Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology最新文献

{"title":"Serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) is associated with post-awakening cortisol measures in previous depression","authors":"R. Jonassen,&nbsp;Ø. Øverli,&nbsp;E. Hilland,&nbsp;H.L. Nilsen,&nbsp;Q.Y. Esbensen,&nbsp;L. Lirussi,&nbsp;H. Heiberg,&nbsp;K.H. Rønning,&nbsp;M. Gorissen,&nbsp;B. Kraft,&nbsp;R. Bø,&nbsp;C.J. Harmer,&nbsp;N.I. Landrø","doi":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100363","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100363","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Elevated cortisol levels have been linked to major depressive disorder (MDD), but cortisol dynamics vary substantially across individuals and clinical states. Genetic variation in the serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) has been proposed as one contributor to differences in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning. The present study examined associations between cortisol awakening measures and 5-HTTLPR genotype groups in individuals with a history of depression compared with healthy controls, and explored whether current depressive symptom severity was related to cortisol indices. A total of 108 individuals with a history of depression were genotyped and compared with 59 healthy controls. Participants completed structured diagnostic interviews and self-reported depressive symptoms. Salivary cortisol was sampled in the evening and at five consecutive timepoints after awakening (15-min intervals). Cortisol was analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model of repeated measures and by cortisol awakening response (CAR) summary indices: area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg) and area under the curve with respect to increase (AUCi). Cortisol changed significantly over time, but there was no evidence that genotype groups differed in the overall cortisol timecourse. In CAR summary analyses, group differences were observed for AUCg, whereas AUCi did not show corresponding group differences. Regression analyses indicated that BDI-II was not associated with AUCg or AUCi after adjustment for covariates. These findings suggest that 5-HTTLPR-related differences, when present, may be more detectable in overall post-awakening cortisol output than in baseline-relative increase.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72656,"journal":{"name":"Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100363"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13425797/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148655061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Afternoon salivary cortisol shows no association with same-day state anxiety in community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"Yutaka Kunitake,&nbsp;Yoshiomi Imamura,&nbsp;Hiroko Kunitake,&nbsp;Junko Ohishi-Fukuchi,&nbsp;Hiroshi Tateishi,&nbsp;Jun Matsushima,&nbsp;Toru Murakawa-Hirachi,&nbsp;Ryohei Kojima,&nbsp;Takumi Shiraishi,&nbsp;Ryuzo Orihashi,&nbsp;Yoshito Mizoguchi","doi":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100375","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100375","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Older adults experienced measurable psychological burden during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although salivary cortisol is widely used as a biomarker of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activity, single time-point basal measurements may show inconsistent associations with anxiety. We examined whether afternoon salivary cortisol was cross-sectionally associated with same-day state anxiety in community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years were recruited between May and November 2021 in rural Japan. Afternoon salivary cortisol (15:00–16:00) was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay from stored samples. State anxiety was assessed using the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory state scale (STAI-State). Multivariable linear regression models were fitted in the overall sample and in exploratory sex-stratified analyses, adjusting for demographic, psychological, cognitive, and COVID-19–related factors.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The analyses included 76 participants (mean age 80.8 years; 68% female). The mean (standard deviation) STAI-State score was 40.7 (10.5), and median salivary cortisol was 0.13 μg/dL. In adjusted models, salivary cortisol was not associated with STAI-State score in the overall sample or in exploratory sex-stratified analyses. Effect estimates were close to null.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>In this cohort of community-dwelling older adults in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic, a single afternoon salivary cortisol measurement was not associated with same-day state anxiety. This null finding should be interpreted in the context of the present study design and measurement approach and does not rule out an association between cortisol and anxiety under other conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72656,"journal":{"name":"Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100375"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148736885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Justify your disability! A simulated medical evaluation as a novel stress induction model in chronic pain","authors":"Aimie Chiron,&nbsp;Aurore Fernandez,&nbsp;Léa Schmidt,&nbsp;Sonia Plaza-Wüthrich,&nbsp;Marc R. Suter,&nbsp;Siri Leknes,&nbsp;Chantal Berna","doi":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100378","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100378","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maladaptive stress responses may exacerbate chronic widespread pain (CWP) and deserve further investigations. Yet, existing stress induction paradigms lack relevance for individuals with CWP. Patients often report intense stress in response to medical appointments due to the experience of stigma, distrust, and a lack of common understanding about their condition and level of disability. Hence, we developed the Social Benefits Stress Test (SBST), based on the Trier Social Stress Test, replacing the mock job interview, by a fake medical examination where the participant needed to justify their work incapacity.</div><div>Forty women with CWP due to hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or hypermobility spectrum disorders were included. They underwent a 30-min baseline, the SBST and a recovery period. The psychophysiological stress response was captured using self-reported stress ratings, continuous heart rate and electrodermal activity (EDA) monitoring, salivary cortisol and α-amylase levels.</div><div>Compared to baseline, a significant increase in stress ratings was observed during the SBST, associated with a peak in salivary biomarkers. Heart rate variability analysis showed significant decreases in high frequency power (HF), increases in heart rate, low frequency power (LF) and in LF/HF ratio. EDA analysis revealed significant increases in skin conductance response (SCR). Subjective stress ratings correlated with physiological changes in α-amylase and LF/HF ratio.</div><div>The SBST induced a reproducible stress response across subjective and physiological measures, validating this task as a relevant experimental model of social stress in chronic pain and a valuable tool for quantitative testing of clinically relevant stress responses in patients with persistent symptoms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72656,"journal":{"name":"Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100378"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148951378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The neural and physiological mechanisms of Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI): A systematic review and integrated framework","authors":"Neta Ehrlich,&nbsp;Leehe Peled-Avron","doi":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100367","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100367","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAIs) have demonstrated therapeutic benefits across various clinical populations, yet the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Prior research examined peripheral biomarkers but lacked integration with central nervous system processes. This preregistered systematic review aims to describe, evaluate, and synthesize evidence on the neural and physiological mechanisms underlying the effects of AAI.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched ProQuest, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus through November 2025 using three concept groups: animal interventions, neurological measures, and physiological measures. Inclusion criteria required empirical studies that measured neurological or physiological outcomes from structured AAIs using live animals. Thirty-four studies were obtained after screening (seven neuroimaging and twenty-seven biomarker studies).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Neuroimaging findings indicated increased functional connectivity within emotion regulation (prefrontal–amygdala) and reward circuits (caudate, striatum), associated with symptom improvement in ADHD, PTSD, and internet gaming disorder. Salivary cortisol concentrations decreased in 64.3% of studies, and salivary oxytocin concentrations increased in 60%. Autonomic outcomes were inconsistent, likely due to methodological heterogeneity.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>AAIs modulate fronto-limbic circuitry and HPA-axis activity through enhanced prefrontal-amygdala connectivity, reward circuit activation, cortisol reduction, and an increase in oxytocin. These mechanisms collectively contribute to symptom reduction in mood and stress-related disorders. Future research requires larger RCTs with integrated multimodal assessments to establish causal pathways.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72656,"journal":{"name":"Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100367"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13393779/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148581173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perceived stress as a mediator between negative life events and psychosocial quality of life during the menopausal transition: A path analysis","authors":"Ming Jun Kuck,&nbsp;Nicola J. Paine,&nbsp;Eef Hogervorst","doi":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100366","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100366","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The menopausal transition, accompanied by numerous life challenges, is characterised by significant hormonal fluctuations and various symptoms. This study investigates the intricate relationships among perceived stress, resilience, self-efficacy, and social support vs. negative life events and their combined impact on the psychosocial quality of life (QoL) in women across the menopausal transition.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Cross-sectional data were gathered via an anonymous online survey of women aged 40–60 at various stages of the menopausal transition (premenopausal, n = 36; perimenopausal, n = 120; postmenopausal, n = 113), classified using STRAW+10 criteria, resulting in 269 valid responses. The survey included measures for negative life events, perceived stress, social support, resilience, self-efficacy, and menopausal-specific QoL. The study's path model regarded negative life events as an exogenous variable and perceived stress, social support, resilience, self-efficacy, and psychosocial quality of life as endogenous variables, whilst controlling for age and menopausal stage.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Negative life events were significantly associated with lower social support (β = −.186) and resilience (β = −.182), higher perceived stress (β = .338), and poorer psychosocial QoL (β = .164). Perceived stress emerged as the strongest predictor of psychosocial QoL (β = .578). Resilience, social support, and self-efficacy were indirectly linked to better psychosocial QoL through their effects on stress reduction. The model explained 47% of the variance in psychosocial QoL and 41% in perceived stress.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Perceived stress emerged as the central mediator linking negative life events to psychosocial QoL, with resilience, self-efficacy, and social support as indirect protective factors. Enhancing these modifiable factors through targeted interventions may improve well-being in women across the menopausal transition. Future longitudinal studies are needed to validate these findings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72656,"journal":{"name":"Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100366"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148635767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hair cortisol and other analytes continue to decline and show reduced stability after two years of storage: Follow-up data from a systematic within-subject investigation","authors":"Katharina Huthsteiner,&nbsp;Johannes B. Finke,&nbsp;Tim Klucken,&nbsp;Tobias Stalder","doi":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100373","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100373","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>We recently highlighted pre-analytical storage duration over a one-year period as an important methodological influence on hair endocrine data. Here, we extend these findings using a 24-month follow-up of our systematic intra-individual investigation, examining mean-level changes and relative stability of hair analytes across storage durations.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Hair samples were collected from 81 healthy participants from the posterior vertex. Samples were subdivided into five aliquots and analyzed either immediately or stored under standardized conditions (dark, dry, room temperature) for 3, 6, 12 or 24 months. Analyses focus on changes in the 24-month follow-up data. Concentrations of cortisol, cortisone, progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone and endocannabinoids (AEA, 1/2-AG, OEA, SEA, PEA) were quantified using LC-MS/MS.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Concentrations of hair cortisol and cortisone declined linearly across the two-year storage period. Between 12 and 24 months of storage, additional numerical decreases were observed (hair cortisol: −5.6%, hair cortisone: −8.9%), which however were not significant for hair cortisol. For hair cortisol, relative stability decreased with prolonged storage, reflected in weaker correlations between immediately analyzed and stored samples. Across other analytes, storage-related effects varied but generally suggested poorer data quality with increasing storage duration.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>We provide further support for the importance of storage duration as a methodological influence on endocrine hair analysis. For hair cortisol, longer storage was associated not only with declining concentrations but also with weaker correspondence with immediately analyzed samples. Our findings reinforce the recommendation to conduct hair analyses as early as possible, ideally within three-to-six months of sampling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72656,"journal":{"name":"Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100373"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148736792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The oxytocinergic system in functional neurological disorder: Preliminary testing of associations with interoception and childhood trauma","authors":"Natascha Stoffel,&nbsp;Juan Ansede-Bermejo,&nbsp;Cristina Concetti,&nbsp;Ángel Carracedo,&nbsp;Selma Aybek","doi":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100376","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100376","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The oxytocinergic system has been proposed as a vulnerability factor in the pathophysiology of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), a condition associated with stressful life-events and disturbed bodily awareness. Recent work from our group demonstrated reduced interoceptive function alongside elevated salivary oxytocin (OXT) levels in patients with mixed-FND.</div><div>Here, we tested the same patients with FND (N = 41) and matched healthy controls (N = 48) of that study, addressing two additional aims: (I) exploratively testing the genetic associations of the oxytocin receptor gene (<em>OXTR</em>) (i.e. investigating both genetic and epigenetic variables between groups and in interaction with interoceptive measures), and (II) evaluating whether integrating (epi)genetic and OXT measures improves overall model fit to explain interoceptive dysfunction and self-reported childhood trauma scores.</div><div>No group difference was observed regarding the allelic distribution of the rs53576 SNP or in <em>OXTR</em> methylation levels. For salivary OXT, an interaction effect between <em>OXTR</em> genotype and intron methylation (p = 0.036), as well as an interaction between group and genotype (p = 0.026) was identified. With respect to aim II, including oxytocinergic variables in the model did not explain additional interoceptive variance. However, including <em>OXTR</em> promoter methylation rates and salivary OXT levels alongside the group variable appeared to improve model fit and to account for more variance in self-reported childhood trauma.</div><div>While our preliminary genetic findings need to be interpreted with caution due to limited sample size and exploratory analyses, we suggest future research to profit from the inclusion of oxytocinergic markers when investigating risk-factors associated with FND.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72656,"journal":{"name":"Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100376"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148736886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distinct intrinsic neural connectivity of an emotion regulation network across the menopausal transition","authors":"Franziska Weinmar,&nbsp;Ann-Christin S. Kimmig,&nbsp;Sofia Amaoui,&nbsp;Laura Gervais,&nbsp;Alkistis Skalkidou,&nbsp;Carmen Morawetz,&nbsp;Birgit Derntl","doi":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100365","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100365","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Menopause is a major psychoneuroendocrine transition which can impact emotional functioning and mental health. Although emotion regulation (ER) is fundamental for mental health, intrinsic neural connectivity supporting ER across the menopausal transition remains unexplored. Addressing this gap, this study provides the first examination of intrinsic effective connectivity within an ER-related network across menopausal stages. Resting-state fMRI data were acquired from 76 healthy premenopausal (n = 32), perimenopausal (n = 19), and postmenopausal (n = 25) women. Effective connectivity within a predefined ER network was examined using spectral dynamic causal modeling. Further, we assessed how intrinsic connectivity predicts self-reported ER ability within each group. While self-reported ER ability did not differ across groups, resting-state effective connectivity within the ER network varied in a stage-specific manner, with the most heterogeneous effects observed between pre- and perimenopause, suggesting a non-monotonic pattern of between-group differences. Perimenopause was characterized by distinct frontal interaction patterns, reflecting a stage-specific redistribution of network organization rather than a gradual intermediate between pre- and postmenopausal connectivity profiles. Differences regarding postmenopause were restricted to greater weighting of temporo-parietal network components. Connectivity–ER ability associations revealed stage-specific predictive profiles, with distributed fronto-temporal connectivity predicting ER ability in premenopause, frontal-restricted connectivity in perimenopause, and a single frontal connection with reversed predictive direction in postmenopause. Our findings demonstrate that comparable levels of trait-based ER ability are associated with divergent intrinsic network configurations rather than a uniform architecture. Identifying perimenopause as distinct stage of intrinsic network organization advances hormone-sensitive models of intrinsic connectivity and provides a framework for understanding how baseline network organization may adapt during psychoneuroendocrine transitions in women.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72656,"journal":{"name":"Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100365"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13396911/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148586052","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Testosterone in patients with borderline personality disorder: from hair analyses to social behavior","authors":"Katja Wingenfeld,&nbsp;Eugenia Kulakova","doi":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100371","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100371","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Clemens Kirschbaum provided the important inspiration for our team to extend the assessment of steroid hormones beyond blood and saliva samples to include hair analyses. This enabled the investigation of the effects of long-term, cumulative steroid hormone secretion. This novel methodological perspective provided particularly compelling for the study of long-lasting stress-related mental disorders, such as borderline personality disorder (BPD). In an initial study, we found unaltered hair cortisol but increased hair testosterone in women with BPD. Notably, the latter finding inspired us to further investigate the role of testosterone in this patient population. Across subsequent studies, we replicated the finding of increased basal testosterone in a large sample of patients with BPD and identified associations with prosocial behavior and symptom burden, particularly internalizing symptoms. The present paper reviews these and related findings of testosterone in BPD and discusses their clinical relevance and implications for further research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72656,"journal":{"name":"Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100371"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148657639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pupil size as a sensitive marker of acute stress dynamics","authors":"Geoffrey Millour,&nbsp;Alexandre Coste,&nbsp;Ludovic Molle,&nbsp;Romuald Lepers,&nbsp;Christophe Hausswirth","doi":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100370","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpnec.2026.100370","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this study was to investigate pupil size as a sensitive and immediate marker of acute stress, by analyzing its evolution in response to two different stress-inducing cognitive tasks aiming to elicit distinct stress responses: a traditional Stroop task and a socially evaluative competitive Stroop task. Thirty participants were randomly assigned to either the traditional (G-trad, N = 14) or the competitive (G-comp, N = 16) Stroop groups. Stress-related measures—including pupil dilation, heart rate variability (RMSSD and SDNN), respiratory rate, blood pressure, salivary cortisol and α-amylase levels, and perceived stress (visual analog scale)—were recorded at baseline and during the 20-min recovery period. In addition, pupillary, cardiac, and respiratory responses were continuously recorded throughout the stress-inducing task, while perceived stress was assessed between task blocks. Significant increases in pupil dilation and perceived stress were observed only in G-comp during the task. Salivary cortisol increased significantly in G-comp after the Stroop, while α-amylase increased in both groups, though more markedly in G-comp. In this group, both cortisol and α-amylase exhibited a delayed peak, occurring 10 min post-task, before partially declining, reflecting a transient but intense hormonal stress response. No significant difference between the groups was found for RMSSD, SDNN, respiratory rate and blood pressure. Overall, pupil dilation was the only physiological measure recorded during task performance that differentiated between the traditional and competitive conditions. By contrast, hormonal markers exhibited delayed responses, while the other physiological measures failed to discriminate between conditions, supporting pupillometry as a non-invasive, real-time indicator of acute stress dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72656,"journal":{"name":"Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100370"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148657685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}