Effects of a therapeutic intervention for foster preschoolers on diurnal cortisol activity
- PMID:17656028
- PMCID: PMC2174427
- DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2007.06.008
Effects of a therapeutic intervention for foster preschoolers on diurnal cortisol activity
Abstract
Atypical diurnal patterns of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity have been observed in samples of individuals following early life adversity. A characteristic pattern arising from disrupted caregiving is a low early-morning cortisol level that changes little from morning to evening. Less well understood is the plasticity of the HPA axis in response to subsequent supportive caregiving environments. Monthly early-morning and evening cortisol levels were assessed over 12 months in a sample of 3-6-year-old foster children enrolled in a randomized trial of a family-based therapeutic intervention (N=117; intervention condition, n=57; regular foster care condition, n=60), and a community comparison group of same-aged, non-maltreated children from low-income families (n=60). Latent growth analyses revealed stable and typical diurnal (morning-to-evening) cortisol activity among non-maltreated children. Foster children in the intervention condition exhibited cortisol activity that became comparable to the non-maltreated children over the course of the study. In contrast, children in regular foster care condition exhibited increasingly flattened morning-to-evening cortisol activity over the course of the study. In sum, improvements in caregiving following early adversity appear to have the potential to reverse or prevent disruptions in HPA axis functioning.
Figures
Similar articles
- Mitigating HPA axis dysregulation associated with placement changes in foster care.Fisher PA, Van Ryzin MJ, Gunnar MR.Fisher PA, et al.Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2011 May;36(4):531-9. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.08.007.Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2011.PMID:20888698Free PMC article.
- Foster children's diurnal production of cortisol: an exploratory study.Dozier M, Manni M, Gordon MK, Peloso E, Gunnar MR, Stovall-McClough KC, Eldreth D, Levine S.Dozier M, et al.Child Maltreat. 2006 May;11(2):189-97. doi: 10.1177/1077559505285779.Child Maltreat. 2006.PMID:16595852
- Dysregulation of the cortisol diurnal rhythm following prenatal alcohol exposure and early life adversity.McLachlan K, Rasmussen C, Oberlander TF, Loock C, Pei J, Andrew G, Reynolds J, Weinberg J.McLachlan K, et al.Alcohol. 2016 Jun;53:9-18. doi: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2016.03.003. Epub 2016 Apr 1.Alcohol. 2016.PMID:27286932Free PMC article.
- Salivary cortisol: a possible biomarker in evaluating stress and effects of interventions in young foster children?van Andel HW, Jansen LM, Grietens H, Knorth EJ, van der Gaag RJ.van Andel HW, et al.Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2014 Jan;23(1):3-12. doi: 10.1007/s00787-013-0439-1. Epub 2013 Jun 15.Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2014.PMID:23771272Review.
- Early adversity, child neglect, and stress neurobiology: From observations of impact to empirical evaluations of mechanisms.Blaisdell KN, Imhof AM, Fisher PA.Blaisdell KN, et al.Int J Dev Neurosci. 2019 Nov;78:139-146. doi: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2019.06.008. Epub 2019 Jun 26.Int J Dev Neurosci. 2019.PMID:31254597Free PMC article.Review.
Cited by
- Longitudinal mediators of a randomized prevention program effect on cortisol for youth from parentally bereaved families.Luecken LJ, Hagan MJ, Sandler IN, Tein JY, Ayers TS, Wolchik SA.Luecken LJ, et al.Prev Sci. 2014 Apr;15(2):224-232. doi: 10.1007/s11121-013-0385-7.Prev Sci. 2014.PMID:23529870Free PMC article.Clinical Trial.
- Early adverse care, stress neurobiology, and prevention science: lessons learned.Bruce J, Gunnar MR, Pears KC, Fisher PA.Bruce J, et al.Prev Sci. 2013 Jun;14(3):247-56. doi: 10.1007/s11121-012-0354-6.Prev Sci. 2013.PMID:23420476Free PMC article.
- Cumulative experiences with life adversity: Identifying critical levels for targeting prevention efforts.Mitchell KJ, Tynes B, Umaña-Taylor AJ, Williams D.Mitchell KJ, et al.J Adolesc. 2015 Aug;43:63-71. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.05.008. Epub 2015 Jun 6.J Adolesc. 2015.PMID:26057876Free PMC article.
- Prenatal cocaine exposure related to cortisol stress reactivity in 11-year-old children.Lester BM, Lagasse LL, Shankaran S, Bada HS, Bauer CR, Lin R, Das A, Higgins R.Lester BM, et al.J Pediatr. 2010 Aug;157(2):288-295.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2010.02.039. Epub 2010 Apr 18.J Pediatr. 2010.PMID:20400094Free PMC article.
- Children's context inappropriate anger and salivary cortisol.Locke RL, Davidson RJ, Kalin NH, Goldsmith HH.Locke RL, et al.Dev Psychol. 2009 Sep;45(5):1284-97. doi: 10.1037/a0015975.Dev Psychol. 2009.PMID:19702392Free PMC article.
References
- Bartels M, de Geus EJ, Kirschbaum C, Sluyter F, Boomsma DI. Heritability of diurnal cortisol levels in children. Beh Genetics. 2003;33:421–422. - PubMed
- Boyce WT, Champoux M, Suomi SJ, Gunnar MR. Salivary cortisol in nursery-reared rhesus monkeys: reactivity to peer interactions and altered circadian activity. Dev Psychobiol. 1995;28:257–267. - PubMed
- Bruce J, Kroupina M, Parker S, Gunnar M. The relationships between cortisol patterns, growth retardation, and developmental delays in postinstitutionalized children; Paper presented at the International Conference on Infant Studies; Brighton, UK. 2000. Jul,
- Carlson M, Earls F. Psychological and neuroendocrinological sequelae of early social deprivation in institutionalized children in Romania. Ann Neurosci. 1997:12. Abstracts 218. - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Related information
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical