Skip to main content
Log in

Acute Psychophysiological Relationships Between Mood, Inflammatory and Cortisol Changes in Response to Simulated Physical Firefighting Work and Sleep Restriction

  • Published:
Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examined how changes in wildland firefighters’ mood relate to cytokine and cortisol levels in response to simulated physical firefighting work and sleep restriction. Firefighters completed 3 days of simulated wildfire suppression work separated by an 8-h (control condition; n = 18) or 4-h sleep opportunity (sleep restriction condition; n = 17) each night. Firefighters’ mood was assessed daily using the Mood Scale II and Samn-Perelli fatigue scale. Participants also provided samples for the determination of salivary cortisol and pro- (IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory (IL-4, IL-10) cytokine levels. An increase in the positive mood dimension Happiness was related to a rise in IL-8 and TNF-α in the sleep restriction condition. A rise in the positive mood dimension Activation among sleep restricted firefighters was also related to higher IL-6 levels. An increase in the negative mood dimension Fatigue in the sleep restriction condition was associated with increased IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10 and cortisol levels. In addition, an increase in Fear among sleep restricted firefighters was associated with a rise in TNF-α. Elevated positive mood and immune activation may reflect an appropriate response by the firefighters to these stressors. To further understand this relationship, subsequent firefighting-based research is needed that investigates whether immune changes are a function of affective arousal linked to the expression of positive moods. Positive associations between negative mood and inflammatory and cortisol levels to physical work and restricted sleep provide useful information to fire agencies about subjective fire-ground indicators of physiological changes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abedelmalek, S., Souissi, N., Chtourou, H., Denguezli, M., Aouichaoui, C., Ajina, M., et al. (2013). Effects of partial sleep deprivation on proinflammatory cytokines, growth hormone, and steroid hormone concentrations during repeated brief sprint interval exercise. Chronobiology International: The Journal of Biological & Medical Rhythm Research, 30(4), 502–509.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aisbett, B., Phillips, M., Raines, J., & Nichols, D. (2007). Work patterns of tanker-based bushfire suppression by Australian volunteer firefighters in south-east Australia. In Human dimensions of wildfire conference, Fort Collins, Colorado.

  • Aisbett, B., Wolkow, A., Sprajcer, M., & Ferguson, S. A. (2012). “Awake, smoky, and hot”: Providing an evidence-base for managing the risks associated with occupational stressors encountered by wildland firefighters. Applied Ergonomics, 43(5), 916–925.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Armario, A., Hernández, J., Hidalgo, J., & Bluethmann, H. (1998). IL-6 deficiency leads to increased emotionality in mice: Evidence in transgenic mice carrying a null mutation for IL-6. Journal of Neuroimmunology, 92(1–2), 160–169. doi:10.1016/S0165-5728(98)00199-4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barak, Y. (2006). The immune system and happiness. Autoimmunity Reviews, 5(8), 523–527.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Berk, L. S., Felten, D. L., Tan, S. A., Bittman, B. B., & Westengard, J. (2001). Modulation of neuroimmune parameters during the eustress of humor-associated mirthful laughter. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 7(2), 62–72.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bouhuys, A., Flentge, F., & Van den Hoofdakker, R. (1990). Effects of total sleep deprivation on urinary cortisol, self-rated arousal, and mood in depressed patients. Psychiatry Research, 34, 149–162.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burnham, K. P., & Anderson, D. R. (2002). Model selection and multi-model inference: A practical information-theoretic approach/Kenneth P. Burnham, David R. Anderson (2nd ed.). London: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butterweck, V., Prinz, S., & Schwaninger, M. (2003). Research report: The role of interleukin-6 in stress-induced hyperthermia and emotional behaviour in mice. Behavioural Brain Research, 144, 49–56. doi:10.1016/S0166-4328(03)00059-7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Canli, T., Zhao, Z., Desmond, J., Kang, E., Gross, J., & Gabrieli, J. D. E. (2001). An fMRI study of personality influences on brain reactivity to emotional stimuli. Behavioral Neuroscience, 115(1), 33–42. doi:10.1037/0735-7044.115.1.33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter, J. S., Elam, J. L., Ridner, S. H., Carney, P. H., Cherry, G. J., & Cucullu, H. L. (2004). Sleep, fatigue, and depressive symptoms in breast cancer survivors and matched healthy women experiencing hot flashes. Oncology Nursing Forum, 31(3), 591–598. doi:10.1188/04.ONF.591-598.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cater, H., Clancy, D., Duffy, K., Holgate, A., Wilison, B., & Wood, J. (2007). Fatigue on the fireground: The DPI experience. In R. Thornton (Ed.), Bushfire cooperative research centre/Australasian fire authorities council conference research forum, Hobart, Tasmania, 2007. Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre.

  • Chao, C. C., Janoff, E. N., Hu, S. X., Thomas, K., Gallagher, M., Tsang, M., et al. (1991). Altered cytokine release in peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures from patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome. Cytokine, 3(4), 292–298.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chennaoui, M., Sauvet, F., Drogou, C., Van Beers, P., Langrume, C., Guillard, M., et al. (2011). Effect of one night of sleep loss on changes in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels in healthy men. Cytokine, 56(2), 318–324. doi:10.1016/j.cyto.2011.06.002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cuddy, J., Gaskill, S., Sharkey, B., Harger, S., & Ruby, B. (2007). Supplemental feedings increase self-selected work output during wildfire suppression. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 39(6), 1004–1012.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Damasio, A. R., Grabowski, T. J., Bechara, A., Damasio, H., Ponto, L. L., Parvizi, J., et al. (2000). Subcortical and cortical brain activity during the feeling of self-generated emotions. Nature Neuroscience, 3(10), 1049–1056.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dhabhar, F. S., & McEwen, B. S. (2006). Bidirectional effects of stress on immune function: Possible explanations for salubrious as well as harmful effects. In R. Ader (Ed.), Psychoneuroimmunology (4th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 723–760). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doll, R. E., & Gunderson, E. K. E. (1971). Group size, occupational status and psychological symptomatology in an extreme environment. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 27(2), 196–198.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ekman, P., Levenson, R. W., & Friesen, W. V. (1983). Autonomic nervous system activity distinguishes among emotions. Science, 221(4616), 1208–1210.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson, S. A., Aisbett, B., Jay, S. M., Onus, K., Lord, C., Sprajcer, M., et al. (2011). Design of a valid simulation for researching physical, physiological and cognitive performance in volunteer firefighters during bushfire deployment. Paper presented at the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre/Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council Conference Research Forum, Sydney, New South Wales.

  • Field, A. (2009). Discovering statistics using SPSS (3rd ed.). London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Filaire, E., Legrand, B., Lac, G., & Pequignot, J. M. (2004). Training of elite cyclists: Effects on mood state and selected hormonal responses. Journal of Sports Sciences, 22(11–12), 1025–1033.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Friedmann, J., Globus, G., Huntley, A., Mullaney, D., Naitoh, P., & Johnson, L. (1977). Performance and mood during and after gradual sleep reduction. Psychophysiology, 14(3), 245–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Futterman, A. D., Kemeny, M. E., Shapiro, D., Polonsky, W., & Fahey, J. L. (1992). Immunological variability associated with experimentally-induced positive and negative affective states. Psychological Medicine, 22(1), 231–238.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, A. N., & Walker, M. P. (2014). The role of sleep in emotional brain function. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 10, 679–708. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032813-153716.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Gujar, N., Yoo, S.-S., Hu, P., & Walker, M. P. (2011). Sleep deprivation amplifies reactivity of brain reward networks, biasing the appraisal of positive emotional experiences. The Journal of Neuroscience, 31(12), 4466–4474. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3220-10.2011.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Gundersen, Y., Opstad, P. K., Reistad, T., Thrane, I., & Vaagenes, P. (2006). Seven days’ around the clock exhaustive physical exertion combined with energy depletion and sleep deprivation primes circulating leukocytes. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 97(2), 151–157.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haack, M., Sanchez, E., & Mullington, J. M. (2007). Elevated inflammatory markers in response to prolonged sleep restriction are associated with increased pain experience in healthy volunteers. Sleep, 30(9), 1145–1152.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Haddad, J. J., Saadé, N. E., & Safieh-Garabedian, B. (2002). Cytokines and neuro-immune-endocrine interactions: A role for the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal revolving axis. Journal of Neuroimmunology, 133(1–2), 1–19. doi:10.1016/S0165-5728(02)00357-0.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harte, S. L., Eifert, G. H., & Smith, R. (1995). The effects of running and meditation on beta-endorphin, corticotropin-releasing hormone and cortisol in plasma, and on mood. Biological Psychology, 40(3), 251–265.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heinz, A., Hermann, D., Smolka, M. N., Ricks, M., Graf, K., Pohlau, D., et al. (2003). Effects of acute psychological stress on adhesion molecules, interleukins and sex hormones: Implications for coronary heart disease. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 165(2), 111–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrald, M. M., & Tomaka, J. (2002). Patterns of emotion-specific appraisal, coping, and cardiovascular reactivity during an ongoing emotional episode. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(2), 434–450.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Air Transport Association (IATA), & International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations (IFALPA). (2011). Fatigue risk management systems: Implementation guide for operators. Retrieved from http://www.icao.int/safety/fatiguemanagement/FRMS%20Tools/FRMS%20Implementation%20Guide%20for%20Operators%20July%202011.pd.

  • Jürimäe, J., Mäestu, J., Purge, P., Jürimäe, T., & Sööt, T. (2002). Relations among heavy training stress, mood state and performance for male junior rowers. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 95(2), 520–526. doi:10.2466/pms.95.5.520-526.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kemeny, M. E. (2007). Emotions and the immune system. In R. Ader (Ed.), Psychoneuroimmunology (Vol. 4, pp. 619–629). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Knapp, P. H., Levy, E. M., Giorgi, R. G., Black, P. H., Fox, B. H., & Heeren, T. C. (1992). Short-term immunological effects of induced emotion. Psychosomatic Medicine, 54(2), 133–148.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kopasz, M., Loessl, B., Valerius, G., Koenig, E., Matthaeas, N., Hornyak, M., et al. (2010). No persisting effect of partial sleep curtailment on cognitive performance and declarative memory recall in adolescents. Journal of Sleep Research, 19(1), 71–79. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2869.2009.00742.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman, H. R., Bathalon, G. P., Falco, C. M., Kramer, M. F., Morgan, C. A., & Niro, P. (2005). Severe decrements in cognition function and mood induced by sleep loss, heat, dehydration, and undernutrition during simulated combat. Biological Psychiatry, 57, 422–429.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lundberg, U. (1999). Coping with stress: Neuroendocrine reactions and implications for health. Noise and Health, 1(4), 67–74.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lundeland, B., Gundersen, Y., Opstad, P. K., Thrane, I., Zhang, Y., Olaussen, R. W., et al. (2012). One week of multifactorial high-stress military ranger training affects Gram-negative signalling. Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation, 72(7), 547–554. doi:10.3109/00365513.2012.705017.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maier, S. F. (2003). Bi-directional immune-brain communication: Implications for understanding stress, pain, and cognition. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 17, 69–85.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maier, S. F., & Watkins, L. R. (1998). Cytokines for psychologists: Implication of bidirectional immune-to-brain communication for understanding behaviour, mood, and cognition. Psychological Review, 105(1), 83–107.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marsland, A. L., Pressman, S., & Cohen, S. (2007). Positive affect and immune function. In R. Ader (Ed.), Psychoneuroimmunology (Vol. 4, pp. 761–779). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Matsunaga, M., Isowa, T., Kimura, K., Miyakoshi, M., Kanayama, N., Murakami, H., et al. (2008). Associations among central nervous, endocrine, and immune activities when positive emotions are elicited by looking at a favorite person. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 22, 408–417. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2007.09.008.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mavanji, V., Teske, J. A., Billington, C. J., & Kotz, C. M. (2013). Partial sleep deprivation by environmental noise increases food intake and body weight in obesity-resistant rats. Obesity, 21(7), 1396–1405.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • McEwen, B. S. (2005). Glucocorticoids, depression, and mood disorders: Structural remodeling in the brain. Metabolism, 54(Suppl 1), 20–23. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2005.01.008.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McEwen, B. S. (2006). Sleep deprivation as a neurobiologic and physiologic stressor: Allostasis and allostatic load. Metabolism, Clinical and Experimental, 55(Suppl 2), S20–S23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McEwen, B. S., & Seeman, T. (1999). Protective and damaging effects of mediators of stress. Elaborating and testing the concepts of allostasis and allostatic load. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 896, 30–47.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mittwoch-Jaffe, T., Shalit, F., Srendi, B., & Yehuda, S. (1995). Modification of cytokine secretion following mild emotional stimuli. NeuroReport, 6(5), 789–792.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mondin, G. W., Morgan, W. P., Piering, P. N., & Stegner, A. J. (1996). Psychological consequences of exercise deprivation in habitual exercisers. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 28(9), 1199–1203. doi:10.1097/00005768-199609000-00018.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, H. P., Björkqvist, M., Bode, F. J., Stephan, M., & von Hörsten, S. (2010). Serum levels of a subset of cytokines show high interindividual variability and are not altered in rats transgenic for Huntington’s disease. Plos Currents Huntington Disease, 2, 1–5. doi:10.1371/currents.RRN1190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paterson, J., Dorrian, J., Ferguson, S., Jay, S., Lamond, N., Murphy, P., et al. (2011). Changes in structural aspects of mood during 39–66 h of sleep loss using matched controls. Applied Ergonomics, 42(2), 196–201.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Paterson, J. L., Dorrian, J., PinCombe, J., Grech, C., & Dawson, D. (2010). Mood change and perception of workload in Australian midwives. Industrial Health, 48, 381–389.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Payne, R., Welham, S., & Harding, S. (2011). A guide to REML in GenStat (16th ed.). Hempstead: VSN International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, M., Netto, K., Payne, W., Nichols, D., Lord, C., Brooksbank, N., et al. (2011). Frequency, intensity and duration of physical tasks performed by Australian rural firefighters during bushfire suppression. Paper presented at the Bushfire Cooperative Research Center/Australasian Fire Authorities Council Conference Research Forum, Sydney, New South Wales.

  • Phillips, M., Payne, W., Lord, C., Netto, K., Nichols, D., & Aisbett, B. (2012). Identification of physically demanding tasks performed during bushfire suppression by Australian rural firefighters. Applied Ergonomics, 43(2), 435–441. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2011.06.018.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, M., Raines, J., Nichols, D., & Aisbett, B. (2007). Work demands of tanker based bushfire suppression. In Bushfire Cooperative Research Center/Australasian Fire Authorities Conference, Hobart, Tasmania, 2007. Bushfire Cooperative Research Center.

  • Powell, D. M. C., Spencer, M. B., Holland, D., Broadbent, E., & Petrie, K. J. (2007). Pilot fatigue in short-haul operations: Effects of number of sectors, duty length, and time of day. Aerospace Medicine & Human Performance, 78(7), 698–701.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pradhan, A. D., Manson, J. E., Rifai, N., Buring, J. E., & Ridker, P. M. (2001). C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, and risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Journal of the American Medical Association, 286(3), 327–334.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pressman, S. D., & Cohen, S. (2005). Does positive affect influence health? Psychological Bulletin, 131(6), 925–971. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.131.6.925.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pruessner, J. C., Kirschbaum, C., Meinlschmid, G., & Hellhammer, D. H. (2003). Two formulas for computation of the area under the curve represent measures of total hormone concentration versus time-dependent change. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 28(7), 916–931. doi:10.1016/s0306-4530(02)00108-7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ridker, P. M., Rifai, N., Stampfer, M. J., & Hennekens, C. H. (2000). Plasma concentration of interleukin-6 and the risk of future myocardial infarction among apparently healthy men. Circulation, 101, 1767–1772.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robson-Ansley, P., Barwood, M., Canavan, J., Hack, S., Eglin, C., Davey, S., et al. (2009). The effect of repeated endurance exercise on IL-6 and sIL-6R and their relationship with sensations of fatigue at rest. Cytokine, 45, 111–116.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ruby, B., Schoeller, D., Sharkey, B., Burks, C., & Tysk, S. (2003). Water turnover and changes in body composition during arduous wildfire suppression. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 35(10), 1760–1765.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ruby, B., Shriver, T., Zderic, T., Sharkey, B., Burks, C., & Tysk, S. (2002). Total energy expenditure during arduous wildfire suppression. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 34(6), 1048–1054.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ryff, C. D., Singer, B. H., & Dienberg Love, G. (2004). Positive health: Connecting well-being with biology. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 359(1449), 1383–1394. doi:10.1098/rstb.2004.1521.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ryman, D. H., Biersner, R. J., & La Rocco, J. M. (1974). Reliabilities and validities of the mood questionnaire. Psychological Reports, 35(1, Pt 2), 479–484. doi:10.2466/pr0.1974.35.1.479.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Samn, S. W., & Perelli, L. P. (1982). Estimating aircrew fatigue: A technique with implications to airlift operations. Technical Report SAM TR 82 21. Texas, United States: UASF School of Aerospace Medicine.

  • Schettino, A. P., & Borden, R. J. (1976). Sex differences in responses to naturalistic crowding: Affective reactions to group size and group density. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2(1), 67–70. doi:10.1177/014616727600200115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, J. P. R., McNaughton, L. R., & Polman, R. C. J. (2006). Effects of sleep deprivation and exercise on cognitive, motor performance and mood. Physiology & Behavior, 87, 396–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sergerstrom, S., & Miller, G. (2004). Psychosocial stress and the human immune system: A meta-analytic study of 30 years of inquiry. Psychological Bulletin, 130(4), 601–630.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skowera, A., Cleare, A., Blair, D., Bevis, L., Wessely, S. C., & Peakman, M. (2004). High levels of type 2 cytokine-producing cells in chronic fatigue syndrome. Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 135(2), 294–302.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi, K., Iwase, M., Yamashita, K., Tatsumoto, Y., Ue, H., Kuratsune, H., et al. (2001). The elevation of natural killer cell activity induced by laughter in a crossover designed study. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 8(6), 645–650.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • ter Wolbeek, M., van Doornen, L. J. P., Kavelaars, A., van de Putte, E. M., Schedlowski, M., & Heijnen, C. J. (2007). Longitudinal analysis of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production in severely fatigued adolescents. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 21(8), 1063–1074.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, K. S., Motivala, S., Olmstead, R., & Irwin, M. R. (2011). Sleep depth and fatigue: Role of cellular inflammatory activation. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 25(1), 53–58. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2010.07.245.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Thorne, D. R., Genser, S. G., Sing, H. C., & Hedge, F. W. (1985). The walter reed performance assessment battery. Neurobehavioral Toxicology and Teratology, 7, 415–418.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Zuiden, M., Kavelaars, A., Amarouchi, K., Maas, M., Vermetten, E., Geuze, E., et al. (2012). IL-1beta reactivity and the development of severe fatigue after military deployment: A longitudinal study. J Neuroinflammation, 9, 205. doi:10.1186/1742-2094-9-205.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Vgontzas, A. N., Bixler, E. O., Chrousos, G. P., & Pejovic, S. (2008). Obesity and sleep disturbances: Meaningful sub-typing of obesity. Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry, 114(4), 224–236. doi:10.1080/13813450802521507.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vgontzas, A. N., Bixler, E. O., Papanicolaou, D. A., & Chrousos, G. P. (2000). Chronic systemic inflammation in overweight and obese adults. Journal of the American Medical Association, 283(17), 2235–2236.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vgontzas, A. N., Zoumakis, E., Bixler, E. O., Lin, H., Follett, H., Kales, A., et al. (2004). Adverse effects of modest sleep restriction on sleepiness, performance and inflammatory cytokines. The Journal Of Clinical Endocrinology And Metabolism, 89(5), 2119–2126.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vincent, G., Ferguson, S. A., Larsen, B., Wolkow, A., Tran, J., & Aisbett, B. (2015). Sleep restriction during simulated wildfire suppression: Effect on physical task performance. PLoS ONE, 10(1), 2015. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0115329.eCollection.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • von Känel, R., Bellingrath, S., & Kudielka, B. M. (2008). Original article: Association between burnout and circulating levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in schoolteachers. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 65, 51–59. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2008.02.007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolkow, A., Aisbett, B., Reynolds, J., Ferguson, S. A., & Main, L. C. (2015a). The impact of sleep restriction while performing simulated physical firefighting work on cortisol and heart rate responses. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health,. doi:10.1007/s00420-015-1085-3.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wolkow, A., Ferguson, S. A., Aisbett, B., & Main, L. C. (2015b). The effects of work-related sleep restriction on acute physiological and psychological stress responses and their interactions: A review among emergency service personnel. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 28(2), 183–208.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wolkow, A., Ferguson, S. A., Vincent, G. E., Larsen, B., Aisbett, B., & Main, L. C. (2015c). The impact of sleep restriction and simulated physical firefighting work on acute inflammatory stress responses. PLoS ONE, 10(9), e0138128. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0138128.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, C. E., Strike, P. C., Brydon, L., & Steptoe, A. (2005). Acute inflammation and negative mood: Mediation by cytokine activation. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 19(4), 345–350. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2004.10.003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshino, S., & Mukai, E. (2003). Neuroendocrine-immune system in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Modern Rheumatology, 13(3), 193–198. doi:10.1007/s10165-003-0223-z.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, B., Dong, Y., Xu, Z., Gompf, H. S., Ward, S. A., Xue, Z., et al. (2012). Sleep disturbance induces neuroinflammation and impairment of learning and memory. Neurobiology of Diseases, 48(3), 348–355. doi:10.1016/j.nbd.2012.06.022.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zunszain, P. A., Anacker, C., Cattaneo, A., Carvalho, L. A., & Pariante, C. M. (2011). Glucocorticoids, cytokines and brain abnormalities in depression. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 35(3), 722–729.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the Bushfire Co-operative Research Centre for providing the financial support for this project. The authors would also like to thank the firefighters that volunteered their time to participate in this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alexander Wolkow.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Appendix

Appendix

See Tables 2, 3 and 4.

Table 2 Total sleep time (mean ± SD) for each night in both conditions (h)
Table 3 Interactions and slope (b) coefficients for Mood Scale II and cytokine response relationships
Table 4 Interactions and slope (b) coefficients for Samn-Perelli Fatigue Scale (both mean and profile) and cytokine and cortisol response relationships

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wolkow, A., Aisbett, B., Reynolds, J. et al. Acute Psychophysiological Relationships Between Mood, Inflammatory and Cortisol Changes in Response to Simulated Physical Firefighting Work and Sleep Restriction. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 41, 165–180 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-015-9329-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-015-9329-2

Keywords

Navigation