Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Dev Psychobiol. 2024 Nov;66(7):e22549. doi: 10.1002/dev.22549.
Research and theory suggest an important role of neuroendocrine function in emotional development, particularly under conditions of elevated stress. We provide empirical data to clarify associations between alpha-amylase (AA) and cortisol as well as test the differential linkages among AA, cortisol, and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress in children. Children recruited from a low-income elevated violence community (n = 100; mean age = 10, SD = 0.64; 79% Latino; 67% received free or reduced lunch) were assessed on diurnal levels of AA and cortisol along with assessments of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Elevated anxiety symptoms were associated with steeper linear slopes of AA with higher levels of AA in the morning but lower levels of AA in the evening. Depression was associated with differential cubic trajectories of AA when PTSSs were included in the model. Anxiety also predicted differential cubic diurnal trends in cortisol, such that greater anxiety symptoms were associated with relatively higher levels of cortisol in the evening. Again, depression symptoms when PTSS were included predicted diurnal cubic trends with elevated depression associated with lower awakening and midday cortisol that reversed to higher evening cortisol compared to youth with fewer self-reported depression symptoms.
研究和理论表明，神经内分泌功能在情绪发展中起着重要作用，尤其是在应激水平升高的情况下。我们提供了实证数据来阐明α-淀粉酶（AA）和皮质醇之间的关联，并检验了 AA、皮质醇与儿童焦虑、抑郁和创伤后应激症状之间的不同联系。从一个低收入高暴力社区招募的儿童（n=100；平均年龄=10 岁，标准差=0.64；79%拉丁裔；67%获得免费或减价午餐）评估了他们的 AA 和皮质醇的日间水平，以及焦虑、抑郁和创伤后应激症状（PTSS）的评估。焦虑症状较高与 AA 的线性斜率增加有关，即早晨 AA 水平较高，而晚上 AA 水平较低。当将 PTSS 纳入模型时，抑郁与 AA 的差异三次曲线轨迹有关。焦虑还预测了皮质醇的昼夜三次曲线趋势，即焦虑症状越严重，晚上皮质醇水平相对越高。同样，当包括 PTSS 时，抑郁症状预测了昼夜三次曲线趋势，抑郁程度较高与觉醒和中午皮质醇水平较低有关，与报告抑郁症状较少的年轻人相比，晚上皮质醇水平较高。
