皮质醇日常节律与儿童问题行为及心理社会因素的关系

HPA轴(下丘脑?垂体?肾上腺皮质轴, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortex axis)是人体应对压力的重要神经内分泌系统, 其终产物皮质醇常作为测量压力的生物学指标。目前的研究多通过皮质醇日常节律表示静息状态下HPA轴的活动, 而日常节律因其较高的稳定性和可靠性成为儿童生理健康评估的最佳指标。儿童期迅速发育的神经内分泌系统与儿童的行为相互作用, 并受到多种心理社会因素的影响。以往研究主要关注皮质醇日常节律与儿童问题行为及心理社会因素的关系, 未来研究应讨论逆境条件下影响儿童成长的危险性因素和保护性因素, 并探索环境对儿童行为影响可能存在的内分泌机制。

The Relations between Diurnal Cortisol and Children’s Psychosocial Factors and Problem Behaviors

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis is considered to be a major neuroendocrine system related to physiological responses to stress. Cortisol, an end product of HPA axis, is often used as one of the biological indexes to reflect individuals’ stress levels. Previous studies have mostly employed diurnal cortisol to reflect the characteristics of HPA activity, and diurnal cortisol has become one of the best indexes to evaluate children’s physical health due to its stability and reliability. Because of children’s rapid development in the early stages of their life, the secretion of cortisol not only interacts with children’s behaviors but it is also influenced by a variety of psychological and social factors. Past research has mainly focused on the relations between diurnal cortisol patterns and children’s problem behaviors or psychosocial factors. Future studies should consider the risk and protective factors in child development and explore the endocrinal mechanisms concerning how environment can influence children’s behaviors.