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Data collection in remote and field settings gains importance and popularity in stress research. Accordingly, existing stress induction paradigms have been successfully adapted to remote and field settings. However, guidelines for the comprehensive assessment of biomarkers such as salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) have yet to be sufficiently established for such contexts. In remote and field settings, swift freezing of saliva samples is not always possible, and samples must be returned to the laboratory for further processing. The current study investigated the robustness of sAA activity against external factors that may affect measurements obtained from saliva samples collected in field and remote settings. We compared sAA activity of samples that were stored in different vials (Salivettes® and Eppendorf® vials) and that were exposed to (1) up to three cycles of freezing and thawing, (2) different temperatures (4 °C, 20 °C, 30 °C, and 40 °C) for 3, 7, 14, or 28 days, or that were (3) sent via postal delivery. Results indicate sAA activity to be susceptible across different temperatures, different time intervals, and different vials. As a systematic pattern, sAA activity seems to decrease in treated samples with this effect being potentiated by more extreme conditions such as higher temperatures and longer time intervals. To conclude, sAA data collected in remote or field settings could be affected systematically by various external variables. Future studies collecting sAA should take factors influencing the durability and stability of sAA into account to ensure reliable and valid measurements of salivary data.

Previous studies on aggressiveness and impulsiveness in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are ambiguous. Furthermore, no biochemical or clinical factors related to these variables have been definitively confirmed. The aim of the study was to clarify whether, in women with phenotype A of PCOS, variables such as body mass index and clinical and biochemical hyperandrogenism have an impact on either the intensity of impulsivity or aggression or on other selected behavioral manifestations of these variables. The study included 95 patients diagnosed with PCOS phenotype A. The criterion for recruitment into the study group and the control group was body mass index. The study was conducted with the use of a closed-format questionnaire and calibrated clinical scales. Higher body mass index (BMI) values in women with PCOS phenotype A are associated with poor eating habits. The severity of impulsivity and aggression syndrome, as well as the tendency to engage in risky sexual behavior and patterns of alcohol consumption among patients diagnosed with PCOS phenotype A, are not dependent on BMI. The severity of impulsiveness and the syndrome of aggression in women with phenotype A PCOS are not associated with clinical symptoms of hyperandrogenism or with androgen levels.

There has been little research on the effects of psychedelics on menstrual and reproductive function, though anecdotal evidence suggests that these compounds may have striking effects on menstrual function in at least a subset of users. Social media and word of mouth were used to seek out individuals who had a history of changes in menstrual function following psychedelic use. Case histories were elicited from three respondents following informed consent. A literature search on the effects of classic psychedelics and related compounds was completed. Three women ranging from 27 to 34 years of age were interviewed and reported three distinct phenomena following the use of classic psychedelics: 1) resumption of menses following amenorrhea, 2) early onset of menses, in particular when psychedelics were used in the mid to late luteal period, and 3) improved menstrual regularity in a woman with irregular cycles who was eventually diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome. The mechanisms behind these effects remain unclear, though they may be mediated via direct or indirect effects of 5-HT2A agonism on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Although phenomena related to menstrual and reproductive function have been largely overlooked in the psychedelic literature to date, these effects may have therapeutic utility and warrant further study.

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is an area of interdisciplinary research exploring the complex interactions within the immuno-neuro-endocrine system in response to psychosocial influences. Such influences can trigger neurological changes, leading to immunological effects related to the emergence and course of various diseases. This concise clinical review explores the role of PNI in oral medicine in three exemplary models of oral disease: periodontitis, herpes labialis, and oral lichen planus. Previous literature has shown that psychosocial stress is related to exacerbations in these three oral diseases and to poorer overall oral health. The presumed biological mechanisms affect the activity of stress axes, i.e. the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and subsequent immune system dysregulation. Although these PNI mechanisms remain poorly understood, several stress reduction interventions in clinical oral medicine have already yielded promising results. In future work, the elucidation of pathways within PNI networks will require carefully designed studies with sensitive methodology, e.g. the integrative single-case design. A biopsychosocial approach has the potential to move disease models in oral medicine from simple connections rooted in empirical dualism and reductionism to the establishment of network-based models. Further research on these complex connections should lead to novel clinical approaches and preventive strategies in oral medicine.

This perspective article was written by invitation of the editors in chief as a summary and extension of the symposium entitled Psychoneuroendocrine Research in the Era of the Replication Crisis which was held at the virtual meeting of the International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021. It highlights the opportunities presented by the application of open and reproducible scientific practices in psychoneuroendocrinology (PNE), an interdisciplinary field at the intersection of psychology, endocrinology, immunology, neurology, and psychiatry. It conveys an introduction to the topics preregistration, registered reports, quantifying the impact of equally-well justifiable analysis decisions, and open data and scripts, while emphasizing \'selfish\' reasons to adopt such practices as individual researcher. Complementary to the call for adoption of open science practices, we highlight the need for methodological best practice guidelines in the field of PNE, which could further contribute to enhancing replicability of results. We propose concrete steps for future actions and provide links to additional resources for those interested in adopting open and reproducible science practices in future studies.

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Obesity is highly prevalent, causing substantial cardiovascular and mental health morbidity. Women show increased risk for mental health disorders, that is multiplied in obesity and related to cellular and psychological stress that can be targeted by non-pharmacological interventions. A total of 43 women underwent two weeks of caloric restriction, half of which also received 7 h of individualized clinical psychological intervention including psychoeducation, mindfulness, and heart-rate-variability biofeedback. Effects on body mass index (BMI), fatty liver index (FLI), bioimpedance measures, serum parameters, perceived stress (PSS), burn-out susceptibility (burn out diagnostic inventory) and dimensional psychiatric symptom load (brief symptom inventory, BSI) were analyzed with linear mixed effects models. Caloric restriction led to a reduction in BMI, body fat and FLI, decreased serum concentrations of leptin, PSS score, BSI dimensions and global severity index (all p ≤ 0.0001, withstanding Bonferroni-Holm correction). Benefits of add-on biofeedback were observed for BMI reduction (p = 0.041). Caloric restriction was effective in ameliorating both psychological wellbeing and metabolic functions following a BMI reduction. Biofeedback boosted effects on BMI reduction and the combinative therapy may be protective against common progression to mental health and cardiovascular disorders in overweight women while comparing favorably to pharmacological interventions in terms of side-effects and acceptability.

OBJECTIVE: This review attempts to investigate the link between subclinical thyroid dysfunction (SCH) and major depressive disorder (MDD). It has been speculated that SCH may be related to MDD through an autoimmune mechanism.
METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the PubMed database for relevant research and review articles.
RESULTS: There appears to be an association between an autoimmune mechanism, possibly involving the thyroid gland, and depressive disorders, but the available evidence is so far inconclusive.
CONCLUSIONS: Lifetime prevalence of depression is significantly higher in patients with SCH, a finding reflecting a possible effect of SCH in lowering the threshold for the emergence of MDD. The relationship between SCH and MDD is, however, not clear, with large and well-designed studies investigating possible links between reference-range thyroid hormone levels and MDD having as yet found no relation between the two.