EFFECTS OF EXAM STRESS ON MOOD, CORTISOL, AND IMMUNE FUNCTIONING - INFLUENCES OF NEUROTICISM AND SMOKER-NON-SMOKER STATUS

In a number of studies, neuroticism, depression and stress have been r eported to be positively correlated with each other, with serum cortis ol concentration and with smoking. The same factors are inversely rela ted to measures of immune system functioning. The present study assess ed in smokers and non-smokers the effects of the presumed stress of fi nal examinations on moods, cortisol and immune system functioning. Sub jects were college students selected because they reported Feeling rel iable high degrees of stress during examinations. Immune system functi oning (natural killer cell cytotoxic activity [NKCA], and ConA and PHA lymphocyte proliferation), serum cortisol concentration and mood were assessed in 19 smokers and 23 non-smokers. The findings indicate that exam stress was associated with large increases in reported tension a nd slightly increased symptoms of depression. Further, T lymphocyte pr oliferation in response to ConA, but not to PHA, was suppressed during the exam period, while changes in NKCA during exams were associated w ith an interaction of smoker starts and neuroticism. There was also a neuroticism by stress interaction for negative mood assessed by the Pr ofile of Mood States such that those individuals who scored high on me asures of neuroticism were higher in negative affect at baseline and p ost-exam periods, bur not during the exam period. Smokers had higher s erum cortisol concentrations than non-smokers across conditions and sc ored higher in Beck Depression Inventory-assessed symptoms of depressi on. Cortisol did not vary as a function of stress and was not correlat ed with changes in immune functioning, with depression or with negativ e moods. Serum cortisol and beta-endorphin concentrations were not ass ociated with immune functioning or habitual nicotine intake (plasma ni cotine and cotinine concentrations). Among smokers, exam stress did no t result in elevated plasma nicotine, cotinine or caffeine concentrati ons. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.