Salivary Cortisol Assessment: A Life-Stage Examination Walden University(USE AS GUIDE ONLY)

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Running Head: SALIVARY CORTISOL

Salivary Cortisol Assessment: A Life-Stage Examination
Walden University
Running Head: SALIVARY CORTISOL

Abstract
This paper examines the assessment of salivary cortisol and offers many examples of its
usefulness not only in assessing immune response, but also in assessing domains of HPA axis
functioning and identifying its relationships with many aspects of physical and psychological
health throughout life. After describing an overview of salivary cortisol assessment, a fairly
detailed review of current research on HPA axis and cortisol reactivity focuses on the sources of
variation in salivary cortisol assessment, followed by an examination of salivary cortisol across
life stages from birth through aging. Through this review the critical role of cortisol in everyday
life is illustrated in support of and preparation for its future use in research. The paper concludes
with a brief discussion of the potential implications of cortisol measurement in future research.
Running Head: SALIVARY CORTISOL
Salivary Cortisol Assessment: A Life-Stage Examination
This paper focuses on the assessment of salivary cortisol and describes a broad range of
insights into immune function and health that can be obtained through its measurement. After
spending time describing salivary cortisol assessment and a broad range of variables and factor
that can influence it, this paper uses current research to illustrate how the assessment of salivary
cortisol is not only important for the understanding immune function and response, but is also
important for understanding the broad number of ways that stress and cortisol impact our lives
beginning at birth, continuing on through childhood and adolescence, influencing the impact of
stress between family members, and finally extending through old age. In the process this
examination the paper explores how physical harm and deterioration can accompany subsequent
chronic patterns of HPA axis reactivity through psychological patterns of negative affect,
negative mood, and other chronic conditions such as anxiety, depressive symptoms, and major
depression which may foster a host of other damaging physical comorbidities all potentially
linked to excessive cortisol. This paper will provide the reader with a broader appreciation of
the impact of cortisol throughout the life course. .
Salivary Cortisol
Salivary cortisol is a popular and effective method of assessing immune response and the
function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis during normal periods and
periods of psychological stress (Jessop & Turner-Cobb, 2008). Salivary cortisol mirrors levels
of serum cortisol (Dorn, Lucke, Loucks, & Berga, 2007; Duplessis, Rascona, Cullum, & Yeung,
2010) produced by the adrenal cortex in response to anterior pituitary adrenocorticotropic
hormone (ACTH) triggered by corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) secreted by the
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis (Jessop, et al., 2008). The cortisol

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Course: Salivary Cortisol Assessment: A Life-Stage Examination Walden University(USE AS GUIDE ONLY)
Subject: Salivary Cortisol Assessment: A Life-Stage Examination Walden University(USE AS GUIDE ONLY)
Subject code: Salivary Cortisol Assessment: A Life-Stage Examination Walden University(USE AS GUIDE ONLY)
Year of study: 17-18
Document
Section: Homework & Assignments
Made on: 29-01-2020
Type: .pdf
Pages: 27
Language: English
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Salivary Cortisol Assessment: A Life-Stage Examination Walden University(USE AS GUIDE ONLY)