Abstract

PAZA, Diego Leonardo Stamm; PIEROZAN, Gian Carlo; FURYAMA, Guilherme Yoshi  and  STEFANELLO, Joice Mara Facco. Hair cortisol as an analytical measure of chronic stress. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2017, vol.18, n.3, pp.773-788. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/17psd180312.

Recent studies have sought to investigate the chronic cortisol levels from hair samples. This method has advantages such as ease of sample collection, easy storage, no dependence of the sample adherence to carry out the research, among others. However there are still gaps on which protocols for collection, extraction and evaluation of cortisol from the hair would be considered standard for this analysis in humans. Given this, the objective of this systematic review study was to analyze the protocols for the collection and analysis of hair cortisol as an indicator of chronic stress in healthy individuals. Considering the 22 articles selected for analysis it was found that most of the research samples used individuals of both sexes, with hair samples cut in the region of the vertex of the head, closest to the root. The length and number of hair varied according to the goals of each study, where most used was 3 cm of hair length. It follows that there is an absence of a single protocol on the washing method, the treatment of hair and on the method used for extraction and analysis of cortisol, where most studies have used isopropanol compound to wash their samples, followed by pulverization of the sample, conducting the analysis of cortisol concentration by three main methods, the CLIA, ELISA and LC-MS / MS.

Keywords : cortisol; hair; psychological stress.

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