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Is HPA axis reactivity in childhood gender-specific? A systematic review

Overview of attention for article published in Biology of Sex Differences, July 2017
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Title
Is HPA axis reactivity in childhood gender-specific? A systematic review
Published in
Biology of Sex Differences, July 2017
DOI 10.1186/s13293-017-0144-8
Pubmed ID
Authors

Jonneke J. Hollanders, Bibian van der Voorn, Joost Rotteveel, Martijn J. J. Finken

Abstract

In adults, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity shows sexual dimorphism, and this is thought to be a mechanism underlying sex-specific disease incidence. Evidence is scarce on whether these sex differences are also present in childhood. In a meta-analysis, we recently found that basal (non-stimulated) cortisol in saliva and free cortisol in 24-h urine follow sex-specific patterns. We explored whether these findings could be extended with sex differences in HPA axis reactivity. From inception to January 2016, PubMed and EMBASE.com were searched for studies that assessed HPA axis reactivity in healthy girls and boys aged ≤18 years. Articles were systematically assessed and reported in the categories: (1) diurnal rhythm, (2) cortisol awakening response (CAR), (3) protocolled social stress tests similar or equal to the Trier Social Stress Test for children (TSST-C), (4) pharmacological (ACTH and CRH) stress tests, and (5) miscellaneous stress tests. Two independent assessors selected 109 out of 6158 records for full-text screening, of which 81 studies (with a total of 14,591 subjects) were included. Studies showed that girls had a tendency towards a more variable diurnal rhythm (12 out of 29 studies), a higher CAR (8 out of 18 studies), and a stronger cortisol response to social stress tests (9 out of 21 studies). We found no evidence for sex differences in cortisol response after a pharmacological challenge or to miscellaneous stress tests. Sex differences in HPA axis reactivity appear to be present in childhood, although evidence is not unequivocal. For a better evaluation of sex differences in HPA axis reactivity, standardization of protocols and reports of stress tests is warranted.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 113 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 113 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Ph. D. Student 21 19%
Student > Bachelor 15 13%
Researcher 11 10%
Student > Master 11 10%
Student > Doctoral Student 6 5%
Other 15 13%
Unknown 34 30%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Psychology 25 22%
Medicine and Dentistry 17 15%
Neuroscience 8 7%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 6 5%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 6 5%
Other 15 13%
Unknown 36 32%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 18 July 2017.
All research outputs
#13,486,152
of 22,988,380 outputs
Outputs from Biology of Sex Differences
#282
of 473 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#157,421
of 312,560 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Biology of Sex Differences
#4
of 10 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 22,988,380 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 41st percentile – i.e., 41% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 473 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 19.9. This one is in the 39th percentile – i.e., 39% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 312,560 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 49th percentile – i.e., 49% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 10 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has scored higher than 6 of them.