Psychoneuroendocrinology最新文献

{"title":"Sex-specific associations between loneliness and hair cortisol among older African American adults","authors":"Katherine Knauft ,&nbsp;Jacqueline Rodriguez-Stanley ,&nbsp;Kristin M. Davis ,&nbsp;Lance M. Rappaport ,&nbsp;Francesca Luca ,&nbsp;Nataria T. Joseph ,&nbsp;Christopher G. Engeland ,&nbsp;Samuele Zilioli","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107755","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107755","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Loneliness has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, which disproportionately affects African American adults. Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, as measured by long-term accumulation of cortisol in hair, may be one pathway through which loneliness increases cardiovascular disease risk. However, the relationship between loneliness and hair cortisol levels among African American adults has not yet been explored. Further, both loneliness and cortisol activity differ across age and sex. To better understand the association between loneliness and HPA axis activity among middle-aged and older African American adults, the present study examined the degree to which age and sex interacted with loneliness to predict hair cortisol concentrations. Data were obtained from 340 African American adults (<em>M</em>_age = 66.06, <em>SD</em> = 5.46, range = 55–75; 87.1 % female), who provided hair samples and reported their loneliness level as a part of The Heart of Detroit Study. Results showed that sex significantly moderated the association between loneliness and hair cortisol. Loneliness was positively associated with hair cortisol concentrations in male, but not female, participants. These findings suggest that sex-specific associations may exist between loneliness and hair cortisol.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"186 ","pages":"Article 107755"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145963371","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}

{"title":"Mediating role of maternal cortisol in the association between maternal serum creatinine and fetal cortisol exposure","authors":"Ziyan Lin ,&nbsp;Zhiqi Zhang ,&nbsp;Guoping Yang ,&nbsp;Nan Wang ,&nbsp;Jinfu Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107772","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107772","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Cortisol is the principal glucocorticoid regulated by the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and plays a crucial role in maintaining pregnancy and promoting fetal growth and development. Renal function is a key determinant of cortisol exposure. Given that serum creatinine serves as a key biomarker of renal function, it is plausible that maternal creatinine levels contribute to the regulation of fetal cortisol exposure, although the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study was designed to (1) examine the association between maternal serum creatinine and umbilical cord blood cortisol levels, (2) assess the potential mediating role of maternal cortisol in this relationship, and (3) investigate corresponding changes in the protein expression of placental 11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study employed a paired maternal–fetal design. At delivery, maternal serum, umbilical cord blood, and placental tissue were collected simultaneously from 103 mother–newborn pairs. Cortisol and cortisone levels in maternal and cord blood were measured, and protein expression of 11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2 in placental tissue was analyzed. Correlation and mediation analyses were performed to assess the relationships among maternal serum creatinine, maternal cortisol, and cord blood cortisol.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Each unit increase in maternal serum creatinine was associated with a significant decrease in cord blood cortisol levels. Maternal cortisol levels were positively correlated with cord blood cortisol. Mediation analysis showed that maternal cortisol mediated 31.75 % of the association between maternal creatinine and cord blood cortisol. In the high-creatinine conditions, placental expression of 11β-HSD1 was significantly decreased, while expression of 11β-HSD2 was increased.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Maternal cortisol showed evidence of partial mediation in the association between maternal renal function and fetal cortisol exposure. This observational finding highlights a potential link between maternal renal function and fetal glucocorticoid exposure and provides a basis for future studies to investigate the role of placental glucocorticoid regulation and fetal HPA axis development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"186 ","pages":"Article 107772"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146133085","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}

{"title":"Mixed evidence for stress effects on cortisol-testosterone coupling in Syrian refugee and Jordanian non-refugee adolescents","authors":"Delaney J. Glass ,&nbsp;Jessica Godwin ,&nbsp;Josefin Koehn ,&nbsp;Rana Dajani ,&nbsp;Kristin Hadfield ,&nbsp;Catherine Panter-Brick ,&nbsp;Melanie Martin","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107757","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107757","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Pubertal development is governed by the HPA and HPG axes. Co-upregulation of the HPA/HPG during adolescence is hypothesized to produce positive cortisol–testosterone coupling to promote developmental demands of puberty, then attenuate post-puberty. However, effects of trauma and poverty-related stress on hormonal coupling are less substantiated.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We analyzed cross-sectional biological, sociodemographic, and displacement/poverty-related stress data from Syrian refugee and Jordanian non-refugee adolescents living in Northern Jordan (n = 768). We quantified free cortisol and free testosterone from dried bloodspots using mass spectrometry. We used Bayesian hierarchical models to assess the hypothesis that cortisol and testosterone are positively coupled during puberty but de-couple at later stages, and that patterns of hormonal coupling and de-coupling would vary by refugee status and indicators of early life stressors.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We report some evidence for the hypothesis that cortisol and testosterone are coupled during pubertal ages 10–19. Positive hormonal coupling was most consistent among Syrian females with relatively higher lifetime trauma, distress/insecurity, household wealth, and mental health and resilience scores and Jordanian males, counterintuitively, with lower lifetime trauma, household wealth, mental health, and resilience scores.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our study contributes to understanding HPA and HPG patterning and integration across a wide range of adolescent ages among adolescents affected by conflict and poverty related stressors. Our findings offer limited support for the underlying hormonal coupling hypothesis, underscoring how growing bodies may be sensitive to environmental conditions at the extremes and that life history patterning varies with socioecological conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"186 ","pages":"Article 107757"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146019545","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}

{"title":"Maternal prenatal depression and anxiety and steroid hormones in amniotic fluid","authors":"Tiina Seikku ,&nbsp;Marius Lahti-Pulkkinen ,&nbsp;Polina Girchenko ,&nbsp;Verna Salo ,&nbsp;Kati Heinonen ,&nbsp;Taru Tukiainen ,&nbsp;Ellie Phelan ,&nbsp;Margaux Billen ,&nbsp;Joanna P. Simpson ,&nbsp;Rebecca M. Reynolds ,&nbsp;Natalie Z.M. Homer ,&nbsp;Katri Räikkönen","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107758","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107758","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maternal prenatal depression and anxiety (PDA) have been associated with increased risks of adverse birth and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children. While fetal exposure to too high or low levels of steroid hormones has been proposed as a potential biological mechanism underlying these effects, few studies have directly investigated this hypothesis using fetal tissue samples, and the existing studies have been limited to examining cortisol, cortisone or testosterone. We studied associations between PDA and steroid hormones in amniotic fluid by measuring a panel of 17 steroid hormones – including progestogens, mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, androgens and estrogens – and their substrate-to-product ratios in 173 women with singleton pregnancies undergoing amniocentesis during second trimester. The fetuses had no chromosomal abnormalities. We defined any PDA as meeting at least one of the following criteria: reported symptoms above clinical cut off (CES-D ≥ 20 or STAI state or trait anxiety ≥ 40) during pregnancy, lifetime diagnosis (ICD-10 codes F31–33, F41–43), and/or lifetime medication purchases (ATC-codes N06A, N05B). Elastic net regression identified two glucocorticoid metabolites, 20α-dihydrocortisol and 5β-tetrahydrocortisol, with lower amniotic fluid levels in fetuses of mothers with PDA compared to those without PDA (unadjusted mean difference −0.37 SD units, 95 % CI: [−0.68, −0.07]; and −0.40 SD units, 95 % CI: [−0.70, −0.10], respectively). The model with both steroids remained significant after adjusting for maternal age, body mass index, education, smoking during pregnancy, parity, gestational age at amniocentesis and fetal sex, and in sensitivity analyses excluding mothers with diabetes and hypertensive disorders (p-values &lt; .05) and was not moderated by fetal sex (p-value &gt; .40). PDA was not significantly associated with any substrate-to-product ratios of the steroids, used as proxies of steroid hormone metabolizing enzymes, after correction for multiple testing. This study provides support for the prenatal programming hypothesis of PDA influencing fetal environment through suboptimal levels of steroid hormones and highlights the need to expand to a comprehensive panel of steroid metabolism.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"186 ","pages":"Article 107758"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146019581","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}

{"title":"Phase-dependent cytokine signatures in alcohol use disorder: A systematic review of psychoneuroimmune links to withdrawal severity and return to drinking","authors":"Svetlana Sokolova,&nbsp;Valentin Skryabin,&nbsp;Sergei Pozdniakov,&nbsp;Valentina Ivanchenko,&nbsp;Natalia Vinokurova,&nbsp;Liliya Ardamatskaya,&nbsp;Anton Masyakin","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107771","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107771","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Neuroimmune dysregulation is increasingly implicated in alcohol use disorder (AUD), yet the clinical utility of cytokine biomarkers remains unclear.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To synthesise evidence linking pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines to AUD severity, withdrawal symptoms, and return-to-drinking risk, with emphasis on temporal staging and translational implications.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 and PROSPERO (CRD420251060888). Six databases and grey literature sources were searched from January 1, 2000 to October 31, 2025 (updated for revision). Eligible studies assessed IL-6, IL-1β, IL-10, TNF-α, or CRP in adults with AUD or alcohol withdrawal, and reported correlations with validated clinical severity scales (e.g., AUDIT, CIWA-Ar) or relapse outcomes. Risk of bias, evidence certainty (GRADE), and heterogeneity were systematically evaluated.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Thirteen studies (N = 1458) were included across active drinking/non-treatment-seeking samples, early abstinence/withdrawal (≤14 days), and post-detoxification/treatment-follow-up contexts where acute withdrawal was absent or not the primary focus. In early abstinence, IL-6 tended to be higher in AUD/AWS than controls; however, the pooled estimate was large but imprecise and highly heterogeneous (random-effects Hedges’ g =1.21, 95 % CI −0.08–2.50; 2 studies; I²≈91 %). Higher baseline CRP was associated with lower subsequent alcohol use and weaker cue-reactivity in individual cohorts, but findings were heterogeneous and not pooled. For return-to-drinking outcomes, a single study provided extractable IL-1β group data comparing participants who returned to drinking with those who maintained abstinence; the single-study standardized effect was non-significant (Hedges’ g=0.40, 95 % CI −0.12–0.92). Lower IL-17RB expression was associated with reduced relapse-free survival in a single study and should be considered preliminary. Methodological variability and incomplete control for hepatic/metabolic confounding limited pooling for several cytokines.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Evidence supports phase-dependent cytokine signals in AUD, with IL-6 most consistently elevated during early abstinence and CRP showing pragmatic translational potential but substantial methodological heterogeneity. Evidence for IL-1β and IL-17RB as relapse-related markers remains preliminary due to limited extractable and non-uniform outcome reporting. Standardised, sex-stratified longitudinal studies with rigorous control for hepatic/metabolic factors and CNS validation are warranted.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"186 ","pages":"Article 107771"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079488","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}

{"title":"Multicenter comparison of LC-MS/MS, radioimmunoassay, and ELISA for assessment of salivary progesterone and estradiol","authors":"Gelena Dlugash ,&nbsp;Manfred Rauh ,&nbsp;Justin M. Carré ,&nbsp;Ashley Marcellus ,&nbsp;Susan Plachecki ,&nbsp;Elizabeth Hampson ,&nbsp;Oliver C. Schultheiss","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107744","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107744","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>For psychoneuroendocrinology, accurate measurement of progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) in saliva is crucial for understanding the menstrual cycle phase and its impact on physiology and behavior. Although enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA) are the preferred methods and are more often found in research labs, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) may provide a more valid salivary steroids assessment. In this study, we aimed to compare the performance of LC-MS/MS, ELISA, and RIA to measure salivary P4 and E2.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Samples were collected from 120 participants, 81 men and 39 women, in the morning and evening. Additionally, women provided samples during the early follicular (cycle days 3–5) and luteal cycle phases (cycle days 21–23) using the forward-count method. The study considered natural hormone fluctuations (e.g., the diurnal and menstrual cycles) and quality control samples as validity criteria for method evaluation. A total of 336 samples and quality control samples were analyzed using one RIA, two ELISA, and two LC-MS/MS methods across four labs. Correlational analyses were performed to assess 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 P4, natural hormone fluctuations in menstrual cycles were detected by all methods. However, in contrast to both LC-MS/MS methods, all immunoassays (IAs) detected an unexpected diurnal decline of P4. For E2, they were found only by LC-MS/MS and RIA. In terms of means, for P4 and E2, ELISA and RIA produced higher values compared to LC-MS/MS. For P4, the inter- and intra-method convergence was <em>r</em> ≥ .92. As for E2, inter-method correlations were between <em>r</em> = -.12 and <em>r</em> = .23, while the ELISA intra-method comparison showed a correlation coefficient of <em>r</em> = .85.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>Our findings suggest that while LC-MS/MS, RIA, and ELISA were capable of meeting most of the specified criteria for P4, only LC-MS/MS and RIA were able to perform similarly sufficiently at low E2 levels. LC-MS/MS provided more accurate and reliable measurements for P4 and E2, especially at low concentrations, but encountered challenges, too. Although RIA showed comparable performance to LC-MS/MS, it still suffered partly from cross-reactivity. ELISA often overestimated hormone levels and exhibited greater divergence. These differences highlight the importance of carefully selecting methods and considering their limitations in research applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"186 ","pages":"Article 107744"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146030569","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}

{"title":"Stress protection by your group – increasing group size reduces physiological stress contagion","authors":"Theresa Dorn ,&nbsp;Alisa Auer ,&nbsp;Lisa-Marie Walther ,&nbsp;Christine Sauter ,&nbsp;Elisabeth Bandle ,&nbsp;Petra H. Wirtz","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107747","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107747","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background &amp; objectives</h3><div>Stress contagion refers to the spread of stress from one person to another. We previously established a standardized, controlled experimental paradigm to study stress contagion in humans. While stress contagion effects have been characterized on a physiological level, potential modulating factors are beginning to be understood. Using our paradigm, we tested for the first time whether the number of observers, i.e. observer group size, modulates physiological stress contagion in stress observers.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Our experimental condition comprised three groups of stress observers varying in group sizes of two (“Group 1”, n = 30), three (“Group 2”, n = 31), or more observers (“Group 3”, n = 31), with each group observing one stressed participant. The data assessment comprised up to 5 healthy young male participants, with one participant randomly assigned to undergo an adapted version of the Trier Social Stress Test (“TSST participants”, n = 57) and the remaining participants observing him disguised as panel member(s) (“stress observers”, n = 92) in addition to one panel confederate. We repeatedly assessed salivary cortisol, salivary alpha-amylase, and heart rate.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The TSST induced significant increases in all physiological parameters under study (<em>p</em> ´ s &lt; =.025) without reactivity differences between TSST participants of the three experimental groups (<em>p</em> ´ s &gt; =.23). When comparing the physiological reactivity to direct stress observation, the stress-observer-groups significantly differed in terms of cortisol (<em>p</em> = .029) with overall higher reactivity in smaller observer groups. Further analyses confirmed a linear effect in terms of higher reactivity with lower observer group size (<em>p</em> = .046). There were no group-by-time interactions in salivary alpha-amylase and heart rate reactivity.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>Our results suggest that when directly observing stress in other individuals, observer group size has a differential effect on physiological stress contagion systems. While we found evidence for modulating effects on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity in terms of higher cortisol stress contagion reactivity with lower observer group size, observer group size did not relate to the sympathetic–adrenal–medullary axis. Potential implications remain to be elucidated.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"186 ","pages":"Article 107747"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039020","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}

{"title":"The effects of the chemical relaxer lye on hair cortisol concentrations","authors":"Carrie L. Burnett,&nbsp;Kelci Crandall,&nbsp;Damon M. Osbourn,&nbsp;Tony W. Buchanan","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107750","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107750","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The analysis of hair cortisol is a common tool in stress research. External factors such as chemical hair treatments can impact the integrity of hair cortisol. The use of chemical relaxers is more common among racialized populations who experience high chronic stress and are underrepresented in stress research. Methods: 15 participants who identify as Black or Latinx were recruited to give a hair sample. The commonly used hair relaxer, lye, was applied to hair samples using a novel in vitro methodology to examine its impact on cortisol concentration. Results: Bayesian multilevel model estimated a small group effect (M = 0.53, 95 % CI [–8.57, 9.32]), with only 55 % of the posterior distribution favoring higher cortisol in untreated samples, indicating no meaningful difference. Conclusion: The lack of effect of lye hair relaxer on cortisol supports the inclusion of participants who use this treatment in research and reinforces the utility of hair-based stress research in populations disproportionately affected by chronic stress. Addressing representation in stress research is essential, and these findings are a critical step toward developing more inclusive and equitable methodological practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"186 ","pages":"Article 107750"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079642","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}

{"title":"Hair cortisol concentrations among youth in Ukraine: Associations with war experiences and post-traumatic-stress symptoms","authors":"Ann T. Skinner ,&nbsp;Iuliia Pavlova ,&nbsp;Jennifer Godwin ,&nbsp;Emily B. Reilly ,&nbsp;Anastasia Georgiades","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107761","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107761","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To explore relations between cortisol response measured by hair cortisol concentrations (HCC), war exposure (e.g., air alarms and explosions), and psychological distress for youth living in Ukraine during the current invasion.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>221 youth (<em>Mage</em> = 18.9 years; 20 % male) living in 5 regions of Ukraine from November 2023-March 2024 provided hair samples to assess HCC and self-report data measuring post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTS symptoms). Youth’s region of residence was matched to air alarm and explosion data.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Consistent with prior research examining HPA axis activity during chronic stress, we found that exposure to more air alarms and explosions were each associated with lower HCC. Contrary to our hypotheses, we found no relation between HCC and PTS symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our results suggest that youth experiencing chronic war exposure may adapt by down-regulating their cortisol production, which could generate long-term health problems such as immune dysregulation or increased inflammatory activity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"186 ","pages":"Article 107761"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079643","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}

{"title":"Altered placental expression of neurotransmitter and stress-related molecules in first-episode psychosis during pregnancy: Implications for cytoarchitecture and function","authors":"Cielo García-Montero ,&nbsp;Óscar Fraile-Martinez ,&nbsp;Diego Liviu Boaru ,&nbsp;Patricia de Castro-Martinez ,&nbsp;Diego De Leon-Oliva ,&nbsp;Beatriz García-González ,&nbsp;Isabel Pérez-González ,&nbsp;Coral Bravo ,&nbsp;Juan A.De Leon-Luis ,&nbsp;Raul Diaz-Pedrero ,&nbsp;Laura Lopez-Gonzalez ,&nbsp;Silvestra Barrena-Blázquez ,&nbsp;Julia Bujan ,&nbsp;Natalio García-Honduvilla ,&nbsp;Miguel Ángel Alvarez-Mon ,&nbsp;Marta Presa ,&nbsp;Guillermo Lahera ,&nbsp;Melchor Alvarez-Mon ,&nbsp;Miguel A. Saez ,&nbsp;Miguel A. Ortega","doi":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107751","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107751","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>First-episode psychosis during pregnancy (FEP-PW) is a rare but serious condition that intersects maternal mental health and placental-fetal biology. While psychosis is characterized by disruptions in perception and cognition, its impact on placental neuroendocrine signaling and fetal development remains poorly understood. The placenta, as a key mediator of intrauterine environment, expresses receptors involved in neurotransmission and stress response, potentially linking maternal psychopathology to fetal neurodevelopmental risk.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study investigates the expression of five critical neuroendocrine and stress-related molecules—dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2), serotonin receptor 1B (HTR1B), glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1), 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (HSD11B2), and melatonin receptor 1B (MTNR1B)—in placental tissue from women with FEP-PW compared to healthy pregnant controls (HC-PW).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using a prospective case-control design, placental samples from 22 FEP-PW and 20 HC-PW women were analyzed. Gene expression was quantified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and protein localization and abundance assessed via immunohistochemistry (IHC).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Significant alterations in placental gene and protein expression were observed in FEP-PW placentas: DRD2, NR3C1, and HSD11B2 were markedly upregulated (all p &lt; 0.001 at gene and protein levels), whereas HTR1B and MTNR1B were significantly downregulated compared to controls (p &lt; 0.05, p &lt; 0.01 respectively at gene level and p &lt; 0.01, p &lt; 0.001 at protein level). These findings indicate dysregulated dopaminergic, serotonergic, glucocorticoid, and melatonin signaling pathways in the placenta associated with maternal psychosis.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our results provide novel evidence of distinct placental molecular adaptations in FEP-PW, reflecting heightened maternal stress and disrupted neurohormonal environments. These alterations may contribute to adverse placental function and influence fetal neurodevelopmental trajectories, underscoring the placenta’s role as a critical mediator in the maternal-placental-fetal axis in psychiatric disorders. Further research is needed to clarify the functional consequences and explore these molecules as potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets in perinatal psychiatry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20836,"journal":{"name":"Psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"186 ","pages":"Article 107751"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039017","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}