Subjective memory complaints in young people; their relationship withobjective cognitive performance and the role of neuroticism / Quejas subjetivas de memoria en jóvenes; su relación con el rendimiento cognitivo objetivo y el papel del neuroticismo

Las percepciones de olvidos recurrentes o episodios de distracción en la vida diaria se denominan quejas subjetivas de memoria (QSM). Su naturaleza se ha estudiado ampliamente en adultos mayores, pero su importancia y relación con el rendimiento neurocognitivo no se han abordado por completo en adultos más jóvenes. Se han sugerido algunos rasgos psicológicos como posibles moderadores de la asociación entre el rendimiento de la memoria objetiva y subjetiva. El primer objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la correspondencia entre la percepción objetiva y subjetiva de los fallos de memoria en jóvenes. En segundo lugar, estudiamos si el rasgo psicológico del neuroticismo podría estar influyendo en esta relación. Para ello, medimos QSM, diferentes dominios cognitivos (memoria episódica y de trabajo y funciones ejecutivas) y neuroticismo en 80 hombres y mujeres jóvenes. Los resultados mostraron que solo la memoria episódica inmediata estaba estadísticamente relacionada con los QSM. Curiosamente, las relaciones negativas entre el rendimiento de la memoria objetiva y subjetiva solo aparecieron en participantes con mayor neuroticismo. Por lo tanto, las quejas de memoria reportadas por los jóvenes podrían reflejar un peor rendimiento de la memoria episódica inmediata, mientras que el neuroticismo jugaría un papel principal en la asociación entre los déficits de memoria y las QSM. Este estudio proporciona datos que pueden ayudar a comprender mejor las QSM en los jóvenes.(AU)

Perceptions of recurrent forgetfulness or episodes of distraction in daily life are referred to as subjective memory complaints (SMCs). Their nature has been extensively studied in older adults, but their significance and relationship with neurocognitive performance have not been fully ad-dressed in younger adults. Some psychological traits have been suggested as possible moderators of the association between objective and subjective memory performance. The first aim of this study was to analyze the corre-spondence between the objective and subjective perception of memory failures in young people. Second, we studied whether the psychological trait of neuroticism could be influencing this relationship. Todo this, we measured SMCs, different cognitive domains (episodic and working memory and executive functions), and neuroticism in 80 young men and women. Results showed that only immediate episodic memory was statisti-cally related to SMCs. Interestingly, the negative relationships between ob-jective and subjective memory performance only appeared in participants with higher neuroticism. Thus, memory complaints reported by young people could reflect poorer immediate episodic memory performance, whereas neuroticism would play a main role in the association between memory deficits and SMCs. This study provides data that can help to bet-ter understand SMCs in young people.(AU)

Hair cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone and their associations with optimism and pessimism in older people.

The cumulative negative effects of prolonged Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (HPA axis) activation are associated with several age-related diseases. Some psychological traits such as optimism and pessimism have been shown to be related to both health and the stress response, although their relationship with the HPA axis is inconclusive. More stable HPA axis biomarkers, such as hair samples of cortisol (HC) and dehydroepiandrosterone (HDHEA), would help to clarify the association between these psychological traits and HPA axis functioning. The main aim of this study was to test the relationships between optimism and pessimism and chronic stress biomarkers measured in hair (HC and HDHEA). Additionally, a secondary objective was to explore sex differences in HC and HDHEA levels and their relationship with these psychological traits. We measured optimism, pessimism, and their combination (dispositional optimism) using the Life Orientation Test Revised (LOT-R) and chronic stress biomarkers (HC and HDHEA) in 119 healthy participants (46 men and 73 women) between 56 and 81 years old who belonged to a university program. Regression analyses controlling for perceived stress and BMI indicated that higher dispositional optimism was related to lower HC and HC:HDHEAratio (ß = -0.256, p = .008 and ß = -0.300, p = .002, respectively). More specifically, higher pessimism was related to higher HC (ß = 0.235; p = .012) and HC:HDHEAratio (ß = 0.240; p = .011), whereas higher optimism was associated with a lower HC:HDHEAratio(ß = -0.205; p = .031). Moderation analyses showed no sex differences. To date, this is the first study to investigate the link between these traits and HC and HDHEA in older people. Our results confirm that positive and negative expectations about the future (i.e. optimism and pessimism) may play an important role in health due to their relationship with the HPA axis. They also strengthen the idea that the negative effects of pessimism have a greater weight than the protective effects of optimism in their relationship with HPA axis regulation.

Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease and Cerebrovascular Disease in Relation to Depressive Symptomatology in Individuals With Subjective Cognitive Decline.

BACKGROUND: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) has gained recent interest as a potential harbinger of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD). In addition, SCD can be related to depressive symptomatology. However, the association between AD and CVD biomarkers, depressive symptomatology, and SCD is still unclear. We investigated the association of AD and CVD biomarkers and depressive symptomatology with SCD in individuals with subjective memory complaints (SCD-memory group) and individuals with subjective concentration complaints (SCD-concentration group). METHODS: We recruited a population-based cohort of 217 individuals (all aged 70 years, 53% female participants, 119 SCD-memory individuals, 23 SCD-concentration individuals, and 89 controls). AD and CVD were assessed through cerebrospinal fluid levels of the Aß42/40 ratio and phosphorylated tau, and white matter signal abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging, respectively. Associations between biomarkers, depressive symptomatology, and SCD were tested via logistic regression and correlation analyses. RESULTS: We found a significant association between depressive symptomatology with SCD-memory and SCD-concentration. Depressive symptomatology was not associated with AD and CVD biomarkers. Both the phosphorylated tau biomarker and depressive symptomatology predicted SCD-memory, and the Aß42/40 ratio and depressive symptomatology predicted SCD-concentration. CONCLUSIONS: The role of depressive symptomatology in SCD may differ depending on the stage within the spectrum of preclinical AD (as determined by amyloid-beta and tau positivity), and does not seem to reflect AD pathology. Our findings contribute to the emerging field of subclinical depressive symptomatology in SCD and clarify the association of different types of subjective complaints with distinct syndromic and biomarker profiles.

Loneliness during the post-confinement period: The significance of social living conditions for stress biomarkers and memory.

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdown, concerns about the impact of loneliness and reduced social interactions on mental health have arisen. This study explored the repercussions of post-lockdown social restrictions across psychological (loneliness, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms), biological (hair cortisol and cardiovascular activity), and cognitive dimensions (subjective memory complaints and working, declarative, and prospective memory), with a specific emphasis on perceived loneliness and the living situation. The study included 45 students: 23 (mean age = 25.69 years) in the Alone Group (AG), who experienced significant family changes and international relocation, and 22 (mean age = 25.50 years) in the Not Alone Group (NAG), who maintained their nuclear family and did not move from their home country. We assessed heart rate variability (HRV) before, during, and after immediate memory evaluations using time-domain (the square root of the mean, RMSSD) measures. The analysis revealed no significant group differences in telematic contact with family and friends, perceived stress, or depression. However, the AG participants reported fewer face-to-face interactions and greater perceived loneliness compared to the NAG. Additionally, the AG group exhibited slightly higher hair cortisol levels and worse working memory (WM) and prospective memory (PM) performance. Importantly, no significant associations were observed between memory outcomes and stress biomarkers. However, a significant interaction effect of loneliness in the relationship between hair cortisol levels and PM was found. That is, hair cortisol concentrations were negatively related to PM when participants perceived high and moderate loneliness. This interaction was absent in the working and declarative memory domains. In summary, these findings underscore the intricate interplay between loneliness, cortisol, and memory, emphasizing the need for comprehensive research on the complex mechanisms governing these multifaceted relationships.

Female students' personality and stress response to an academic examination.

BACKGROUND: Women are vulnerable to stress-related disorders. Examinations are a source of stress, triggering emotional, cognitive, and hormonal responses. We examined women's psychological and hormonal stress responses and academic performance according to personality during a real-life examination. METHODS: Female students (N = 66) were divided into two groups based on hierarchical cluster analysis: one cluster characterized by high neuroticism and moderate extraversion (HN-ME; n = 42) and the other by low neuroticism and high extraversion (LN-HE; n = 24). Academic performance, perceived stress, and emotional dysregulation were analyzed. State anxiety, affect, and cortisol release were measured before and on the examination day. RESULTS: The HN-ME cluster was high in perceived stress, emotional dysregulation, and negative affect. This cluster also had higher state anxiety levels two days before and shortly after the examination compared to the LN-HE cluster. Students' cortisol levels were higher on the examination day, and there was a marginal significance of the Cluster factor in the cortisol release regardless of the day of measurement. CONCLUSIONS: Women with high neuroticism and moderate extraversion may be more vulnerable to psychological stress in academic settings but similar to other women in their cortisol response.

Openness to experience and cognitive functioning and decline in older adults: The mediating role of cognitive reserve.

OBJECTIVE: Openness to experience has been consistently associated with better cognitive functioning in older people, but its association with cognitive decline is less clear. Cognitive reserve has been proposed as a mechanism underlying this relationship, but previous studies have reported mixed findings, possibly due to the different ways of conceptualizing cognitive reserve. We aimed to analyze the potential mediating role of cognitive reserve in the association between openness and cognitive functioning and decline in healthy older people. METHOD: In Wave 1 and at the four-year follow-up (Wave 2), 87 healthy older people (49.4% women; M age = 65.08, SD = 4.54) completed a neuropsychological battery to assess cognitive functioning and a questionnaire to assess cognitive reserve. Openness was measured with the NEO- Five-Factor Inventory. Mediation models were proposed to investigate the relationship between openness and cognitive function or decline through cognitive reserve or its change. RESULTS: Cognitive reserve mediated the openness-cognitive functioning association. Thus, individuals with higher openness showed greater cognitive reserve, and this greater cognitive reserve was associated with better cognitive functioning. Moreover, greater cognitive reserve at baseline also mediated the association between higher openness and slower cognitive decline. However, change in cognitive reserve did not mediate the association between openness and change in cognitive functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive reserve is a mechanism underlying the association between openness and cognitive functioning and decline. These findings support the differential preservation hypothesis, suggesting that healthy older adults who engage in more cognitively stimulating activities would show less age-related cognitive decline.

The effects of left dorsolateral prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation on episodic future thinking following acute psychosocial stress.

INTRODUCTION: Research on stress-related disorders and brain imaging suggests that (acute) stress might impact the capacity to mentally simulate specific episodic future events (EFT) through the effects of cortisol on brain regions supporting this cognitive function, such as the prefrontal cortices. This study aims to examine the mechanisms underlying this link, using transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. METHODS: 60 healthy participants were subjected to the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST), followed by either active or sham tDCS. After stimulation, the EFT task was administered. Salivary cortisol was measured throughout the protocol. RESULTS: Higher cortisol AUCi values were linked to less specific episodic future thoughts. Moreover, active tDCS enhanced EFT specificity irrespective of cortisol, especially in high trait ruminators. We did not observe an effect from active tDCS on cortisol AUCi, and equally there was no interaction effect between cortisol AUCi and stimulation condition predictive for EFT specificity. CONCLUSION: Although we did not find evidence for the effects of tDCS on the HPA-system, our data reveal a crucial link between two critical predictors of mental health for the first time, and provide a solution to help rehabilitate EFT deficits.Trial registration: Netherlands National Trial Register identifier: ntr004..

Association between olfactory dysfunction and mood disturbances with objective and subjective cognitive deficits in long-COVID.

Background and purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with olfactory dysfunction. The persistent symptoms of anosmia or hyposmia were associated in previous studies with the development of memory impairment and mood disturbances. We aimed to investigate the association between the chronicity of reported olfactory dysfunction and subjective and objective cognitive performance in long-COVID patients and to explore whether their emotional symptoms are related to their cognition. Methods: One hundred twenty-eight long-COVID participants were recruited. Reported symptomatology, subjective memory complaints, anxiety and depression symptomatology, and trait-anxiety were assessed. Subjective memory complaints and mood disturbances were compared among groups of participants with olfactory dysfunction as an acute (AOD), persistent (POD), or nonexistent (NOD) symptom. Seventy-six of the volunteers also participated in a face-to-face session to assess their objective performance on tests of general cognitive function and verbal declarative memory. Objective cognitive performance and mood disturbances were compared among the AOD, POD, and NOD groups. Results: The subjective memory complaints and the anxiety and depression symptoms were similar among the groups, but the score in general cognitive function was lower in the participants with symptoms of acute olfactory dysfunction than in those with no olfactory symptoms at any time. Participants' memory complaints were positively related to their emotional symptoms. The relationship between depressive symptomatology and memory complaints interacted with the olfactory dysfunction, as it only occurred in the participants without symptoms of olfactory dysfunction. Depressive symptomatology and acute olfactory symptoms were negatively associated with general cognitive function and delayed memory performance. The months elapsed from diagnosis to assessment also predicted delayed memory performance. Anxious symptomatology was negatively associated with the immediate ability to recall verbal information in participants who did not present olfactory dysfunction in the acute phase of the infection. Conclusion: Olfactory dysfunction in the acute phase of the infection by COVID-19 is related to cognitive deficits in objective tests, and mood disturbances are associated with self-reported and objective memory. These findings may contribute to further understanding the neuropsychological and emotional aspects of long-COVID.

Subjective memory complaints in young people: the role of resilience.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the origin and associated factors of subjective memory complaints (SMCs) in the young population, although they might be closely related to the psychophysiological states produced by stress exposure, such as anxiety and depression. In this regard, resilience has been related to a reduction in these negative states, as well as to more adaptive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning. We aimed to investigate the importance of depression, anxiety, and HPA axis activity in SMCs in the young population. We also analysed the relationship between resilience and SMCs through the mediation of depression, anxiety, and the cortisol awakening response (CAR). DESIGN: To do so, we measured SMCs, depression and anxiety states, resilience, and the CAR in 77 healthy young people. RESULTS: Both depression and anxiety were associated with SMCs. In addition, greater resilience was related to fewer SMCs through depression and anxiety. However, the CAR was not related to SMCs, and it did not mediate the relationship between resilience and SMCs. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that negative affective states have greater importance in SMCs than HPA functioning in this age group, and they also highlight the importance of resilience in the psychological adjustment to stressful situations.

Depression and Suicide Risk in Mild Cognitive Impairment: The Role of Alzheimer's Disease Biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: Patients with depression and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at greater risk of developing dementia. Depression involves a higher risk of suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA). Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) could help to clarify the role of depression and SI in AD. METHOD: Fifty-nine participants aged > 50 with criteria of MCI positive (MCI-AD) (n=22) and negative (MCI-Non AD) (n=24) AD and healthy controls (HC) (n=13) were evaluated. We used the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30) and the GDS-SI factor to measure depression and indirect risk for suicide, respectively. Additionally, AD biomarkers such as amyloid-ß (Aß), hyperphosphorilated tau (P-tau), and total tau (T-tau) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were analyzed. RESULTS: No significant differences between the groups were found in depression. However, in the MCI-AD group, lower P-tau and T-tau levels were related to higher GDS-SI scores, suggesting that MCI-AD patients with lower AD pathology are at a higher risk of suicide. CONCLUSIONS: The result highlights the importance of considering SI in the initial phases of AD, and the potential role of AD biomarkers in early detection of symptoms.

EEG markers and subjective memory complaints in young and older people.

Subjective memory complaints (SMCs) have been related to subtle cognitive deficits and neural changes. In this study, we investigated whether EEG rhythms, usually altered in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, are also affected in SMCs compared to people without SMCs. Seventy-one older adults (55-74 years old) and 75 young people (18-34 years old) underwent 3 min of EEG recording in a resting-state condition with their eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) and a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. The EEG measures included were power spectral delta (0.5-4 Hz), theta (4-8 Hz), alpha (8-12 Hz), beta (13-30 Hz), and EEG reactivity to EO. Compared to controls, older people with SMCs showed increased theta power and a loss of alpha reactivity to EO. Additionally, in older participants with SMCs, the theta power spectral was related to deficits in verbal memory. In contrast, we failed to find differences in the young people with SMCs, compared to the control group, in the power spectral or the EEG reactivity to EO. Our findings suggest that neurophysiological markers of brain dysfunction may identify cognitive changes even before they are observed on objective neuropsychological tests, at least in older people.

Depression and Suicide Risk in Mild Cognitive Impairment: The Role of Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarkers / Depresión y Riesgo de Suicidio en el Deterioro Cognitivo Leve: el Rol de los Biomarcadores de la Enfermedad de Alzheimer

Background: Patients with depression and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at greater risk of developing dementia. Depression involves a higher risk of suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA). Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) could help to clarify the role of depression and SI in AD. Method: Fifty-nine participants aged > 50 with criteria of MCI positive (MCI-AD) (n=22) and negative (MCI-Non AD) (n=24) AD and healthy controls (HC) (n=13) were evaluated. We used the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30) and the GDS-SI factor to measure depression and indirect risk for suicide, respectively. Additionally, AD biomarkers such as amyloid-ß (Aß), hyperphosphorilated tau (P-tau), and total tau (T-tau) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were analyzed. Results: No significant differences between the groups were found in depression. However, in the MCI-AD group, lower P-tau and T-tau levels were related to higher GDS-SI scores, suggesting that MCI-AD patients with lower AD pathology are at a higher risk of suicide. Conclusions: The result highlights the importance of considering SI in the initial phases of AD, and the potential role of AD biomarkers in early detection of symptoms.(AU)

Antecedentes: Los pacientes con depresión y deterioro cognitivo leve (DCL) tienen un alto riesgo de desarrollar demencia. La depresión implica un alto riesgo de ideación suicida (IS) e intentos de suicidio (AS). Los biomarcadores de la enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) pueden clarificar el papel de la depresión e IS en la EA. Método: Cincuenta y nueve participantes >50 años con criterios de DCL-EA positivo (DCL-EA; 22) y negativo (DCL-NoEA; 24) y 13 controles sanos. La depresión fue evaluada con la Escala Geriátrica de Depresión (GDS-30) y la IS con el factor GDS-IS. Además, se midieron los siguientes biomarcadores en el líquido cefalorraquídeo: ß-amiloide (ß-A), tau hiperfosforilada (H-tau) y total (T-tau). Resultados: No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los tres grupos de participantes en depresión o en IS. Sin embargo, en el grupo DCL-EA, niveles más bajos de H-tau y T-tau, indicadores de menor patología EA, se relacionaron significativamente con mayor riesgo de suicidio indirecto. Conclusiones: Este resultado subraya la importancia de considerar la IS en fases iniciales de EA, y el potencial papel de los biomarcadores de EA para detectar sus síntomas.(AU)

Loneliness and Health Indicators in Middle-Aged and Older Females and Males.

Loneliness is a complex and uncomfortable feeling that results from the perception of a lack of desired personal and social ties. Loneliness is accentuated with aging. It has been related to a wide range of objective and subjective health indicators and is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality. One of the proposed underlying mechanisms through which loneliness affects health is the dysregulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. However, the relationship between loneliness and cortisol, the main product of the HPA axis, is unclear and requires more research. The aims of this cross-sectional study were to investigate the relationships between loneliness, subjective health, and cortisol indexes, taking the sex into account, and investigate whether the HPA axis mediates the relationship between loneliness and subjective health. For this purpose, 79 participants (between 55 and 75 years old) completed several scales on loneliness, depression, perceived stress, psychological and physical health, and social relationships. Various salivary cortisol measurements were obtained on two consecutive days. The initial results showed that loneliness was related to psychological and physical health in the mixed-sex sample. However, when covariates were introduced, loneliness was only associated with psychological health in males. In addition, the cortisol indexes employed were not related to loneliness and did not mediate the relationship between loneliness and subjective health. Hence, we did not find a relevant role of the HPA axis in the association between loneliness and subjective health. More severe perceptions of loneliness would probably be necessary to detect this role. Overall, these results also show that the expected negative outcomes of loneliness associated with aging can be countered by an active life that can compensate for the natural losses experienced with age or at least delay these negative outcomes. Finally, some sex differences were found, in line with other studies, which warrants further examination of social variables and dimensions related to gender in future research.

Hormonal changes of intimate partner violence perpetrators in response to brief social contact with women.

This study investigated whether men with a history of real-life aggressive, dominant behavior show increases in testosterone and cortisol levels after brief social contact with women. Furthermore, we tested the prediction that such changes in hormones would be larger than those observed previously in young male students. Sixty-seven male participants convicted of intimate partner violence (IPV) either had brief social contact with a female confederate (experimental condition) or a male confederate (control condition). We also performed meta-analyses to investigate whether IPV perpetrators' hormonal responses were larger than the typical responses of young male students in prior studies. All statistical analyses were preregistered. Change in testosterone did not differ across experimental conditions, and testosterone in the IPV perpetrators actually declined from baseline in the female confederate condition. Our meta-analysis showed that this testosterone decrease was different from the testosterone increase typically observed in young male students. The cortisol levels of IPV perpetrators did not change in response to contact with women. This result was consistent with our meta-analysis since young male students also did not experience a cortisol change in response to interactions with women. In sum, our findings provide no evidence that male IPV perpetrators exhibit larger hormone increases to brief interactions with women, although it is possible that the men in this sample did not perceive the social contact period as a courtship opportunity. These results suggest that hormone reactivity to social encounters may differ across subject populations and depend on how subjects perceive social situations within laboratory settings.

Mediation of perceived stress and cortisol in the association between neuroticism and global cognition in older adults: A longitudinal study.

Neuroticism has been associated with a greater dementia risk, but its association with cognitive decline in healthy older adults remains unclear. Stress has been proposed as one of the mechanisms that could explain this relationship. Our aim was to analyse, in healthy older people, the mediating role of perceived stress and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis in the association between neuroticism and global cognition. At Waves 1 and 2 (4-year follow-up), 87 older people (49.4% women; M age = 65.08, SD = 4.54 at Wave 1) completed a neuropsychological battery and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and provided saliva samples on two (Wave 1) and three (Wave 2) consecutive days to measure the wake-to-bed slope. In Wave 2, neuroticism was assessed with the NEO-Five-Factor Inventory. PSS, but not the wake-to-bed slope, mediated the negative associations between neuroticism and global cognition (Waves 1, 2 and change). Regarding gender differences, PSS (Waves 1, 2 and change) and the wake-to-bed slope (Wave 2 and change) mediated these associations in men. Our results suggest that perceived stress and HPA-axis dysregulation could act as mechanisms underlying the association between neuroticism and cognitive functioning and decline, at least in older men.

Deficits in facial emotional valence processing in older people with subjective memory complaints: Behavioral and electrophysiological evidence.

Subjective memory complaints (SMCs), which occur in the absence of clinical memory deficits, may precede mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's disease (AD). Some studies have reported a deficit in facial emotion processing in people with MCI or AD. However, it is unclear whether this deficit is also present in older people with SMCs. The present study used behavioral measurements and event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate the facial emotion processing of 41 older people with SMCs and 38 without SMCs. The task contained 204 images displaying facial emotions (positive, negative, and neutral). In terms of behavior, our results showed that participants with SMCs were slower and less accurate than controls. In terms of ERPs, the N170 latency was longer in men with SMCs than in controls, whereas no differences were observed between groups in the P300 and late positive potential (LPP) latencies or amplitudes. Moreover, in participants with SMCs, higher P300 and LPP amplitudes were related to better performance on working memory, psychomotor speed, and attention. Additionally, women were faster and more accurate than men on the facial emotion-processing task. In sum, these results suggest that older people with SMCs may have deficits in the processing of facial expressions of emotion. However, this deficit seems to affect the structural encoding of faces, rather than the late stages of processing.

Subclinical social anxiety in healthy young adults: cortisol and subjective anxiety in response to acute stress / Ansiedad social subclínica en adultos jóvenes sanos: cortisol y ansiedad subjetiva en respuesta a estrés agudo

There is no consensus about the pattern of cortisol release and its relationship with subjective anxiety in situations of stress in the population with social anxiety. Our aim was to determine the cortisol and subjective anxiety response in individuals with social anxiety subjected to an acute psychosocial stressor. 26 college students (58.6% males), mean age = 21.62 ± 0.43, were exposed to the stress or control adaptation of the Maastricht Acute Stress Test. Salivary cortisol and subjective anxiety were measured before, during, and after stress. Participants showed an increase in cortisol levels during the stress and post-stress phases, with a significantly higher response in those with high social anxiety. Participants with high social anxiety also showed, as a tendency, higher levels of subjective anxiety, especially in the post-stress phase. Only in the stress phase, cortisol and subjective anxiety correlated significantly in socially anxious participants. The findings support a cortisol hyperresponsiveness in a young, non-clinical population with high social anxiety. Future research should focus on the factors involved and the effects of this physiological response on health. Furthermore, the need to control social anxiety in experiments using a laboratory psychosocial stressor is highlighted.(AU)

No existe consenso sobre el patrón de liberación de cortisol y su relación con la ansiedad subjetiva en situaciones de estrés en población con ansiedad social. Nuestro objetivo fue determinar la respuesta de cortisol y ansiedad subjetiva en individuos con ansiedad social sometidos a un estresor psicosocial agudo. 26 universitarios (58.6% hombres), edad media = 21.62 ± 0.43, fueron expuestos a la versión estrés o control del Maastricht Acute Stress Test. El cortisol salival y la ansiedad subjetiva fueron medidos antes, durante y post-estrés. Los participantes mostraron un incremento en los niveles de cortisol durante las fases de estrés y post-estrés, con una respuesta significativamente mayor en aquellos con ansiedad social. Los participantes con alta ansiedad social mostraron, a nivel muestral, mayores niveles de ansiedad subjetiva, especialmente post-estrés. Sólo en la fase de estrés, el cortisol y la ansiedad subjetiva correlacionaron significativamente en los participantes socialmente ansiosos. Los hallazgos apoyan una hiperresponsividad de cortisol en población no clínica y joven con alta ansiedad social. Futuras investigaciones deberían estudiar los factores involucrados y efectos de esta respuesta fisiológica en la salud. Asimismo, se resalta la necesidad de controlar la ansiedad social en experimentos que utilicen un estresor psicosocial de laboratorio.(AU)

Subjective Memory Complaints and Decision Making in Young and Older Adults: An Event-Related Potential Study.

Subjective memory complaints (SMCs) may affect decision-making processes. This study aimed to investigate the neuronal correlates of feedback processing during a decision-making task in young and older adults with and without SMCs. Event-related potentials and behavioral performance during the Iowa gambling task were recorded in a total of 136 participants (65 young adults, 71 older adults). The participants were divided into two groups according to their SMCs (with SMCs: n = 60, without SMCs: n = 76). Feedback-related negativity (FRN) and P3 were analyzed in the feedback stage of the decision-making process. Older adults with SMCs scored worse in the ambiguity phase than older adults without SMCs. The FRN latency was longer for losses in older people with SMCs than in older people without SMCs in the first block. No significant differences between young and older adults with and without SMCs were observed in the other ERP measures. Compared to young adults, older adults showed delayed latency in the FRN component and reduced amplitudes and delayed latency in the P3 component. In conclusion, older people with SMCs present deficits in the decision-making process. These deficits are observed at the behavioral level, but also in neural mechanisms of early feedback processing of negative outcomes.

Loneliness Mediates the Relationship Between Early Life Stress and Perceived Stress but not Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Functioning.

Many authors have proposed that early life stress (ELS) provokes a dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and contributes negatively to the management of stress in adulthood. However, these associations have not always been observed, making it necessary to include new factors that could explain the different results found. In this regard, people with ELS experiences report less social support during adulthood, suggesting that loneliness could be a mediating factor. Thus, our aims were to investigate whether ELS was related to both perceived stress and diurnal HPA axis activity, and whether loneliness mediates these relationships, in a community sample (N=187, 18-55years old). Fourteen cortisol samples were collected on two non-consecutive days to obtain the overall diurnal cortisol, diurnal cortisol slope, and bedtime levels. Additionally, ELS was assessed with the Risky Families Questionnaire (RFQ) and the Recalled Childhood and Adolescence Perceived Stress (ReCAPS) measure. Results revealed that ELS was associated with perceived stress, but not HPA axis functioning, and loneliness mediated the relationship between ELS and perceived stress, but not between ELS and HPA axis functioning. Similar results were found for both ELS questionnaires, suggesting that the ReCAPS is an adequate tool. These results highlight the importance of loneliness in understanding the long-term effects of ELS, and they indicate different effects of ELS on subjective and physiological stress indicators.

Diurnal cortisol secretion and health-related quality of life in healthy older people.

Several studies have demonstrated that a dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is related to worse health status (e.g., depression, posttraumatic stress, or diabetes, among others). However, less is known about the association between the individual's perception of their own health status and HPA-axis functioning in healthy older people. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between HPA-axis functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in healthy older people. To do this, 140 healthy older people (69 men and 71 women) from 56 to 76 years old collected eight saliva samples on two consecutive weekdays to measure the diurnal cortisol cycle (i.e. awakening cortisol levels, cortisol awakening response (CAR), overall morning cortisol levels, change in the cortisol levels during the day, and bedtime cortisol levels). In addition, they completed the SF-36 questionnaire to obtain a measure of HRQoL (i.e. reflecting physical and mental functional health status). Results showed that higher awakening and bedtime cortisol levels and the CAR were associated with a better perception of both physical and mental health. In addition, the wake-to-bed cortisol slope was only positively related to physical health. No sex differences were found. These findings suggest that the awakening and bedtime cortisol levels and the CAR are the most relevant indices of diurnal cortisol secretion for understanding the relationship between HPA-axis functioning and HRQoL status in older people.