Patricia Sariñana-González

High testosterone levels and sensitivity to acute stress in perpetrators of domestic violence with low cognitive flexibility and impairments in their emotional decoding process: A preliminary study

Hormonal and neuropsychological impairment in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators could play a role in domestic violence. For characterizing whether there is a specific psychobiological response to stress, participants who had previously been jailed for IPV and controls were compared for testosterone and cortisol levels, tested for 2D:4D ratio (as an indicator of masculinization), and given several trait questionnaires and neuropsychological tests related to executive functions and theory of mind. After performing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), IPV perpetrators experienced decreases in salivary testosterone (T) levels, a moderate worsening of mood, slight anxiety, and a salivary cortisol (C) level increase. Moreover, high basal T was related with high levels of anger and anxiety and worse mood. However, that basal mood does not significantly alter T levels in response to stress. Nonetheless, controls experienced smaller changes in T and larger changes in C and psychological mood. With respect to neuropsychological and cognitive empathic features, IPV perpetrators showed poorer executive performance and emotional recognition than controls. In addition, deficits in both neuropsychological domains were positively associated. Regarding emotional empathy, IPV perpetrators showed higher levels of personal distress than controls. The 2D:4D ratio was lower in IPV perpetrators than in controls. Moreover, only in the former a smaller 2D:4D ratio was related to large increases in T in response to stress and poor emotional recognition. Together with social aspects involved in IPV, differences in psychobiological variables and their relationships could play a relevant role in the onset and perpetuation of violent behavior.

Cortisol response to stress in caregivers of offspring with autism spectrum disorder is associated with care recipient characteristics

Abstract Providing care for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is particularly stressful and frequently associated with disturbances in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis of the caregiver. This study examined whether the stress response is modulated by factors such as age of the care recipient and number of years spent by the caregiver in providing care for the ASD individual. Caregivers of children (n = 15), adolescents (n = 12), and adults (n = 11) with ASD were exposed to two episodes of acute psychosocial stressor in a 1 day session. Salivary cortisol samples were obtained before, during, and after the stressor episodes. Psychological characteristics (states of anxiety, anger, and mood) were measured before and after the stressor episodes. The characteristics of the ASD individuals (age, degree of autism, global activity, and level of autonomy) were also registered. A difference in stress response was found when caregivers of ASD children were compared with those of ASD adolescents and adults, ε = 0.25, F(2.24,53.65) = 5.82, p < 0.004; ε = 0.23 and F(2.11,48.43) = 4.88, p < 0.01, respectively. Thus, upon acute-stressor exposure, caregivers of ASD individuals presented a stress response that correlated with the age of the patient (the older the patient, the lower the cortisol response). Additional factors, such as number of years spent providing care and level of autonomy of the recipient, also significantly contributed to the stress response. Together, the results demonstrate that recipient characteristics contribute to the detection of high-risk individuals within a caregiver population.

Psychophysiological responses to cooperation: the role of outcome and gender.

Instances of sustained cooperative behaviour in humans can be considered as an adaptive strategy that enhances the probability of reaching a goal. This study investigates psychophysiological responses to cooperation in healthy subjects, while considering outcome and gender as potential moderators of these responses. Salivary cortisol levels (Csal), heart rate (HR), skin conductance level (SCL), nonspecific skin conductance responses (NSRs), and mood states were measured at different points before, during and after a Lego house-building task in undergraduate men (n = 22) and women (n = 20). Once the task was finished, the experimenter informed the participants about the outcome obtained (positive or negative). Cooperation produces an increase in HR, SCL, and NSR responses. When the outcome is positive it produces a gradual diminution in Csal levels, but when the outcome is negative there is a significant increase in Csal levels after the task followed by a progressive decrease. Men with positive outcomes showed a lower area under curve (AUC) in Csal than women with a negative outcome. Men had more NSR responses in all periods other than the rest period. Several mood states are differently affected by the combined effect of outcome and gender. Our laboratory results can be generalized to other situations in which negotiation, mediation, and cooperative strategies are relevant for taking decisions and/or solving problems. The authors wish to thank Dr Tinca Polderman and John Rawlins for the revision of the English text. This study was supported by the Ministry of Business, Research and Science of the Valencia Regional Government (GVPRE/2008/260, GVACOMP/2010/250, and PROMETEO/2011/048) and the Ministry of Science and Education of the Spanish Government (PSI2008-04408/PSIC).

A cognitive-behavioural intervention improves cognition in caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study

As postulated by the stress process model, chronically stressed individuals, such as caregivers of people with chronic psychological disorders, have poorer cognitive performance and higher age-related cognitive decline than individuals not exposed to chronic stress. When analysing this topic in caregivers, the majority of research has been conducted in populations in which the care recipient has dementia and/or Alzheimers disease, while relatively few studies have analysed cognition in caregivers of offspring with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The main objective of this pilot study was to analyse the effect of a cognitive-behavioural intervention on cognition in caregivers of people with ASD. Specifically, we sought to gather evidence on whether there were clinically significant improvements in speed/attention, memory, and visuospatial, language and executive s after the intervention. The participants were 17 parents (mean age of 52 years, 59% females) of ASD-diagnosed people who had cared for their offspring for approximately 14 years. The study had a pre-post design. After the cognitive-behavioural intervention, ASD caregivers had better selective attention, short- and long-term memory for words, stories and images, naming, cognitive flexibility and planning skills (p=.01 for all). Nevertheless, no changes were observed in general cognitive status, working memory for digits, verbal fluency, processing speed or inhibitory control (p>.05 for all). These findings underline the relevance of proper support and respite services to help caregivers cope with and reduce stress. A comprehensive neuropsychological assessment together with adjuvant domain-specific procedures and programmes to improve cognitive abilities are d to improve caregivers’ well-being and health.

Cooperation Between Strangers in Face-to-Face Dyads Produces More Cardiovascular Activation Than Competition or Working Alone

Individual and shared goals can be achieved through social interpersonal interaction, cooperation and competition being two different yet similar strategies to reach such aims and objectives. Nevertheless, there is a gap in the literature analyzing the effect of these types of social interactions, especially in cooperation, on autonomic nervous system responses using noninvasive measures, such as heart rate (HR). The regulation of HR and other cardiovascular variables of the central nervous system offers information about how to encourage or discourage social engagement and prosocial behaviors. In fact, a more flexible engagement with the environment and efficient emotions regulation is enabled by an efficient cardiac control. Hence, the main aim of this study was to investigate heart rate variability (HRV) in strangers (180 healthy young participants) who were set to cooperate or compete in face-to-face dyads (between same-gender participants) or to work alone (as the control condition), considering outcomes in these tasks (positive or negative) and gender as moderating variables. We found that participants who cooperated had higher HRs and lower high frequency (HF) HRV than those who competed and/or worked alone. Regarding gender and outcome, men who cooperate and lose have lower HF-HRV levels than men on the simple task with negative outcomes. Hence, our study indicates that cooperation between strangers in face-to-face dyads may produce less parasympathetic activation than competition or working on the task without any social interaction. Research in this field may help us understand the psychophysiological basis of social interaction, providing an opportunity to establish interaction strategies that would be physiologically desirable, in order to promote well-being.

Relación entre empatía y respuesta matutina de cortisol

Con la finalidad de prevenir la conducta antisocial, el estudio de las bases biologicas de la empatia ha cobrado especial relevancia en los ultimos anos. Diversos estudios han resaltado la implicacion del eje hipotalamo-hipofisis-adrenal (HHA) y el cortisol en la empatia, pero son escasos los que han estudiado la relacion entre esta y la respuesta matutina de cortisol (CAR, por su nombre en ingles Cortisol Awakening Response) como indicador de la actividad basal del HHA. Este estudio analiza la asociacion entre la empatia, tanto cognitiva como emocional, y la CAR en 39 hombres y 91 mujeres (47 fase folicular y 44 fase lutea del ciclo menstrual). La CAR se obtuvo a partir de muestras de saliva recogidas al despertar y a los 30, 45 y 60 minutos posteriores, la empatia se evaluo mediante el Indice de Reactividad Interpersonal (Interpersonal Reactivity Index). Los resultados muestran que las mujeres exhiben mayor empatia cognitiva cuando mayor es el incremento de la CAR durante la fase folicular. Los hombres muestran menor simpatia o contagio emocional cuando es mayor el incremento de la CAR. Por tanto, las diferencias entre empatia y simpatia, en funcion del genero y de la fase del ciclo menstrual en las mujeres, podrian ser explicadas por la existencia de patrones psicobiologicos distintos.

P03-415 - Caregiving increases health complaints in middle-aged caregivers of autistic offspring: the role of years caring

Introduction Caregiving of offspring with a chronic illness is a highly stressful vital experience. Previous studies with parents of schizophrenic persons revealed that these situations increase health complaints (Gonzalez-Bono et al., 2009), with the duration of caring being a relevant variable (Contell-Montana et al., 2010). The higher age of the caregivers of schizophrenia can contribute to this health unbalance, but little is known in younger samples. Aim/objective To test whether middle-aged caregivers (parents of autistic persons) present higher health disturbances than controls and to investigate the moderating role of duration of caring Methods Health complaints and resting levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA) were measured in a sample of 38 middle-aged caregivers of autistic offspring (24 mothers/14 fathers) and 35 parents of healthy persons (17 women/18 men) of similar characteristics. Results Caregivers report more immunological, muscular, genital-urinary and general health complaints than controls. Additionally, the scores of all scales and total score of Goldberg Health Questionnaire were higher in caregivers than in non caregivers. No significant differences were found in IgA levels. Among caregivers, fewer years of caring were associated with more anxiety and lower IgA levels. Conclusions Chronic stress of caregiving of autistic offspring is associated with more health complaints. The number of years after unequivocal diagnosis of autism has a moderating effect on immunological disturbances and anxiety in care givers. Further research is needed to clarify whether the interventions focused on anxiety can influence the low antibodies levels and decrease future health complaints.

P03-410 - Immunological and psychological responses to psychosocial stress in caregivers of autistic offspring

Introduction Caregivers of relatives with chronic diseases has shown lower rest levels of immunoglobulin A than non-caregivers (Gallagher et al., 2008). In response to mental stress, IgA levels used to be increased in healthy population (Okamura et al. 2010). Scarce studies have been focused on immunological effects of caregiving in response to stress, and the results are controversial. To our knowledge, there are no studies stressing this field in chronically stressed populations such as caregivers of autistic offspring. Objectives and aims Evaluate whether caregivers present different psychosocial and immunological responses to acute stress than non-caregivers, as well as what is the role of gender in these responses. Methods 38 caregivers of persons with autism and 35 non-caregivers were exposed to a psychosocial laboratory stress. IgA levels were measured before, during and after a set of several mental tasks, while the state of mood was evaluated before and after the stressors. Results Caregivers showed blunted IgA response to stress in men and women compared with non-caregivers, although the response pattern was different for each gender. Moreover, caregivers presented worse mood (depression, anger, fatigue, vigor and total score) than non-caregivers. Moreover, psychological effects of stress are inversely associated with levels of IgA, fundamentally during the task. Conclusions Caregiving reduces IgA secretion in response to psychosocial stress, although differently in men and women. Further studies are necessary to explore other neuroendocrine factors, together with mood, that could be involved in this buffered response.