Validation of an adapted procedure to collect hair for cortisol determination in adolescents

Abstract

Introduction: In the last decades, cortisol has been extensively studied in association to early exposure to adversity as well as in the etiology of a number of physical and mental problems.While saliva and blood samples allow the measurement of acute changes in cortisol secretion, hair samples are thought to provide a valid retrospective measure of chronic cortisol secretion over an extended period of time. Nevertheless, the existing protocol for hair collection involves considerable financial and logistical challenges when performed in large epidemiological studies.Objective: This study aimed to validate an adapted collection protocol asking participants to sample their hair at home and to send it back to our laboratory by regular mail. Methods:Participants were 34 teenagers between 17 and 18 years of age. They participated in two hair collections: a) at home, with the help of someone they know, and b) in our laboratory, with a trained research assistant. Results: We noted a strong correlation between cortisol ascertained from hair collected at home and at the laboratory. No mean difference in cortisol levels could be detected between the two protocols. Moreover, we showed that a wide range of hair-related, sociodemographic, lifestyle factors that may be associated with hair cortisol levels did not affect the association between cortisol measures derived from each protocol. Conclusion: Our study provides initial support that reliable measures of chronic cortisol secretion could be obtained by asking adolescents to collect a sample of their hair at home and send them to the laboratory by regular mail. This adapted protocol has considerable financial and logistical advantages in large epidemiological studies.

Acute and chronic effects of exams week on cortisol production in undergraduate students

“…The results obtained in this study are higher than those described in the literature for a healthy population, according to Parrot and Downey et al. A healthy population presents an average of 13.8 pg/mg and our volunteers presents values of 58.32 and 109.11 for the months of October and November, respectively (Ouellet-Morin et al, 2016; Parrott & Downey, 2017; Short et al, 2016). However, hair cortisol is known to be influenced by a number of factor that contribute to the variability of the hair-cortisol results, as hair bleaching and dye treatment, hair texture and composition, exposure to sun and hair washing (Mezentsef et al, 2017; Russell, Koren, Rieder, & Van Uum, 2012).…”

Body mass index, waist circumference and body fat are positively correlated with hair cortisol in children: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Table S2 displays a summary of the 28 studies included in the systematic review 21–48 . Of the 28 studies, only four were conducted in the United States, with the remaining ones conducted in Europe ( n = 16; seven in Netherlands, four in Germany, two in Greece, one in Switzerland, one in Belgium and one in Denmark), Australia ( n = 4), China ( n = 2), Canada ( n = 1) or Jordan/Lebanon/Iraq/Syria/Turkey ( n = 1).…”

Associations between developmental trajectories of peer victimization, hair cortisol, and depressive symptoms: a longitudinal study

“…We sent to the participants curved scissors, hair clamps, and instructions explaining how to collect hair from the posterior vertex area of the scalp, as we had previously validated in a sample of similar age, male/female ratio, and SES (Ouellet‐Morin et al, 2016). Parents gave informed consent and children assented.…”