Investigating the association between early life parental care and stress responsivity in adulthood.

We explored the associations between early life experience, endocrine regulation, psychological health, and hippocampal integrity in 37 elderly volunteers. Specifically, a neurodevelopmental and psychological mediation model was tested: Retrospective early life parental care was hypothesized to influence hippocampal integrity and the development of self-esteem. In turn, hippocampal volume (via modulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis negative feedback) and self-esteem (via modulation of stress vulnerability) were suggested to influence the cortisol stress response.

The role of sex and gender socialization in stress reactivity.

Individual health is determined by a myriad of factors. Interestingly, simply being male or female is one such factor that carries profound implications for one's well-being. Intriguing differences between men and women have been observed with respect to vulnerability to and prevalence of particular illnesses.

Effects of manipulating the amount of social-evaluative threat on the cortisol stress response in young healthy men.

Perceived social-evaluative threat triggers the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in cortisol release. The current study examined the effects of varying the levels of social-evaluative threat on the stress response. Sixty healthy men (mean age + 23.

Maternal care modulates the relationship between prenatal risk and hippocampal volume in women but not in men.

Smaller hippocampal volume is associated with psychiatric disorders. Variations in hippocampal volume are discussed as both a consequence of the neurotoxic effects of stress and as a pre-existing condition leading to increased vulnerability for cognitive and emotional impairments. To investigate whether early experience can account for variability in hippocampal volume in adulthood (vulnerability hypothesis), we assessed the relationship between birth weight and hippocampal volume in 44 subjects.