Cross-sectional analysis reveals COVID-19 pandemic community lockdown was linked to dysregulated cortisol and salivary alpha amylase in children
The COVID-19 pandemic altered everyday life starting in March 2020. These alterations extended to the lives of children as their normal routines were disrupted by community lockdowns, online learning, limited in-person social contact, increased screen time, and reduced physical activity. Considerabl...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1210122/full |
| _version_ | 1797390309016993792 |
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| author | Katherine M. Lloyd Laurel Gabard-Durnam Kayleigh Beaudry Michael De Lisio Lauren B. Raine Ysabeau Bernard-Willis Ysabeau Bernard-Willis Jennifer N. H. Watrous Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli Arthur F. Kramer Arthur F. Kramer Charles H. Hillman Charles H. Hillman |
| author_facet | Katherine M. Lloyd Laurel Gabard-Durnam Kayleigh Beaudry Michael De Lisio Lauren B. Raine Ysabeau Bernard-Willis Ysabeau Bernard-Willis Jennifer N. H. Watrous Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli Arthur F. Kramer Arthur F. Kramer Charles H. Hillman Charles H. Hillman |
| author_sort | Katherine M. Lloyd |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic altered everyday life starting in March 2020. These alterations extended to the lives of children as their normal routines were disrupted by community lockdowns, online learning, limited in-person social contact, increased screen time, and reduced physical activity. Considerable research has investigated the physical health impact of COVID-19 infection, but far fewer studies have investigated the physiological impact of stressful pandemic-related changes to daily life, especially in children. The purpose of this study was to leverage an ongoing clinical trial to investigate physiological consequences associated with chronic stress of pandemic community lockdown on children. As a part of the clinical trial, children provided saliva samples. Saliva samples were analyzed for cortisol and salivary alpha amylase (sAA) content. This secondary cross-sectional analysis included 94 preadolescent children located within the Greater Boston, Massachusetts community. Children participated in the study either before, during, or following the pandemic community lockdown to form three groups for comparison. In response to chronic stress caused by the pandemic community lockdown, participants demonstrated dysregulation of fast-acting catecholamine response of the locus-coeruleus-norepinephrine system and slower-acting glucocorticoid response, resulting in an asymmetrical relationship of hypocortisolism (M = 0.78 ± 0.19 μg/mL, p < 0.001) paired with higher sAA (M = 12.73 ± 4.06 U/mL, p = 0.01). Results suggest that the abrupt COVID-19 disruption to daily life, including the stressful experience of community lockdown, had physiological effects on typically developing children. Further research is required to investigate mental health outcomes of children following the chronic stress of the pandemic community lockdown. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:08:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d0698a323fdf4d80aa9814f0ded93735 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:08:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-d0698a323fdf4d80aa9814f0ded937352023-12-15T09:37:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-12-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.12101221210122Cross-sectional analysis reveals COVID-19 pandemic community lockdown was linked to dysregulated cortisol and salivary alpha amylase in childrenKatherine M. Lloyd0Laurel Gabard-Durnam1Kayleigh Beaudry2Michael De Lisio3Lauren B. Raine4Ysabeau Bernard-Willis5Ysabeau Bernard-Willis6Jennifer N. H. Watrous7Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli8Arthur F. Kramer9Arthur F. Kramer10Charles H. Hillman11Charles H. Hillman12Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, CanadaDepartment of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, CanadaDepartment of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United StatesDivision of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Tulsa, OK, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United StatesUniversity of Illinois Beckman Institute, Champaign-Urbana, IL, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United StatesThe COVID-19 pandemic altered everyday life starting in March 2020. These alterations extended to the lives of children as their normal routines were disrupted by community lockdowns, online learning, limited in-person social contact, increased screen time, and reduced physical activity. Considerable research has investigated the physical health impact of COVID-19 infection, but far fewer studies have investigated the physiological impact of stressful pandemic-related changes to daily life, especially in children. The purpose of this study was to leverage an ongoing clinical trial to investigate physiological consequences associated with chronic stress of pandemic community lockdown on children. As a part of the clinical trial, children provided saliva samples. Saliva samples were analyzed for cortisol and salivary alpha amylase (sAA) content. This secondary cross-sectional analysis included 94 preadolescent children located within the Greater Boston, Massachusetts community. Children participated in the study either before, during, or following the pandemic community lockdown to form three groups for comparison. In response to chronic stress caused by the pandemic community lockdown, participants demonstrated dysregulation of fast-acting catecholamine response of the locus-coeruleus-norepinephrine system and slower-acting glucocorticoid response, resulting in an asymmetrical relationship of hypocortisolism (M = 0.78 ± 0.19 μg/mL, p < 0.001) paired with higher sAA (M = 12.73 ± 4.06 U/mL, p = 0.01). Results suggest that the abrupt COVID-19 disruption to daily life, including the stressful experience of community lockdown, had physiological effects on typically developing children. Further research is required to investigate mental health outcomes of children following the chronic stress of the pandemic community lockdown.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1210122/fullchildrencortisolsalivary alpha amylasestressdysregulationCOVID- 19 |
| spellingShingle | Katherine M. Lloyd Laurel Gabard-Durnam Kayleigh Beaudry Michael De Lisio Lauren B. Raine Ysabeau Bernard-Willis Ysabeau Bernard-Willis Jennifer N. H. Watrous Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli Arthur F. Kramer Arthur F. Kramer Charles H. Hillman Charles H. Hillman Cross-sectional analysis reveals COVID-19 pandemic community lockdown was linked to dysregulated cortisol and salivary alpha amylase in children Frontiers in Public Health children cortisol salivary alpha amylase stress dysregulation COVID- 19 |
| title | Cross-sectional analysis reveals COVID-19 pandemic community lockdown was linked to dysregulated cortisol and salivary alpha amylase in children |
| title_full | Cross-sectional analysis reveals COVID-19 pandemic community lockdown was linked to dysregulated cortisol and salivary alpha amylase in children |
| title_fullStr | Cross-sectional analysis reveals COVID-19 pandemic community lockdown was linked to dysregulated cortisol and salivary alpha amylase in children |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cross-sectional analysis reveals COVID-19 pandemic community lockdown was linked to dysregulated cortisol and salivary alpha amylase in children |
| title_short | Cross-sectional analysis reveals COVID-19 pandemic community lockdown was linked to dysregulated cortisol and salivary alpha amylase in children |
| title_sort | cross sectional analysis reveals covid 19 pandemic community lockdown was linked to dysregulated cortisol and salivary alpha amylase in children |
| topic | children cortisol salivary alpha amylase stress dysregulation COVID- 19 |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1210122/full |
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