Effect of increase in cortisol level due to stress in healthy young individuals on dynamic and static balance scores

INTRODUCTION: Stress is a condition caused by various factors and characterized by imbalance in body functioning, impair in nervous system, and tension. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of cortisol level, which increases in healthy young individuals due to stress, on dynamic and static balance scores as well as to present the results caused by high levels of stress.
METHODS: In this study, 107 healthy medicine faculty students in their second year (who will take the same committee exam) aged between 19 and 23 years were included. The first balance measurements and saliva samples were taken 40 days before the committee exam, and this period was acknowledged as the relaxed period. The same students were considered for balance measurements again on the day of committee exam; saliva samples were collected, and cortisol concentration was determined. This period was acknowledged as the stressful period. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was given to the participants in their relaxed and stressful periods. Dynamic balance scores were measured with Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT). Static balance scores were measured with One Leg Standing Balance Test (OLSBT).
RESULTS: The mean cortisol level was found to increase approximately 9 times in stressful periods compared with that in relaxed periods. STAI, which shows state anxiety, showed an increase supporting this increase. In stressful periods, dynamic balance scores showed obvious decrease in all directions. In addition, in stressful periods, an obvious decrease was observed in static balance scores compared with those in relaxed periods.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study showed that stress negatively affected dynamic and static balance, even for short periods of time. We believe that our study will form a positive source and basis when correlated with long terms stress and balance measurements.

Saðlýklý Genç Bireylerde Strese Baðlý Artýþ Gösteren Kortizol Seviyesinin Dinamik ve Statik Denge Skorlarý Üzerine Etkisi

GÝRÝÞ ve AMAÇ: Stres, çeþitli etkenlerin sebep olduðu, vücut çalýþmasýnda dengesizlik, sinir sisteminde bozukluk ve gerilimle ortaya çýkan karakterize bir durumdur. Bu çalýþmada, saðlýklý genç bireylerde strese baðlý artýþ gösteren kortizol seviyesinin dinamik ve statik denge skorlarýna etkisinin incelenmesi ve yüksek stresin doðuracaðý sonuçlarýn ortaya konulmasý amaçlandý.
YÖNTEM ve GEREÇLER: Çalýþmaya yaþlarý 19-22 arasýnda deðiþen, saðlýklý ve ayný komite sýnavýna girecek gönüllü 107 týp fakültesi 2. sýnýf öðrencisi dâhil edildi. Ýlk denge ölçümleri ve tükürük numuneleri komite sýnavýndan 40 gün önce alýndý ve bu dönem relax dönem olarak kabul edildi. Ayný öðrenciler komite sýnavýnýn olduðu gün tekrar denge ölçümlerine alýndý ve tükürük numuneleri toplandý. Bu dönem ise stresli dönem olarak kabul edildi. Kiþilere, relax ve stresli dönemde The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) uygulandý. Dinamik denge skorlarý Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) ile ölçüldü. Statik denge skorlarý ise One Leg Standing Balance Test ile belirlendi.
BULGULAR: Tükürük numunelerindeki kortizol seviyesinin ortalamasý stresli dönemde relax döneme göre yaklaþýk 9 kat arttýðý belirlendi. Durumluk kaygýyý ortaya koyan STAI ölçeði de bu artýþý destekler nitelikte bir artýþ gösterdi. Stresli dönemde tüm yönlerde dinamik denge skorlarý belirgin azalma gösterdi. Ayrýca, stresli dönemde statik denge skorlarý relax dönemle karþýlaþtýrýldýðýnda belirgin azalma olduðu ortaya çýktý.
TARTIÞMA ve SONUÇ: Bu çalýþma; saðlýklý genç bireylerde stresin kýsa süreli bile dinamik ve statik dengeyi olumsuz yönde etkilediðini ortaya koymuþtur. Yapýlacak uzun süreli stres ve denge ölçümleri ile korele edildiðinde çalýþmamýzýn olumlu yönde kaynak ve temel oluþturacaðýný düþünmekteyiz.