URINARY CORTISOL AND ENDOGENOUS MONOAMINE-OXIDASE INHIBITOR(S), BUT NOT ISATIN, ARE RAISED IN ANTICIPATION OF STRESS AND OR AROUSAL IN NORMAL INDIVIDUALS/

Cortisol, isatin and monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitory activity (trib ulin) distinguished by its A and B components were measured in spot-ur ine samples provided by 20 students prior to an assessed oral seminar presentation. Stress arousal checklists (SACL) were completed on five occasions at timed intervals before and after the presentation over a 3 1/2-hour period, Significant changes in stress and arousal (p<0.000) were reported during this period; levels reached their peak at the ti me of presentation and fell to their lowest 30 minutes after the prese ntation. Urinary cortisol concentration was found to correlate with MA O-A inhibitory activity (r=0.444, p=0.05) and with the elevation in pe rceived stress (but not arousal) in terms of peak levels compared to p ost-presentation base levels (r=0.478, p<0.05), Both MAO-A and B inhib itory activities correlated with the elevation in arousal (but not str ess) in terms of peak levels, experienced during the presentation, com pared to post-presentation base levels (respectively: r=0.6477, p<0.00 5; r=0.6068, p<0.01). Additionally, there was a difference between abs olute peak arousal (but not stress) experienced by those subjects who had previously exhibited high levels of MAO-B inhibitory activity comp ared to those with low levels (p<0.05, two-tailed). Isatin did not cor relate with any of the measured parameters.