudinal trajectory analysis","authors":"Jelena Dukic , Alexandra Johann , Mirka Henninger , Ulrike Ehlert","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107692","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107692","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis undergoes substantial physiological changes during pregnancy and postpartum, reflected in altered cortisol secretion patterns. However, research has shown considerable heterogeneity in cortisol patterns across the peripartum period and in part contradictory findings. Individual courses of cortisol secretion and their determinants remain poorly understood.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In a longitudinal cohort of 127 healthy pregnant women, we assessed salivary cortisol at five time points from late pregnancy (gestational weeks 34–36 and 40) to eight weeks postpartum. Group-based trajectory modeling was applied to three cortisol measures to identify distinct cortisol secretion patterns. Associations with sociodemographic and psychological covariates were explored.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Across all cortisol indices, two distinct trajectory groups emerged. The majority of women (79–86 %) exhibited stable, relatively lower cortisol levels during late pregnancy and postpartum, while a smaller subgroup (14–21 %) exhibited a consistently elevated and more variable cortisol trajectory. Trajectory groups showed high classification stability (98–99 %), but no sociodemographic or psychological variables significantly predicted group membership.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our findings reveal two distinct maternal cortisol trajectory subgroups across the peripartum period, reflecting heterogeneity in HPA axis regulation. The lack of significant associations with the measured covariates raises the possibility that unmeasured mechanisms, such as genetic or epigenetic influences, may contribute to these patterns. These distinct cortisol trajectories may reflect differing modes of neuroendocrine regulation, offering a potential explanation for inconsistencies in prior peripartum cortisol research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 107692"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145574159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-11-17DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107696
Lori S. Hoggard , Te-ojah J. Dennison-Morgan , Jordan Parker , Raphiel J. Murden , Zachary T. Martin , Jelaina Shipman-Lacewell , Christy L. Erving , Nicole D. Fields , Shivika Udaipuria , Reneé H. Moore , Viola Vaccarino , Arshed A. Quyyumi , Mindy L. Coccari , Tené T. Lewis
Background
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among women in the United States, with African American women facing markedly higher rates of CVD-related morbidity and mortality than women of other racial/ethnic backgrounds. African American women’s heightened risk for CVD has been linked to their disproportionate exposure to social stressors. In the present study, we examine how Superwoman Schema (SWS) is related to carotid intima media thickness (IMT) among African American women, as well as the moderating role of motherhood status.
Methods
Data are from the Mechanisms Underlying the Impact of Stress and Emotions (MUSE) on African American Women’s Health Study, a cohort of 422 African American women residing in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. The women completed demographic questions (e.g., motherhood status) and psychosocial assessments, including the 35-item SWS scale. IMT scans were also performed during the visit.
Results
After adjustment for sociodemographic (e.g., age) and CVD risk (e.g., systolic blood pressure) factors, the results revealed that Resistance to Vulnerability was associated with lower IMT among non-mothers.
Conclusions
The results indicate that African American women’s culturally rooted tendency to embody strength, independence, self-reliance, ambition, and care for others may serve as a compensatory mechanism influencing CVD risk, with the associations varying by motherhood status.
{"title":"Superwoman schema, motherhood status, and subclinical atherosclerosis among African American women","authors":"Lori S. Hoggard , Te-ojah J. Dennison-Morgan , Jordan Parker , Raphiel J. Murden , Zachary T. Martin , Jelaina Shipman-Lacewell , Christy L. Erving , Nicole D. Fields , Shivika Udaipuria , Reneé H. Moore , Viola Vaccarino , Arshed A. Quyyumi , Mindy L. Coccari , Tené T. Lewis","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107696","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107696","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among women in the United States, with African American women facing markedly higher rates of CVD-related morbidity and mortality than women of other racial/ethnic backgrounds. African American women’s heightened risk for CVD has been linked to their disproportionate exposure to social stressors. In the present study, we examine how Superwoman Schema (SWS) is related to carotid intima media thickness (IMT) among African American women, as well as the moderating role of motherhood status.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data are from the Mechanisms Underlying the Impact of Stress and Emotions (MUSE) on African American Women’s Health Study, a cohort of 422 African American women residing in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. The women completed demographic questions (e.g., motherhood status) and psychosocial assessments, including the 35-item SWS scale. IMT scans were also performed during the visit.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>After adjustment for sociodemographic (e.g., age) and CVD risk (e.g., systolic blood pressure) factors, the results revealed that Resistance to Vulnerability was associated with lower IMT among non-mothers.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The results indicate that African American women’s culturally rooted tendency to embody strength, independence, self-reliance, ambition, and care for others may serve as a compensatory mechanism influencing CVD risk, with the associations varying by motherhood status.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 107696"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145678382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-05DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107720
Miguel Ángel Baos-González , Carolina Mariño-Narváez , Javier De Echarri-Lorente , Ahmed F. Fasfous , Raquel González-Pérez , María Isabel Peralta-Ramírez
Background
Early childhood is an important period for the development of stress regulation systems, yet validated protocols to assess stress reactivity in preschoolers remain scarce. The current study aimed to validate a stress reactivity laboratory protocol based on the matching task in a Spanish sample of 4–5-year-old children, while exploring the influence of sex, emotional responses, and potential confounding variables.
Methods
Fifty-eight preschoolers participated in the Stress Reactivity Task for Preschoolers (SRTP), which included six salivary samples for the measurement of cortisol (as a marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal [HPA] axis activity) and alpha-amylase (as a marker of sympathetic nervous system [SNS] activity). Behavioral and emotional responses were also coded. Statistical analyses included repeated-measures GLMs, paired t-tests, and correlation analyses to evaluate biomarker patterns and confounders.
Results
The SRTP effectively elicited a stress response: 77.6 % of children were classified as alpha-amylase responders, and 64.9 % as cortisol responders. Alpha-amylase levels increased sharply post-task and gradually returned to baseline within 40 min. In contrast, cortisol levels peaked later and remained elevated for a longer period. No correlation was found between the two biomarkers. Emotional and observational data supported the presence of stress, with significant increases in anger, sadness, and nervousness during the task. Notably, girls exhibited faster cortisol reactivity and greater sadness than boys. Among all examined variables, crying emerged as the most influential confounder, being strongly associated with heightened cortisol reactivity.
Conclusions
The SRTP is a valid and sensitive protocol for assessing stress reactivity in preschool-aged children. It enables simultaneous assessment of SNS and HPA axis activity and captures meaningful interindividual differences. These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of early stress physiology and may inform future longitudinal studies and preventive interventions.
{"title":"Validation of a stress reactivity assessment protocol for children aged 4–5 years: Exploring the influence of sex, emotional responses, and crying","authors":"Miguel Ángel Baos-González , Carolina Mariño-Narváez , Javier De Echarri-Lorente , Ahmed F. Fasfous , Raquel González-Pérez , María Isabel Peralta-Ramírez","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Early childhood is an important period for the development of stress regulation systems, yet validated protocols to assess stress reactivity in preschoolers remain scarce. The current study aimed to validate a stress reactivity laboratory protocol based on the matching task in a Spanish sample of 4–5-year-old children, while exploring the influence of sex, emotional responses, and potential confounding variables.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Fifty-eight preschoolers participated in the Stress Reactivity Task for Preschoolers (SRTP), which included six salivary samples for the measurement of cortisol (as a marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal [HPA] axis activity) and alpha-amylase (as a marker of sympathetic nervous system [SNS] activity). Behavioral and emotional responses were also coded. Statistical analyses included repeated-measures GLMs, paired t-tests, and correlation analyses to evaluate biomarker patterns and confounders.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The SRTP effectively elicited a stress response: 77.6 % of children were classified as alpha-amylase responders, and 64.9 % as cortisol responders. Alpha-amylase levels increased sharply post-task and gradually returned to baseline within 40 min. In contrast, cortisol levels peaked later and remained elevated for a longer period. No correlation was found between the two biomarkers. Emotional and observational data supported the presence of stress, with significant increases in anger, sadness, and nervousness during the task. Notably, girls exhibited faster cortisol reactivity and greater sadness than boys. Among all examined variables, crying emerged as the most influential confounder, being strongly associated with heightened cortisol reactivity.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The SRTP is a valid and sensitive protocol for assessing stress reactivity in preschool-aged children. It enables simultaneous assessment of SNS and HPA axis activity and captures meaningful interindividual differences. These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of early stress physiology and may inform future longitudinal studies and preventive interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 107720"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145748734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-11-25DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107711
Yeqing Dong , Shuo Wang , Yuying Qiu , Qiao Su, Xiaoxiao Sun, Meijuan Li, Jie Li
Background
Cognitive impairment is the core symptom of schizophrenia (SZ). Early recognition of cognitive dysfunction is of great significance. Here, we used a metabolome-targeted approach to explore potential biomarkers associated with severe cognitive impairment in drug-naïve SZ patients.
Methods
Plasma metabolites from 108 SZ patients and 55 healthy controls (HC) were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Participants were split into discovery (n = 88) and validation (n = 75) sets. The cognitive function was assessed using MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Batter (MCCB), with cognitive deficit score ≥ 3 defined as "severe cognitive impairment" (SCI) and others as "non-severe cognitive impairment"(non-SCI).
Results
We found 21 candidate differential metabolites only present in SCI patients, and they were mainly involved in sphingolipid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Furthermore, SM C20:2 and PC ae C36:2 were associated with social cognition and neurocognitive subdimensions of MCCB in SCI patients, while no similar results were found in non-SCI patients. The combination of SM C20:2 and PC ae C36:2 could modestly discriminated SCI subjects from non-SCI patients with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.685 in discovery set and 0.720 in validation set. Moreover, these 2 candidate differential metabolites enabled distinguishing SZ patients from HC with an AUC of 0.717 in discovery set and 0.786 in validation set.
Conclusions
Our study initially identified 21 candidate differential metabolites and 2 potentially important metabolic pathways related to SCI in drug-naïve SZ patients. SM C20:2 and PC ae C36:2 may serve as biomarkers for cognitive severity assessment in SZ patients.
{"title":"Plasma biomarkers in drug-naïve schizophrenia with severe cognitive impairment via targeted metabolomics","authors":"Yeqing Dong , Shuo Wang , Yuying Qiu , Qiao Su, Xiaoxiao Sun, Meijuan Li, Jie Li","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107711","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107711","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Cognitive impairment is the core symptom of schizophrenia (SZ). Early recognition of cognitive dysfunction is of great significance. Here, we used a metabolome-targeted approach to explore potential biomarkers associated with severe cognitive impairment in drug-naïve SZ patients.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Plasma metabolites from 108 SZ patients and 55 healthy controls (HC) were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Participants were split into discovery (n = 88) and validation (n = 75) sets. The cognitive function was assessed using MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Batter (MCCB), with cognitive deficit score ≥ 3 defined as \"severe cognitive impairment\" (SCI) and others as \"non-severe cognitive impairment\"(non-SCI).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We found 21 candidate differential metabolites only present in SCI patients, and they were mainly involved in sphingolipid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Furthermore, SM C20:2 and PC ae C36:2 were associated with social cognition and neurocognitive subdimensions of MCCB in SCI patients, while no similar results were found in non-SCI patients. The combination of SM C20:2 and PC ae C36:2 could modestly discriminated SCI subjects from non-SCI patients with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.685 in discovery set and 0.720 in validation set. Moreover, these 2 candidate differential metabolites enabled distinguishing SZ patients from HC with an AUC of 0.717 in discovery set and 0.786 in validation set.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our study initially identified 21 candidate differential metabolites and 2 potentially important metabolic pathways related to SCI in drug-naïve SZ patients. SM C20:2 and PC ae C36:2 may serve as biomarkers for cognitive severity assessment in SZ patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 107711"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145621440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-11-21DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107704
Mariana Rodrigues , Jemar R. Bather , Adolfo G. Cuevas
Background
Aging anxiety is a multidimensional psychosocial stressor with potential implications for women’s long-term health, yet its biological embedding remains poorly understood. This study examined whether domain-specific aging anxieties are associated with accelerated epigenetic aging, using second-generation methylation-based biomarkers.
Methods
Data were drawn from 726 women participating in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. Aging anxiety was assessed across three domains: declining attractiveness, declining health, and reproductive aging. Epigenetic aging was measured using two complementary second-generation clocks: GrimAge2, which estimates cumulative biological damage and predicts mortality risk, and DunedinPACE, which captures the current pace of biological aging. Multivariable linear regression models tested associations between aging anxiety and epigenetic age acceleration, adjusting sequentially for sociodemographic factors, chronic health conditions, and health behaviors.
Results
Greater declining health anxiety was significantly associated with higher DunedinPACE z-scores (0.07 SD increase, 95 % CI: 0.01, 0.13). This association attenuated to non-significance after adjusting for health behaviors (0.02 SD increase, 95 % CI: −0.04, 0.08), which could be potential mediators on the exposure-outcome association pathway. Higher cumulative aging anxiety was significantly associated with a 0.07 SD increase (95 % CI: 0.01, 0.14) in DunedinPACE, but this association attenuated to non-significance after adjusting for chronic health conditions (0.06 SD increase, 95 % CI: −0.01, 0.13) and health behaviors (0.03 SD increase, 95 % CI: −0.03, 0.08).
Conclusion
Findings indicate that specific domains of aging anxiety, particularly fears about declining health, may manifest biologically and contribute to accelerated aging processes. These results support a biopsychosocial model in which subjective experiences of aging contribute to physiological decline. Future longitudinal studies are needed to clarify whether aging-related anxiety influences epigenetic aging trajectories among women.
{"title":"Aging anxiety and epigenetic aging in a national sample of adult women in the United States","authors":"Mariana Rodrigues , Jemar R. Bather , Adolfo G. Cuevas","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107704","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107704","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Aging anxiety is a multidimensional psychosocial stressor with potential implications for women’s long-term health, yet its biological embedding remains poorly understood. This study examined whether domain-specific aging anxieties are associated with accelerated epigenetic aging, using second-generation methylation-based biomarkers.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data were drawn from 726 women participating in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. Aging anxiety was assessed across three domains: declining attractiveness, declining health, and reproductive aging. Epigenetic aging was measured using two complementary second-generation clocks: GrimAge2, which estimates cumulative biological damage and predicts mortality risk, and DunedinPACE, which captures the current pace of biological aging. Multivariable linear regression models tested associations between aging anxiety and epigenetic age acceleration, adjusting sequentially for sociodemographic factors, chronic health conditions, and health behaviors.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Greater declining health anxiety was significantly associated with higher DunedinPACE z-scores (0.07 SD increase, 95 % CI: 0.01, 0.13). This association attenuated to non-significance after adjusting for health behaviors (0.02 SD increase, 95 % CI: −0.04, 0.08), which could be potential mediators on the exposure-outcome association pathway. Higher cumulative aging anxiety was significantly associated with a 0.07 SD increase (95 % CI: 0.01, 0.14) in DunedinPACE, but this association attenuated to non-significance after adjusting for chronic health conditions (0.06 SD increase, 95 % CI: −0.01, 0.13) and health behaviors (0.03 SD increase, 95 % CI: −0.03, 0.08).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Findings indicate that specific domains of aging anxiety, particularly fears about declining health, may manifest biologically and contribute to accelerated aging processes. These results support a biopsychosocial model in which subjective experiences of aging contribute to physiological decline. Future longitudinal studies are needed to clarify whether aging-related anxiety influences epigenetic aging trajectories among women.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 107704"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145621439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-11-21DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107705
Andrew C. Sheehan, Amanda M. Leonetti, Shealin H. Murray, Roopan Dhaliwal, Molly A. Stamp, Parker J. Holman, Cheryl M. McCormick, Charlis Raineki
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has detrimental consequences on cognitive, physiological, and social development. Adolescence, characterized by increased exploration, risk-taking, and social interaction, is a critical developmental stage that may amplify social deficits caused by PAE. This study examined how PAE affects social motivation in males and females across adolescent development using a social reward task to measure preferences for social and non-social stimuli at postnatal day (P)30, P40, P50, and P70. Our results demonstrated that PAE rats exhibited higher social motivation than controls during training and progressive ratio sessions. Extinction testing showed PAE males persisted in responding to the previously social side, resisting the typical shift to a non-social preference observed in controls. Dopamine receptor analysis revealed sex- and age-specific effects. Both PAE males and females showed increased D2 receptor expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) at P30 and P50. In contrast, D3 receptor expression was decreased in the NAcc of P30 PAE males. In the medial amygdala, PAE females exhibited reduced D3 expression at P40 and P70, while PAE males showed similar reductions at P30 and P50. These findings suggest that PAE disrupts development of social motivation and dopamine receptor expression, with distinct effects based on sex and developmental stage. The observed increases in D2 expression, coupled with decreases in the inhibitory D3 receptor, may contribute to the heightened social motivation in PAE rats by shifting the balance of dopamine signaling toward increased reward sensitivity and reduced behavioral inhibition.
{"title":"Increased social reward behavior in adolescent male and female rats exposed prenatally to alcohol is associated with altered dopamine receptor expression","authors":"Andrew C. Sheehan, Amanda M. Leonetti, Shealin H. Murray, Roopan Dhaliwal, Molly A. Stamp, Parker J. Holman, Cheryl M. McCormick, Charlis Raineki","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107705","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107705","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has detrimental consequences on cognitive, physiological, and social development. Adolescence, characterized by increased exploration, risk-taking, and social interaction, is a critical developmental stage that may amplify social deficits caused by PAE. This study examined how PAE affects social motivation in males and females across adolescent development using a social reward task to measure preferences for social and non-social stimuli at postnatal day (P)30, P40, P50, and P70. Our results demonstrated that PAE rats exhibited higher social motivation than controls during training and progressive ratio sessions. Extinction testing showed PAE males persisted in responding to the previously social side, resisting the typical shift to a non-social preference observed in controls. Dopamine receptor analysis revealed sex- and age-specific effects. Both PAE males and females showed increased D2 receptor expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) at P30 and P50. In contrast, D3 receptor expression was decreased in the NAcc of P30 PAE males. In the medial amygdala, PAE females exhibited reduced D3 expression at P40 and P70, while PAE males showed similar reductions at P30 and P50. These findings suggest that PAE disrupts development of social motivation and dopamine receptor expression, with distinct effects based on sex and developmental stage. The observed increases in D2 expression, coupled with decreases in the inhibitory D3 receptor, may contribute to the heightened social motivation in PAE rats by shifting the balance of dopamine signaling toward increased reward sensitivity and reduced behavioral inhibition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 107705"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145577670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-25DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107659
Bria Gresham , Carolyn E. Sackett , Emma I. Karras , Megan R. Gunnar
Research suggests exposure to community violence may “get under the skin” to impact hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis functioning. Less is known about protective factors, such as coping, that may mitigate the risk conferred by exposure to violence (ETV) on physiological functioning. A widespread and better understanding of factors influencing the relationship between ETV and negative outcomes is critical to mitigate the enduring effects of community violence exposure. Thus, we investigated 1) the association between ETV and HPA axis reactivity and 2) whether coping styles moderated this association. We recruited 148 first-generation college students aged 18–25 from across the United States. Participants completed self-report questionnaires regarding their demographics, ETV, and coping strategies and completed an online version of the Trier Social Stress Test (i.e., TSST-OL). Multilevel modeling adjusting for peak latency was used to predict cortisol reactivity across the TSST-OL from ETV, coping, and their two-way interactions. There was no direct association between ETV and cortisol reactivity, however, the interaction between ETV and avoidant coping was significant. ETV was associated with larger cortisol responses among those reporting average or high levels of avoidant coping but was not associated with cortisol responding for those reporting low avoidant coping. This exploratory study suggests avoidant coping may amplify the impact of ETV on stress responses to social evaluation among young adults.
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Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-26DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107662
Katherine M. Anderson , Jamila K. Stockman , Eleanor Capozzi , Stephanie A. Meyers-Pantele , Maile Y. Karris , Fernando Cabezas Mejia , Ella Meyer , Melodie A. Nasr , Mimi Ghosh
Sexual violence against women remains pervasive and is associated with HIV risk through sexual violence-related immune dysregulation. We sought to test the associations between mental health indicators and genital immune biomarkers among female survivors of recent sexual violence. Data were drawn from a case-control study of women in San Diego, California who had experienced recent forced or consensual vaginal penetration. Successive adjusted linear regressions models with interaction terms were employed to test moderation of the associations between mental health indicators (perceived stress, depression, PTSD symptoms, and resilience) and inflammatory (interleukin [IL]-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], macrophage inflammatory protein-3α [MIP3α]), anti-inflammatory/anti-HIV (secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), elafin, and human β-defensin 2 [HBD2]) biomarkers, and percent HIV inhibition, by case/control status. Subsequently, stratified or non-stratified regressions were reported. Overall, participants (n = 64) identified as Hispanic (42.1 %), White (34.4 %), and Black (25.0 %), with a median age of 22 (IQR:18–26). Case participants had higher perceived stress, depression, PTSD symptoms, TNF-α, and SLPI. Analyses indicate differential relationships between cases and controls relating to IL1-α, IL-6, and IL-8, overall suggesting dysregulation of the immune response in cases compared to controls. Results point to a mechanism by which HIV/STI risk can increase in recent sexual violence survivors experiencing PTSD symptoms. Responsively, we suggest biological and behavioral intervention to limit lasting impacts of related trauma.
{"title":"Associations between mental health indicators and genital immune biomarkers among recent survivors of forced sex: A case-control analysis","authors":"Katherine M. Anderson , Jamila K. Stockman , Eleanor Capozzi , Stephanie A. Meyers-Pantele , Maile Y. Karris , Fernando Cabezas Mejia , Ella Meyer , Melodie A. Nasr , Mimi Ghosh","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107662","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107662","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sexual violence against women remains pervasive and is associated with HIV risk through sexual violence-related immune dysregulation. We sought to test the associations between mental health indicators and genital immune biomarkers among female survivors of recent sexual violence. Data were drawn from a case-control study of women in San Diego, California who had experienced recent forced or consensual vaginal penetration. Successive adjusted linear regressions models with interaction terms were employed to test moderation of the associations between mental health indicators (perceived stress, depression, PTSD symptoms, and resilience) and inflammatory (interleukin [IL]-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], macrophage inflammatory protein-3α [MIP3α]), anti-inflammatory/anti-HIV (secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), elafin, and human β-defensin 2 [HBD2]) biomarkers, and percent HIV inhibition, by case/control status. Subsequently, stratified or non-stratified regressions were reported. Overall, participants (n = 64) identified as Hispanic (42.1 %), White (34.4 %), and Black (25.0 %), with a median age of 22 (IQR:18–26). Case participants had higher perceived stress, depression, PTSD symptoms, TNF-α, and SLPI. Analyses indicate differential relationships between cases and controls relating to IL1-α, IL-6, and IL-8, overall suggesting dysregulation of the immune response in cases compared to controls. Results point to a mechanism by which HIV/STI risk can increase in recent sexual violence survivors experiencing PTSD symptoms. Responsively, we suggest biological and behavioral intervention to limit lasting impacts of related trauma.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 107662"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145467797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-09-23DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107618
Gelena Dlugash , Manfred Rauh , Justin M. Carré , Ashley Marcellus , Susan Plachecki , Oliver C. Schultheiss
Introduction
Salivary steroid assessment has become an essential part of human social neuroendocrinology, offering non-invasive, easy, and cost-effective measurements. Despite researchers’ preference for methods like enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA) over the complex and costly liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), concerns about the validity of immunoassays (IAs) remain. The present study examines the convergence of LC-MS/MS, ELISA, and RIA in measuring salivary cortisol (C) and testosterone (T) and explores the contributions of intra-lab and inter-lab factors.
Method
Samples were collected from 81 men and 39 women in the morning and evening. Moreover, women provided samples for both the follicular and the luteal cycle phases. Natural hormone fluctuations (e.g., diurnal C decrease in the evening, T male-to-female ratio, influence of hormonal cycle phase, and hormonal contraceptive intake) and quality control samples were used as validity criteria for method evaluation. Over 336 samples and quality control samples were assayed by one RIA, two ELISA, and two LC-MS/MS methods across four labs. Correlational analyses were conducted to examine inter-lab x inter-method reliability, intra-lab x inter-method reliability, and inter-lab x intra-method reliability.
Results
For C and T, all methods demonstrated sufficient validity in detecting well-known natural fluctuations, with LC-MS/MS performing consistently best across all evaluated criteria. Nevertheless, ELISA did not achieve the expected male-to-female T ratio and tended to inflate estimated C and T levels, especially in the lower concentration range. Further, we found for all methods highly significant correlations with r ≥ .92 for C and with r ≥ .85 for T. However, when samples were divided by sex, correlations stayed comparable for C but decreased for T to r ≥ .71 in men and r ≥ .41 in women.
Discussion
LC-MS/MS was the best-performing method for both C and T across all criteria examined. RIA, despite showing slightly higher variance, can still be considered a reliable analytical technique as it met most of the set criteria for C and T. On the other hand, ELISA overestimated values, especially at low T levels. Therefore, caution should be exercised when selecting an appropriate method for the specific need.
{"title":"Multicenter comparison of LC-MS/MS, radioimmunoassay, and ELISA for assessment of salivary cortisol and testosterone","authors":"Gelena Dlugash , Manfred Rauh , Justin M. Carré , Ashley Marcellus , Susan Plachecki , Oliver C. Schultheiss","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107618","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107618","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Salivary steroid assessment has become an essential part of human social neuroendocrinology, offering non-invasive, easy, and cost-effective measurements. Despite researchers’ preference for methods like enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA) over the complex and costly liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), concerns about the validity of immunoassays (IAs) remain. The present study examines the convergence of LC-MS/MS, ELISA, and RIA in measuring salivary cortisol (C) and testosterone (T) and explores the contributions of intra-lab and inter-lab factors.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Samples were collected from 81 men and 39 women in the morning and evening. Moreover, women provided samples for both the follicular and the luteal cycle phases. Natural hormone fluctuations (e.g., diurnal C decrease in the evening, T male-to-female ratio, influence of hormonal cycle phase, and hormonal contraceptive intake) and quality control samples were used as validity criteria for method evaluation. Over 336 samples and quality control samples were assayed by one RIA, two ELISA, and two LC-MS/MS methods across four labs. Correlational analyses were conducted to examine inter-lab x inter-method reliability, intra-lab x inter-method reliability, and inter-lab x intra-method reliability.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>For C and T, all methods demonstrated sufficient validity in detecting well-known natural fluctuations, with LC-MS/MS performing consistently best across all evaluated criteria. Nevertheless, ELISA did not achieve the expected male-to-female T ratio and tended to inflate estimated C and T levels, especially in the lower concentration range. Further, we found for all methods highly significant correlations with <em>r</em> ≥ .92 for C and with <em>r</em> ≥ .85 for T. However, when samples were divided by sex, correlations stayed comparable for C but decreased for T to <em>r</em> ≥ .71 in men and <em>r</em> ≥ .41 in women.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>LC-MS/MS was the best-performing method for both C and T across all criteria examined. RIA, despite showing slightly higher variance, can still be considered a reliable analytical technique as it met most of the set criteria for C and T. On the other hand, ELISA overestimated values, especially at low T levels. Therefore, caution should be exercised when selecting an appropriate method for the specific need.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 107618"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145313583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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