TY - JOUR
T1 - Verbal performance during stress in healthy older people
T2 - influence of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and cortisol reactivity
AU - Hidalgo, Vanesa
AU - Almela, Mercedes
AU - Villada, Carolina
AU - van der Meij, Leander
AU - Salvador, Alicia
PY - 2020/1/1
Y1 - 2020/1/1
N2 - The impact of stress on the dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) response in older population is understudied. This study investigated, in healthy older people, whether the DHEA and cortisol responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was related to performance on this task. Both speech (rated by committee and self-rated) and arithmetic (number of mistakes) performance were assessed. Sixty-five participants (55–77 years old) were exposed to the TSST. Increases in negative affect, state anxiety, and cortisol levels could be observed, but there were no significant changes in positive affect or DHEA levels. Interestingly, a larger DHEA response was related to better verbal performance after controlling for the cortisol's reactivity. No relationships were found between hormonal responses and the arithmetic task performance. Our results suggest that, in healthy older people, an increase in DHEA levels in response to acute psychosocial stress may help them to cope with this stressor by increasing verbal performance.
AB - The impact of stress on the dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) response in older population is understudied. This study investigated, in healthy older people, whether the DHEA and cortisol responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was related to performance on this task. Both speech (rated by committee and self-rated) and arithmetic (number of mistakes) performance were assessed. Sixty-five participants (55–77 years old) were exposed to the TSST. Increases in negative affect, state anxiety, and cortisol levels could be observed, but there were no significant changes in positive affect or DHEA levels. Interestingly, a larger DHEA response was related to better verbal performance after controlling for the cortisol's reactivity. No relationships were found between hormonal responses and the arithmetic task performance. Our results suggest that, in healthy older people, an increase in DHEA levels in response to acute psychosocial stress may help them to cope with this stressor by increasing verbal performance.
KW - Acute stress
KW - Cortisol
KW - DHEA
KW - Older people
KW - Performance
KW - TSST
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074177360&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107786
DO - 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107786
M3 - Article
C2 - 31639406
AN - SCOPUS:85074177360
SN - 0301-0511
VL - 149
JO - Biological Psychology
JF - Biological Psychology
M1 - 107786
ER -