Clinical Brown Bag

Ellen McGinnis

Thursday, November 01, 2012, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
3021  East Hall

Event Information

In the past decade there has been a growing interest in examining the phenomenology and correlates of the cortisol awakening response (CAR). CAR refers to an acute increase in cortisol after waking exhibited in the majority of adults, likely reflecting an adaptive arousal response to the transition to wakefulness. However, in adults and adolescents, atypical CAR levels have been associated with negative factors such as depression, anxiety and chronic stress. Research on CAR in children is limited and thus the link between CAR and risk factors remains largely unclear. In addition, there is little data on the normal development of CAR across the lifespan. Available literature suggests that the presence of CAR may be atypical childhood, but becomes normal in adulthood. These findings have led some to view the presence of CAR in children as a potential risk marker. Therefore, the aims of this study were to 1) examine developmental differences in frequency of CAR by age and 2) identify risk factors associated with CAR in early childhood. Using a sample of 52 children aged 1 to 8 years old, we examined the effects of age, environmental factors (maternal psychopathology, family income) and intra-individual factors (sleep problems, and behavior problems) on the presence of CAR. Findings show no effect of child age on CAR frequency in this age range, possibly suggesting a major shift in later years (i.e. after puberty). Low family income and high externalizing behaviors increase the likelihood of CAR, suggesting that premature CAR may be a biomarker of risk. However, internalizing problems decrease the likelihood of CAR. Possible mechanistic explanations and implications are discussed.