Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Jul;54(5):493-502.
doi: 10.1002/dev.20607. Epub 2011 Sep 27.

Longitudinal stability and developmental properties of salivary cortisol levels and circadian rhythms from childhood to adolescence

Elizabeth A Shirtcliff  1 , Amber L Allison, Jeffrey M Armstrong, Marcia J Slattery, Ned H Kalin, Marilyn J Essex
Affiliations

Longitudinal stability and developmental properties of salivary cortisol levels and circadian rhythms from childhood to adolescence

Elizabeth A Shirtcliff et al. Dev Psychobiol. 2012 Jul.

Abstract

This study aimed to (1) identify a stable, trait-like component to cortisol and its circadian rhythm, and (2) investigate individual differences in developmental trajectories of HPA-axis maturation. Multiple salivary cortisol samples were collected longitudinally across four assessments from age 9 (3rd grade) through age 15 (9th grade) in a community sample of children (N = 357). Sophisticated statistical models examined cortisol levels and its rhythm over time; effects of age, puberty and gender were primarily considered. In addition to situation-specific and stable short-term or epoch-specific cortisol components, there is a stable, trait-like component of cortisol levels and circadian rhythm across multiple years covering the transition from childhood into adolescence. Youth had higher cortisol and flatter circadian rhythms as they got older and more physically developed. Girls had higher cortisol, stronger circadian rhythms, and greater developmental influences across adolescence. Distinguishing a stable, trait-like component of cortisol level and its circadian rhythm provides the empirical foundation for investigating putative mechanisms underlying individual differences in HPA functioning. The findings also provide important descriptive information about maturational processes influencing HPA-axis development.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure Summary: The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cortisol levels were highly variable across the day, across years, and across individuals. The diurnal rhythm was steeper in the morning than the afternoon, though levels declined consistently across waking hours.
Figure 2
Figure 2
As children got older, their cortisol levels declined and their diurnal rhythm flattened. As 9 year olds, children had the highest cortisol upon awakening and the steepest slopes, but by the time they were 15 year olds, their cortisol levels were significantly lower and the slopes were flatter. The effect of age was quadratic, such that 13 year olds had the lowest morning cortisol values.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The effect of age on cortisol levels and the diurnal slope was quadratic and moderated by gender. At age 9, for example, girls had the highest cortisol upon awakening and the steepest slopes, but by the time they were 15 year olds, their cortisol levels were significantly lower and the slopes were flatter such that 15 year old girls had the highest cortisol levels in the evening. On the other hand, 9 year old boys had lower cortisol levels and flatter slopes than the 9 year old girls, and by the time they were 15 year olds, boys had the lowest cortisol levels in the morning and also flat slopes so they ended the day having high evening cortisol.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Adam EK. Transactions among adolescent trait and state emotion and diurnal and momentary cortisol activity in naturalistic settings. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2006;31(5):664–679. - PubMed
    1. Adam EK, Hawkley LC, Kudielka BM, Cacioppo JT. Day-to-day dynamics of experience--cortisol associations in a population-based sample of older adults. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006;103(45):17058–17063. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Collins LM, Sayer AG. New methods for the analysis of change. 1st ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2001.
    1. Dahl RE, Siegel SF, Williamson DE, Lee PA, Perel J, Birmaher B, et al. Corticotropin releasing hormone stimulation test and nocturnal cortisol levels in normal children. Pediatr Res. 1992;32(1):64–68. - PubMed
    1. Dallman MF, la Fleur SE, Pecoraro NC, Gomez F, Houshyar H, Akana SF. Minireview: glucocorticoids--food intake, abdominal obesity, and wealthy nations in 2004. Endocrinology. 2004;145(6):2633–2638. - PubMed

Publication types