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F Hucklebridge

Publications and source records attributed to F Hucklebridge.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Secretory immunoglobulin A and cardiovascular reactions to mental arithmetic and cold pressor.

Secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in saliva and cardiovascular reactions to mental arithmetic and cold pressor tasks were recorded in 16 healthy young men on two sessions, 4 weeks apart. Both tasks elicited significant increases in sIgA secretion rate, reflecting increases in both salivary volume and sIgA concentration. Whereas mental arithmetic elicited a mixed pattern of alpha- and beta-adrenergic cardiovascular reactions, the pattern of reactions to cold pressor was predominantly alpha-adrenergic. Task levels of sIgA secretion rate, sIgA concentration, and saliva volume showed moderate to high test-retest reliability (r = .52-.83), although test-retest correlations were less impressive for change scores (r = -.19-.53). The pattern of correlations between change in sIgA secretion rate and cardiovascular reactivity variables was inconsistent.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The cortisol response to psychological challenge is preceded by a transient rise in endogenous inhibitor of monoamine oxidase.

The salivary cortisol response to an acute psychological stress challenge was investigated in normal male undergraduate students. A modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was used and saliva collected on 6 occasions before during and after the stress challenge. Control subjects were allowed to read quietly. As expected the cortisol response in experimental subjects was robust and peaked 12 minutes after the end of the stress. Endogenous monoamine oxidase A inhibitory activity (MAO-AI) was measured in the same saliva samples. MAO-AI also changed in response to the stress challenge, peaking in the saliva sample collected immediately after the stress challenge, 12 minutes prior to the cortisol peak sample. Furthermore the degree of increase in salivary MAO-AI was found to predict the degree of cortisol increase in the test subjects (r=0.76; n=14; p<0.001). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that elevated central monoamines, driven by inhibition of their main metabolic enzyme, can activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the stress response. This finding lends further support to the notion that endogenous generation of MAO-AI is a normal homeostatic regulatory mechanism.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Urinary output of endogenous monoamine oxidase inhibitory activity is related to everyday stress.

The MAO A and B inhibitory components of urinary tribulin were investigated in normal individuals (11 males and 24 females, mean age +/- SD; 27.1 +/- 4.5 years) in relation to everyday stress. Volunteers collected a urine sample at the same time (late evening) on five days over a single week. On each occasion subjects also completed a mood adjective checklist which measured perceived stress levels over the day in question. For each subject all daily measures were aggregated. Mean individual urinary MAO A and B inhibitory activity was found to be positively correlated with stress scores both before (r = 0.38, p < 0.05 and r = 0.37, p < 0.05 respectively, n = 35) and after (r = 0.35, p < 0.05 and r = 0.33, p < 0.05 respectively, n = 35) correction for the effects of urinary volume. These results suggest that in normal healthy individuals high endogenous MAO inhibitory activity in the urine is indicative of a relatively enduring state of everyday stress.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Salivary monoamine oxidase A and B inhibitory activities correlate with stress.

MAO A and B inhibitory activities were determined, for the first time, in saliva samples. Saliva was collected on 4 occasions from 11 normal subjects (students) before and after delivering an important assessed oral presentation, a naturalistic stress inducing procedure. The first sample was collected 30 minutes before the presentation and 3 more within 40 minutes of finishing the presentation. At each collection a mood adjective checklist was completed. Mean MAO A inhibitory activity correlated with mean MAO B inhibitory activity (r = 0.872, p < 0.001, n = 11). Within subject analysis revealed a positive correlation between MAO A and B inhibitory activity and stress (r = 0.400, p < 0.01, n = 44 and r = 0.255, NS, n = 38 respectively). Mean MAO A and B inhibitory activity correlated with mean stress (r = 0.535, NS, n = 11 and r = 0.673, p < 0.05, n = 11 respectively). Peak MAO A and B inhibitory activities correlated with peak stress (r = 0.636, p < 0.05, n = 11 and r = 0.754, p < 0.01, n = 11, respectively). Salivary MAO A and B inhibitory activities were independent of salivary flow rate. We conclude that measurement of MAO A and B inhibitory activities in saliva is preferable to traditional urinary measures as sampling is less invasive and also supports a clear relationship to stress in normal individuals.

Female↗
PubMed1996

Secretory immunoglobulin A and cardiovascular responses to acute psychological challenge.

Cardiovascular activity and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in saliva were recorded at rest, during a 30-min computer game task, and during subsequent recovery. Blood pressure (BP) rose and remained elevated during the task and returned to resting levels during recovery. This pressor response was produced by increased total peripheral resistance rather than increased cardiac output. SIgA secretion rate also increased during the task, although the effect proved significant only toward the end of the task. As such, the data provide preliminary indication that sIgA is sensitive to acute psychological challenge in the laboratory. Although correlational analyses revealed that sIgA reactions were stable, they were not significantly correlated with pressor reactions. The influence of task uncertainty was explored by comparing individuals who had previously played the computer game with those who had not. Task-induced increases in BP and sIgA were a feature of individuals new to the computer game. In contrast to these novice players, experienced players showed minimal increases in BP and no increases in sIgA.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

The relationship between secretory immunity, mood and life-events.

Twelve subjects volunteered to take part in a short trial involving daily life-event and mood recording over a period of up to two weeks. On each day subjects also provided timed saliva samples. Aggregated data across the trial period revealed that unstimulated secretion rate of secretory immunoglobulin A from whole saliva correlated strongly and significantly with net desirable event reporting, defined as a subject's tendency to report relatively frequent desirable events and relatively infrequent undesirable events. Correlations with positive and negative mood were insignificant, although the pattern of results was in line with hypotheses. Within-subject analyses revealed a totally contrary pattern of results. In particular, negative mood was significantly associated with higher sIgA secretion rate. Analyses involving total sIgA concentration paralleled those using secretion rate. Results are discussed in relation to psychoneuroimmunological models of illness vulnerability, particularly upper respiratory infection, and previous findings in regard to secretory immunity.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of stress on salivary cortisol in panic disorder patients.

BACKGROUND: Various findings suggest the possibility of an abnormal cortisol response to CRH in panic disorder patients, which raises the question of whether such patients might also produce an abnormal cortisol response to stress. The purpose of the present study was to use salivary cortisol measurement in assessing differences in response to novelty/mild stress situations between panic disorder subjects and controls. METHODS: Subjects were recruited by means of posters and subsequently screened for suitability as controls or panic subjects. Twenty-four panic disorder (PD) sufferers and 15 panic-free control subjects were tested on a range of psychometric and physiological measures, at both the start and the end of the experiment. Subjects were tested at the beginning for state anxiety, salivary cortisol, heart rate, and blood pressure, and these tests were repeated at the end of the session (which had been designed to promote reassurance). RESULTS: The state anxiety scores (STAI) showed a reduction in anxiety level over the test period, and there was a corresponding fall in both blood pressure and heart rate for both groups. Cortisol levels also fell over the course of the interview in the control group, but in the PD group cortisol levels showed no such reduction. In addition, there was a significant difference in the levels of cortisol at the start of the session between the two groups (PD group lower). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate a possible alteration in cortisol responsiveness to stress/novelty situations in PD subjects. This was considered to be consistent with previous suggestions of HPA axis dysregulation in PD patients, although our research indicates unresponsiveness rather than responsiveness to be a factor to be considered for future investigation. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Our results suggest that not all subjects suffering PD may benefit from stress reduction therapies as a first choice of treatment for their panic attacks. The existence of nocturnal panic attacks (considering sleep as a combination of mental and physical relaxation), in the absence of nightmares, as well as the induction of panic attacks during relaxation support this view. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY: Apart from the difficulty in accessing sufficient symptomatic subjects, the induction of higher levels of stress could be useful for confirmation of these results. However, this requires specialist support in case of subjects developing panic attacks during the experiments, which was not available during the present study. SUMMARY: Twenty-four panic disorder (PD) sufferers and 15 panic-free control subjects were tested on a range of psychometric and physiological measures, at both the start and the end of an experimental session. Subjects were tested at the beginning for state anxiety, salivary cortisol, heart rate, and blood pressure, and these tests were repeated at the end of the session. The state anxiety scores (STAI) showed a reduction in anxiety level over the test period for both groups, and there was a corresponding fall in both blood pressure and heart rate. Cortisol levels also fell over the course of the session in the control group, but in the PD group cortisol levels showed no such reduction. In addition, there was a significant difference in the levels of cortisol at the start of the session between the two groups (PD group lower). These data indicate a possible alteration in cortisol responsiveness to stress/novelty situations in PD subjects. This was considered to be consistent with previous suggestions of HPA axis dysregulation in PD patients, although our research indicates unresponsiveness rather than responsiveness to be a factor to be considered for future investigation.

Adult↗