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Exposure to stressors in free-living mammals can be measured via glucocorticoid hormones concentrations. Using adipose from marine mammals (blubber) as a tissue for extracting cortisol provides a means for measuring cortisol concentrations not associated with capture stress. Beluga whale range is limited to the Arctic where climate change is exaggerated. Our objectives were to compare cortisol concentrations among archived blubber samples with varying quality and blubber depth, compare blubber cortisol from beluga whales in a high-stress entrapment event to whales harvested during subsistence hunts, and compare blubber cortisol among beluga whale populations in relation to conservation status, diet, sex, age and year sampled. Blubber samples showing signs of deterioration had lower cortisol concentrations. The deepest blubber contained the highest concentration of cortisol compared to other depths. Blubber cortisol concentrations from entrapped whales were higher than from harvests. Blubber cortisol was higher in the threatened population when compared to healthy populations.

Cette thèse repose sur une recherche longitudinale portant sur l’évolution de la résilience chez des adultes confrontés à un risque de mort, évalués à 4 reprises : deux mois après le traumatisme puis après 9 mois, 17 mois et 24 mois. La résilience biologique est évaluée par l’évolution des dosages de cortisol analysés par prélèvement salivaire. La résilience psychologique a fait l’objet d’une évaluation multifactorielle à l’aide d’une échelle de résilience (Wagnild), d’échelles cliniques permettant de s’assurer de l’absence de séquelles sur le plan de l’angoisse (STAY de Spielberger), de la dépression (BDI 2), du syndrome post- traumatique (Traumaq) et du fonctionnement intrapsychique (Rorschach). L’analyse des résultats portant sur 30 sujets étudiés permet de développer une réflexion clinique comparative sur les paramètres et processus impliqués dans la construction de la résilience ou de son échec, en mettant en relation la dimension neurobiologique avec la dimension psychologique / This thesis is based on a longitudinal survey of the evolution of resilience for adults who faced a risk of death. Resilience has been measured 4 times: two months after the trauma, after 9 months, 17 months and 24 months. Biological resilience is measured by monitoring salivary cortisol. Psychological resilience was assessed multifactorially using the Wagnild scale ; several clinical scales to ensure absence of anxiety (Spielberger’s STAY), depression (BDI 2), post-traumatic syndrome (Traumaq) and intrapsychic functioning (Rorschach). Analysis of the results for 30 subjects allows to develop a comparative clinical thinking on the parameters and processes involved in the construction of resilience or its failure, linking the neurobiological dimension with the psychological dimension

Orientador: Rosana de Fatima Possobon / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-12T19:12:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Costa_LudmiladaSilvaTavares_M.pdf: 766920 bytes, checksum: a9df432eb8996b0a42bafa77e8e4d3a6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: O choro e o movimentar-se de modo nervoso podem ser considerados como respostas típicas de estresse, ou seja, conseqüências comportamentais da exposição a estímulos aversivos, tal como ocorre durante o tratamento odontológico. Isso sugere a necessidade da realização de intervenções psicológicas a fim de diminuir o nível de estresse da criança exposta à situação de tratamento. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a eficiência de estratégia psicológica de dessensiblização, com sessões planejadas para a adaptação da criança ao tratamento, visando à diminuição do nível de estresse verificado através do nível de cortisol salivar e o aumento do grau de colaboração do paciente durante o tratamento preventivo. A amostra foi composta por 10 crianças participantes dos programas oferecidos pelo Centro de Pesquisa e Atendimento para Pacientes Especiais (Cepae) da Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba (FOP-Unicamp) (faixa etária de 40 a 52 meses) que manifestavam comportamentos de não colaboração durante os procedimentos odontológicos preventivos. As sessões experimentais foram planejadas com passos de aproximação sucessiva ao objetivo final, que era a realização de todos os procedimentos preventivos com colaboração da criança. O estresse experimentado pela criança, antes e depois das sessões experimentais, foi investigado por meio da avaliação dos níveis salivares de cortisol. Os resultados mostraram diferença significativa entre a média de comportamentos de não colaboração emitidos pelas crianças nas sessões inicial (44,6 ± 16,72) e final (5,40 ± 3,92) e diminuição da média da concentração de cortisol salivar entre a consulta inicial (0,65 ± 0,25 µg/dL) e final (0,24 ± 0,10 µg/dL). Após as sessões de dessensibilização, houve diminuição significativa dos comportamentos não colaboradores como choro, movimento nervoso, apreensão e esquiva, evidenciando a eficiência da estratégia. Conclui-se que a atuação de um profissional de Odontologia, preparado para lidar com questões comportamentais, pode contribuir para diminuir o grau de aversividade relacionada à situação de tratamento, melhorando o comportamento da criança durante a realização dos procedimentos clínicos e evitando a sua exposição à situações estressantes. / Abstract: Crying and moving around nervously can be considered as typical stress responses, therefore behavioral consequences of aversive stimuli exposure, such as what happens during dental treatment. This suggests the need for psychological treatments in order to reduce the levels of stress in the children exposed to these procedures. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the desensitization psychological strategy, with planned sessions for the child's adaptation to the treatment, aiming to de decrease the stress levels (verified by the level of salivary cortisol) and the increase levels of collaboration of the patient during the preventive treatment. The sample was made up of 10 participating children form de Cepae-FOP-Unicamp (age range of 40 to 52 months) that presented non cooperation behavior during preventive dental procedures. The experimental sessions were planned with successive approximation steps to the final goal, which were the completion of all preventive procedures in collaboration with the child. The stress experienced by the child, before and after the experimental sessions, was investigated by evaluating the cortisol salivary levels. The results showed a significant difference between the average behavior of non cooperation issued by children in the initial sessions (44,6 ± 16,72) and final (5,40 ± 3,92) and a decrease in the average concentration of salivary cortisol in the initial session (0,65 ± 0,25 µg/dL) and the final (0,24 ± 0,10 µg/dL). Even more, after the desensitization sessions, there was a significant decrease of non cooperative behaviors as crying, nervous movements, apprehension and elusiveness. Concluding that the performance of the dentistry professional, prepared to deal with behavioral issues can contribute to lower the level of rejection related to the treatment, improving the behavior of the child during the clinical procedures and avoiding exposure to stressful situations. / Mestrado / Fisiologia Oral / Mestre em Odontologia

Age-related declines in cognitive functioning have been well documented, however, there are vast individual differences in the age of onset and magnitude of these changes. This observation has spurred the investigation of the potential risk factors for cognitive decline. Chronic elevations of the steroid hormone cortisol have been shown to compromise hippocampal- and frontal cortex- dependent cognitive tasks in rodents, non-human primates and Cushing’s disease patients. Several studies have extended these findings to investigate possible associations between cortisol and cognition in aging human populations. However, these previous examinations of the role of cortisol in cognitive aging have been hampered by the predominant use of single time-point measures of cortisol, small sample sizes, limited age ranges and/or constrained cognitive testing batteries. The present cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between basal cortisol levels, indexed by a 24-hr free cortisol to creatinine ratio, and cognitive functioning on twelve cognitive outcomes in a sample of 1,853 non-demented adults aged 18 to 93 years. The results showed that elevated cortisol levels had small but significant negative effects on verbal learning and working memory performance across the lifespan and significant negative effects limited to older age on a measure of speeded processing. Longitudinal investigation is warranted to examine if within-person changes in cortisol level predict cognitive change.

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People who stutter (PWS) tend to have increased levels of anxiety compared to people who do not stutter (PWNS), particularly in social situations (Messenger, Onslow, Packman, & Menzies, 2004). In addition, children who stutter (CWS) as young as 3 years of age reportedly have more negative communication attitudes than their fluent peers, and these attitudes appear to worsen with age and stuttering severity (De Nil & Brutten, 1990, 1991; Vanryckeghem, Brutten, & Hernandez, 2005). The present study sought to examine generalized anxiety and communication apprehension in preschool CWS. Seven CWS aged between 3;3 and 4;11 years, and seven sex and age-matched children who do not stutter (CWNS) provided salivary cortisol samples at three distinct sampling times across a one-week period. They additionally provided a conversational speech sample, and were administered the Communication Attitude Test for Preschool and Kindergarten Children Who Stutter (Vanryckeghem & Brutten, 2007). Parents were required to complete the Preschool Anxiety Scale (Spence & Rapee, 1999) to provide estimates of their child's anxiety level. Results revealed no significant differences between CWS and CWNS in generalized anxiety or communication apprehension. No relationships were found between stuttering severity and generalized anxiety or communication apprehension either. Thus, it is concluded that generalized anxiety and communication apprehension are not associated with early childhood stuttering. Any changes in anxiety levels are likely to occur with increased chronological age and stuttering chronicity.

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Individuals in passionate love often experience a strong desire to engage in sexual intercourse with their partners. In a previous study (Crockett, Wright, & Loving, under review), individuals who were engaging in less (vs. more) sexual intercourse during the early stages of their romantic relationship were more likely to experience acute elevations in cortisol in response to a passionate love prime. In the present study, I examined whether sexual frustration mediates any association between sexual frequency and cortisol. Subjects underwent the same passionate love prime employed in Crockett et al.’s study, and completed measures of sexual intercourse frequency and feelings of sexual frustration. Salivary cortisol samples were collected before and after the prime. Sexual frequency was significantly correlated with sexual frustration, such that individuals who were engaging in less sex experienced more sexual frustration. However, sexual frequency and sexual frustration both failed to predict cortisol reactivity to the prime. I discuss the possible methodological issues that may account for these null effects and offer suggestions for future studies that examine the physiological consequences of sexual frequency and frustration. / text