The research to be performed during the project period is designed to extend our understanding of the psychobiology of stress and coping in human newborns, infants and toddlers. Three groups of studies are proposed to examine young children's behavioral and physiological responses to stress. The focus of the research is on the pituitary-adreno-cortical system, a neuroendocrine system that plays a central role in stress resistance. The goals of the research include characterizing the adrenocortical response to normally occurring stressors in the lives of young children. These stressors include heelsticks, inoculations, and handling in early infancy, and psychosocial stressors such as interaction with strangers, separation, and approach-avoidance conflicts in older infants and toddlers. A second goal is to examine basal adrenocortical activity and its relations to the stress response. A third goal is to examine the relations between adrenocortical activity and infant behavioral responses to stress and to understand these relations Within the context of individual differences in temperament, parentinfant interaction, and parental personality and temperament. A final, major goal is to begin to develop paradigms for examining the links between adrenocortical activity and other stress- and emotion-sensitive physiological systems. Finally, pilot studies are proposed to extend the research to """"""""at risk"""""""" populations of infants and young children. The research offers considerable promise in increasing our understanding of stress and coping processes in the developing child.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research (K02)
Project #
1K02MH000946-01
Application #
3070310
Study Section
Research Scientist Development Review Committee (MHK)
Project Start
1991-09-01
Project End
1996-08-31
Budget Start
1991-09-01
Budget End
1992-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
1991
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Department
Type
Schools of Education
DUNS #
168559177
City
Minneapolis
State
MN
Country
United States
Zip Code
55455
Watamura, Sarah E; Donzella, Bonny; Kertes, Darlene A et al. (2004) Developmental changes in baseline cortisol activity in early childhood: relations with napping and effortful control. Dev Psychobiol 45:125-33
Gunnar, Megan R; Donzella, Bonny (2004) Tympanic membrane temperature and emotional dispositions in preschool-aged children: a methodological study. Child Dev 75:497-504
Kertes, Darlene A; Gunnar, Megan R (2004) Evening activities as a potential confound in research on the adrenocortical system in children. Child Dev 75:193-204
Gunnar, Megan R; Sebanc, Anne M; Tout, Kathryn et al. (2003) Peer rejection, temperament, and cortisol activity in preschoolers. Dev Psychobiol 43:346-58
Watamura, Sarah E; Donzella, Bonny; Alwin, Jan et al. (2003) Morning-to-afternoon increases in cortisol concentrations for infants and toddlers at child care: age differences and behavioral correlates. Child Dev 74:1006-20
Warren, Susan L; Gunnar, Megan R; Kagan, Jerome et al. (2003) Maternal panic disorder: infant temperament, neurophysiology, and parenting behaviors. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 42:814-25
Watamura, Sarah E; Sebanc, Anne M; Gunnar, Megan R (2002) Rising cortisol at childcare: relations with nap, rest, and temperament. Dev Psychobiol 40:33-42
Gunnar, M R; Vazquez, D M (2001) Low cortisol and a flattening of expected daytime rhythm: potential indices of risk in human development. Dev Psychopathol 13:515-38
Gunnar, M R; Morison, S J; Chisholm, K et al. (2001) Salivary cortisol levels in children adopted from romanian orphanages. Dev Psychopathol 13:611-28
Adam, E K; Gunnar, M R (2001) Relationship functioning and home and work demands predict individual differences in diurnal cortisol patterns in women. Psychoneuroendocrinology 26:189-208

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