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Bridging acute and chronic stress effects on inflammation: protocol for a mixed-methods intensive longitudinal study
Lennart Seizer1,2,3, Anja Pascher4,5,6, Sonja Branz5,6
1Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy for Children and Adolescents, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany. lennartmseizer@gmail.com.
BMC Psychology
|May 2, 2025
Summary
This study explores how acute stress transitions to chronic stress in students. Findings reveal how chronic stress impacts acute stress responses, offering insights into stress-related disorders.
Area of Science:
- Psychoneuroimmunology
- Stress Physiology
- Longitudinal Research
Background:
- Acute stress causes temporary immune changes, while chronic stress leads to sustained inflammation linked to disorders.
- The transition and interplay between acute and chronic stress are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dynamics between acute and chronic stress.
- To understand how repeated acute stressors evolve into chronic stress.
- To examine the influence of chronic stress burden on acute stress responses.
Main Methods:
- Intensive longitudinal measurement burst design with healthy university students.
- Ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) and saliva biomarker collection over three one-week bursts.
- Multi-level modeling and advanced speech analysis of daily audio diaries.
Main Results:
- Analysis will differentiate within-person stress dynamics from between-person variability.
- Identification of moderators influencing stress transition and impact.
- Quantification of immune and stress system biomarkers in relation to stress types.
Conclusions:
- Elucidating the pathway from acute to chronic stress.
- Understanding the bidirectional relationship between stress types and immune function.
- Informing interventions for stress-related conditions.
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