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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7099-2007

Date Available

5-1-2025

Year of Publication

2024

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

Arts and Sciences

Department/School/Program

Psychology

Faculty

Suzanne C. Segerstrom, PhD, MPH

Faculty

Mike Bardo, PhD

Abstract

Chronic stress increases risk for disease, poor health, and early mortality. Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common latent herpes virus, may promote neurological changes that increase vulnerability to chronic stress by way of self-regulatory deficits, though this has yet to be directly tested. Investigating CMV at younger ages is crucial to understand the effect of CMV across the lifespan and identify modifiable health-factors for future anti-aging interventions. The present study aimed to investigate how, and for whom, CMV associates with daily stress processes in early adulthood.

Participants (N = 108, Mage = 19.7, 83.3% female, 72% White) completed an in-person lab visit and via 14-day daily diary (90.2% response rate). Measures assessed self-regulation (Brief Self Control Scale, the Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Activation Scale, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale) and daily stress (Daily Inventory of Stressful Events and the PROMIS Emotional Distress – Depression and Anxiety). CMV was assayed from dried blood spots via IgG ELISA. Poisson and linear multilevel models assessed the effects of CMV serostatus (36 IgG EU/mL and 56 IgG EU/mL cutoffs), and CMV IgG on daily stress.

Higher CMV IgG was associated with lower negative affect reactivity (g = -1.34, 95% CI [-2.27, -.41], p = .005), particularly at lower levels of inhibition (Contrast = -1.50, 95% CI [-2.84, -.17], p = .027) and higher levels of motivation towards goal-oriented behaviors (Contrast = -1.75, 95% CI [-3.14, -.37], p = .013).

CMV may impact negative affect reactivity in young adults, which can affect future health, and warrants further investigation with a larger, more diverse sample and additional timepoints. Testing CMV, at younger ages improves the understanding accelerated aging earlier in life and provides early targets for future anti-aging interventions.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2024.287

Funding Information

This study was supported by the National Institute on Aging (F31-AG082521).

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