Correlation between psychophysiological characteristics and a cortizole level in boarding school adolescents

Introduction. The authors investigate the problem of body functioning under the influence of stress factors. The main goal of the research is to identify the relationship between psychophysiological characteristics of adolescents studying at a boarding school, with a cortisol level (a stress hormone). Materials and Methods. The sample consisted of 54 healthy boarding school students aged between 14 and 15. For this study, neurodynamic and psychodynamic characteristics, a heart rate variability and a level of salivary cortisol were evaluated. Adolescents were divided into three groups, taking into account the level of salivary cortisol. Correlation analysis was performed to determine the correlation. Results. The study reveals interdependence between some psychophysiological parameters of adaptation and a salivary cortisol level in boarding school adolescents. It is shown that an increase of the cortisol level is accompanied by an increase in mobility of nervous processes, brain working capacity, dominance of excitation processes above inhibition, decrease in short-term memory volume, and dominance of sympathetic influences in regulation of cardiac activity with optimal body functioning. Adolescents with a lower hormone concentration differ from peers by increase in centralization of vegetative regulation mechanisms in conditions of predominating vagus influences on the heart rhythm, decrease in a level of organism functional reserve, a lower level of neurodynamic characteristics, larger volume of short-term memory, and imbalance of nervous processes with dominance of inhibition. Balanced activity of sympathetic and para sympathetic divisions of the vegetative nervous system (VNS), high attention level and balance of nervous processes are observed at mean values of salivary cortisol. Conclusions. The results indicate a correlation between a cortisol level and psychophysiological characteristics of adolescents and allow to conclude about its leading role in adaptive reactions of boarding school students.