A Comparison of Acute Psychobiological Responses to the Mannheim Multicomponent Stress Test and the Trier Social Stress Test
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Enrollment
- 31
- Locations
- 2
- Primary Endpoint
- Change in saliva cortisol (pre-post stress)
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The Mannheim Multicomponent Stress Test (MMST) is a validated laboratory stress test that combines cognitive, emotional, acoustic and motivational stress components. However the utility of the MMST as a viable alternative to the more commonly used Trier social stress test (TSST) to elicit HPA reactivity remains unclear as meaningful increases in saliva cortisol (> 2.5 nmol/l) have been shown to occur in <50% of participants yet the TSST typically elicits meaningful increases in saliva cortisol in >70% of participants; likely as a consequence of the greater social evaluative component in the TSST.
Using a randomised between groups design, this study aims to compare psychobiological responses to the MMST and TSST.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Basic Science
- Masking
- Single (Participant)
Masking Description
Participants will be unaware of the true nature of experimental trials until a final debrief scheduled after acute stress exposure.
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 35 Years (Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Participants who...
- •have read and signed the study informed consent
- •are healthy, recreationally active men and women aged 18-35 years
- •are willing to provide saliva samples throughout through the duration of the study
- •are using monophasic birth control (women only)
Exclusion Criteria
- •Participants who...
- •have a recent history or are a current smoker
- •are currently taking prescription/Over-the-counter medication (excluding females taking oral combined contraception
- •consume ≥ 91 units of alcohol per month
- •have a clinically diagnosed history of cardiovascular and/or metabolic disease including diabetes and abnormal blood pressure
- •are pregnant
- •have a recent or ongoing viral or bacterial illness in past 4 weeks
- •have a clinically diagnosed psychiatric disorder
- •have a clinically diagnosed sleeping disorder
- •have a clinically diagnosed gambling addiction
- •BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 - calculated in the online health screening questionnaire
- •Endurance trained or engage in ≥3.5 hours of physical activity a week
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change in saliva cortisol (pre-post stress)
Time Frame: Change from 5 minutes pre to peak post stress test (MMST or TSST)
Changes in the concentration of saliva free cortisol assessed by ELISA.
Secondary Outcomes
- State anxiety inventory (STAI-S) response to acute psychological stress(Change from 5 minutes pre to after stress challenge (immediately after acute psychological stress and 60 minutes after the test) will be compared.)
- Heart rate(Continuously assessed from 30 minutes before to 60 minutes after the stress tests and control tests)
- Salivary alpha amylase (sAA)(Change from 5 minutes pre to immediately post stress test)
Investigators
Daniel Kashi
Postdoctoral Research Officer
Liverpool John Moores University