Impact of Institutional Care on HPA Axis

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Questions and Answers

What effect does institutional care during infancy have on the HPA axis?

It has no effect on the responsiveness to psychosocial stressors.

It causes a fluctuation in the responsiveness

It impairs the responsiveness to psychosocial stressors. (correct)

It enhances the responsiveness to psychosocial stressors.

What is the Trier social stress test used for in the study?

To assess the level of perceived support.

To measure cortisol reactivity. (correct)

To measure changes in pubertal stage.

To determine between-individual differences.

What did the linear mixed-effects model control for?

Sex and between-individual differences in pubertal stage. (correct)

Only sex.

Only between-individual differences.

Stress reactivity levels

According to the study, what is associated with within-individual increases in pubertal stage for postinstitutionalized youth?

Increases in cortisol stress reactivity. Signup and view all the answers

What does the study suggest about the peripubertal period?

It is a time when the caregiving environment has a substantial impact on the HPA axis. Signup and view all the answers

What is the cortisol awakening response (CAR)?

It's a measurement of cortisol levels upon waking. Signup and view all the answers

According to Romeo's argument, what is significant about the peripubertal period?

Stressors during this period have longer-term impacts on the HPA axis. Signup and view all the answers

What do the cross-sectional studies indicate about the CAR for children with early life stress at later pubertal stages?

An increased CAR, more similar to those without adverse care. Signup and view all the answers

What was calculated to model between-individual differences in pubertal stage?

Each individual’s mean pubertal stage across all sessions Signup and view all the answers

How was within-individual change in pubertal stage calculated?

The difference from an individual’s mean at each session Signup and view all the answers

What does the HPA axis appear to do post-adoption?

Appear relatively blunted Signup and view all the answers

What is the likely reason for the HPA axis recalibrating prior to the reproductive period?

To match conditions likely to be present during that life stage Signup and view all the answers

What is suggested to allow a 'disproportionately large influence' on HPA axis function?

Global changes in neural plasticity Signup and view all the answers

What factor was explored as a possible modifier of the pubertal stress recalibration effect?

Sex Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes how puberty impacts HPA axis functioning?

Increases differences between males and females Signup and view all the answers

What was specifically stated to be 'unlikely' to be responsible for driving recalibration?

The activity of any individual hormone Signup and view all the answers

What does 'longitudinal change in pubertal score' refer to in the provided study?

The change in pubertal stage for each individual. Signup and view all the answers

What is the 'mean pubertal stage' used to model in the study?

Each participant's average pubertal stage across all sessions. Signup and view all the answers

What does the study investigate by moderating pubertal stage variables by group (PI vs NA)?

Whether the relationship between changes in pubertal stage and cortisol reactivity differs between groups. Signup and view all the answers

What is the focal predictor in the study's statistical models?

The quadratic time by pubertal change by group moderation term. Signup and view all the answers

Why does the study control for sex and sex interactions?

To account for the potential influence of sex on the measured outcomes. Signup and view all the answers

What is a possible benefit of recalibrating the HPA axis during puberty?

It could promote resilience and reduce the risk of mental health symptoms. Signup and view all the answers

What does the text suggest regarding the timing of interventions to improve children's environments?

Interventions focusing on supportive environments should emphasize the peripubertal phase. Signup and view all the answers

What type of data is available on GitHub, according to the text?

The anonymized data that was used in this study is available Signup and view all the answers

What was the age range of the participants at the start of the study?

7 to 15 years Signup and view all the answers

How many participants were identified as previously institutionalized (PI) in the study?

129 Signup and view all the answers

What is the mean age at which the PI youth were adopted?

19.43 months Signup and view all the answers

Approximately what percentage of their pre-adoptive life did PI youth spend in the institution?

95% Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary goal of matching PI and NA families?

Matching Socioeconomic Status Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following was NOT listed as a source of funding for this study?

National Institute of Aging Signup and view all the answers

Who was responsible for Tanner staging in this study?

Janet Goodwalt, Terri Jones, and Melissa Stoll Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is NOT mentioned as a thank you in the acknowledgements?

The local school district Signup and view all the answers

Which hormone is most closely associated with the studies of stress responsivity and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation?

Cortisol Signup and view all the answers

What is a notable period that seems to have significant impact on developmental plasticity and stress responsivity?

Adolescence Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'hypocortisolism' refer to?

Lower than normal levels of cortisol. Signup and view all the answers

What is a specific developmental process that glucocorticoids, like cortisol, regulate?

The development of dendritic spines. Signup and view all the answers

What impact can early-life stress have on an adult's diurnal cortisol pattern?

It has both dual impacts and concurrent impacts on the cortisol levels. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the 'adaptive calibration model'?

A model that describes how an organism's stress response adapts to its environment. Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between parenting behaviors and child behavior as it is assessed in a particular study mentioned?

There is a bidirectional relationship between them. Signup and view all the answers

According to a study mentioned, what are some of the impacts that severe institutional deprivation in childhood can have on adult adoptees?

A disruption in the normal rhythm of cortisol levels. Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary focus of the study?

How pubertal stage influences cortisol reactivity in children and adolescents. Signup and view all the answers

What does TSST-C stand for, in the context of the study?

Trier Social Stress Test- Children version Signup and view all the answers

Which group showed increased cortisol reactivity with increasing pubertal stage?

Postinstitutionalized youth. Signup and view all the answers

What statistical method was primarily used to analyze the data?

Linear mixed-effects model Signup and view all the answers

According to the study, how was the cortisol response measured?

Salivary samples. Signup and view all the answers

What previous research or models does this study corroborate?

Nonhuman animal models and cross-sectional human studies. Signup and view all the answers

How was pubertal status assessed in this study?

Via self-reported questionnaires. Signup and view all the answers

When were the majority of the postinstitutionalized youth adopted?

By age 2. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Correction for "Pubertal stress recalibration reverses the effects of early life stress in postinstitutionalized children"

The original publication of the study, "Pubertal stress recalibration reverses the effects of early life stress in postinstitutionalized children," incorrectly omitted an author.
Bradley S. Miller should be added to the author list, following Bonny Donzella.
Miller's contribution was research performance.
The corrected author list, affiliation, and author contributions are now included in the online version.

Pubertal Stress Recalibration

Nonhuman animal studies show the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis calibrates to environmental conditions during infancy.
Children institutionalized in infancy show reduced HPA axis reactivity even after placement in supportive homes.
This study investigated whether puberty enables HPA axis recalibration in postinstitutionalized children.
129 postinstitutionalized children (68.2% female) and 170 comparison children (52.4% female) participated in 3 annual sessions from ages 7 to 15.
Pubertal stage was assessed annually using nurse examinations.
Cortisol reactivity was measured using the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C).
A significant interaction was observed between group (postinstitutionalized vs. comparison) and pubertal stage.
Increased cortisol stress reactivity was found in postinstitutionalized youth with increasing pubertal stages.
This effect was not observed in comparison youth.
Puberty offers a second sensitive period for HPA axis recalibration, contingent on supportive environments.
Interventions for children with early-life adversity should focus on the prepubertal and peripubertal period for optimal impact on stress-mediating systems.

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Description

This quiz explores the effects of institutional care during infancy on the HPA axis and pubertal development in post-institutionalized youth. Topics include the Trier social stress test, cortisol awakening response, and significant findings regarding the peripubertal period. Test your knowledge on the associated factors and implications of early life stress.