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Feola B, Flook EA, Seo DJ, Fox V, Oler J, Heckers S, Woodward ND, Blackford JU. Altered brain and physiological stress responses in early psychosis. Schizophr Res 2024; 271:112-119. [PMID: 39024959 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Stress is proposed to be a crucial factor in the onset and presentation of psychosis. The early stage of psychosis provides a window into how stress interacts with the emergence of psychosis. Yet, how people with early psychosis respond to stress remains unclear. The current study examined how stress responses (brain, physiological, self-report) differ in early psychosis. Forty participants (20 early psychosis [EP], 20 healthy controls [HC]) completed a stress task in the scanner that involved viewing stressful and neutral-relaxing images. Physiological responses (cortisol, heart rate) and self-report of stress were also assessed. Region of Interest analyses were conducted with brain regions previously shown to be activated during the stress task (amygdala, hippocampus, striatum, hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex [dorsolateral, ventrolateral, medial orbital]). Linear mixed models were used to test for effects of group (EP, HC) and emotion (stress, neutral-relaxing). HC had higher hippocampus activation to stress versus neutral-relaxing conditions while EP did not show a difference (group x emotion interaction, p = 0.04). There were also significant main effects of group with EP having higher amygdala activation (p = 0.01), ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activation (vlPFC, p = 0.03), self-report of stress (p = 0.01), and heart rate (p < 0.001). Our study found preliminary evidence that people with early psychosis showed heightened response to stressful and non-threatening situations, across multiple levels of stress responses. Our findings suggest a novel perspective on stress alterations in early psychosis and highlight the importance of considering both stressful and non-stressful situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandee Feola
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, United States of America.
| | | | - Dongju J Seo
- Yale School of Medicine, United States of America
| | - Victoria Fox
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, United States of America
| | - Jesse Oler
- University of Miami School of Medicine, United States of America
| | - Stephan Heckers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, United States of America
| | - Neil D Woodward
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, United States of America
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2
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Madl JEM, Nieto Alvarez I, Amft O, Rohleder N, Becker L. The Psychological, Physiological, and Behavioral Responses of Patients to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Magn Reson Imaging 2024; 59:675-687. [PMID: 37990634 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.29134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND MRI is generally well-tolerated although it may induce physiological stress responses and anxiety in patients. PURPOSE Investigate the psychological, physiological, and behavioral responses of patients to MRI, their evolution over time, and influencing factors. STUDY TYPE Systematic review with meta-analysis. POPULATION 181,371 adult patients from 44 studies undergoing clinical MRI. ASSESSMENT Pubmed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and Scopus were systematically searched according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Quality appraisal was conducted with the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. Meta-analysis was conducted via Meta-Essentials workbooks when five studies were available for an outcome. Psychological and behavioral outcomes could be analyzed. Psychological outcomes were anxiety (State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory, STAI-S; 37) and willingness to undergo MRI again. Behavioral outcomes included unexpected behaviors: No shows, sedation, failed scans, and motion artifacts. Year of publication, sex, age, and positioning were examined as moderators. STATISTICAL TESTS Meta-analysis, Hedge's g. A P value <0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. RESULTS Of 12,755 initial studies, 104 studies were included in methodological review and 44 (181,371 patients) in meta-analysis. Anxiety did not significantly reduce from pre- to post-MRI (Hedge's g = -0.20, P = 0.051). Pooled values of STAI-S (37) were 44.93 (pre-MRI) and 40.36 (post-MRI). Of all patients, 3.9% reported unwillingness to undergo MRI again. Pooled prevalence of unexpected patient behavior was 11.4%; rates for singular behaviors were: Failed scans, 2.1%; no-shows, 11.5%; sedation, 3.3%; motion artifacts, 12.2%. Year of publication was not a significant moderator (all P > 0.169); that is, the patients' response was not improved in recent vs. older studies. Meta-analysis of physiological responses was not feasible since preconditions were not met for any outcome. DATA CONCLUSION Advancements of MRI technology alone may not be sufficient to eliminate anxiety in patients undergoing MRI and related unexpected behaviors. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janika E M Madl
- Chair of Health Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Isabel Nieto Alvarez
- Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen, Germany
- Chair of Digital Health, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Intelligent Embedded Systems Lab, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Oliver Amft
- Chair of Digital Health, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Intelligent Embedded Systems Lab, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Hahn-Schickard, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Nicolas Rohleder
- Chair of Health Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Linda Becker
- Chair of Health Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Humanwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Vinzenz Pallotti University, Vallendar, Germany
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Roxburgh AD, White DJ, Grillon C, Cornwell BR. A neural oscillatory signature of sustained anxiety. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:1534-1544. [PMID: 37880568 PMCID: PMC10684633 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01132-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anxiety is a sustained response to uncertain threats; yet few studies have explored sustained neurobiological activities underlying anxious states, particularly spontaneous neural oscillations. To address this gap, we reanalysed magnetoencephalographic (MEG) data recorded during induced anxiety to identify differences in sustained oscillatory activity between high- and low-anxiety states. METHODS We combined data from three previous MEG studies in which healthy adults (total N = 51) were exposed to alternating periods of threat of unpredictable shock and safety while performing a range of cognitive tasks (passive oddball, mixed-saccade or stop-signal tasks). Spontaneous, band-limited, oscillatory activity was extracted from middle and late intervals of the threat and safe periods, and regional power distributions were reconstructed with adaptive beamforming. Conjunction analyses were used to identify regions showing overlapping spectral power differences between threat and safe periods across the three task paradigms. RESULTS MEG source analyses revealed a robust and widespread reduction in beta (14-30 Hz) power during threat periods in bilateral sensorimotor cortices extending into right prefrontal regions. Alpha (8-13 Hz) power reductions during threat were more circumscribed, with notable peaks in left intraparietal sulcus and thalamus. CONCLUSIONS Threat-induced anxiety is underpinned by a sustained reduction in spontaneous beta- and alpha-band activity in sensorimotor and parietal cortical regions. This general oscillatory pattern likely reflects a state of heightened action readiness and vigilance to cope with uncertain threats. Our findings provide a critical reference for which to identify abnormalities in cortical oscillatory activities in clinically anxious patients as well as evaluating the efficacy of anxiolytic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel D Roxburgh
- Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - David J White
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia
| | | | - Brian R Cornwell
- Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia
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4
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Dronse J, Ohndorf A, Richter N, Bischof GN, Fassbender R, Behfar Q, Gramespacher H, Dillen K, Jacobs HIL, Kukolja J, Fink GR, Onur OA. Serum cortisol is negatively related to hippocampal volume, brain structure, and memory performance in healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1154112. [PMID: 37251803 PMCID: PMC10213232 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1154112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Elevated cortisol levels have been frequently reported in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and linked to brain atrophy, especially of the hippocampus. Besides, high cortisol levels have been shown to impair memory performance and increase the risk of developing AD in healthy individuals. We investigated the associations between serum cortisol levels, hippocampal volume, gray matter volume and memory performance in healthy aging and AD. Methods In our cross-sectional study, we analyzed the relationships between morning serum cortisol levels, verbal memory performance, hippocampal volume, and whole-brain voxel-wise gray matter volume in an independent sample of 29 healthy seniors (HS) and 29 patients along the spectrum of biomarker-based AD. Results Cortisol levels were significantly elevated in patients with AD as compared to HS, and higher cortisol levels were correlated with worse memory performance in AD. Furthermore, higher cortisol levels were significantly associated with smaller left hippocampal volumes in HS and indirectly negatively correlated to memory function through hippocampal volume. Higher cortisol levels were further related to lower gray matter volume in the hippocampus and temporal and parietal areas in the left hemisphere in both groups. The strength of this association was similar in HS and AD. Conclusion In AD, cortisol levels are elevated and associated with worse memory performance. Furthermore, in healthy seniors, higher cortisol levels show a detrimental relationship with brain regions typically affected by AD. Thus, increased cortisol levels seem to be indirectly linked to worse memory function even in otherwise healthy individuals. Cortisol may therefore not only serve as a biomarker of increased risk for AD, but maybe even more importantly, as an early target for preventive and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Dronse
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Anna Ohndorf
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nils Richter
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gérard N. Bischof
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Multimodal Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ronja Fassbender
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Qumars Behfar
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hannes Gramespacher
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kim Dillen
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Palliative Medicine, Multimodal Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Heidi I. L. Jacobs
- Department of Radiology, Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Juraj Kukolja
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Helios University Hospital Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
- Faculty of Health Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Gereon R. Fink
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Oezguer A. Onur
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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5
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Perrier J, Bruijel J, Naveau M, Ramautar J, Delcroix N, Coppens J, Lakbila‐Kamal O, Stoffers D, Bessot N, Van Someren EJW. Functional connectivity correlates of attentional networks in insomnia disorder: A pilot study. J Sleep Res 2022; 32:e13796. [PMID: 36436510 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Insomnia disorder has been associated with poor executive functioning. Functional imaging studies of executive functioning in insomnia are scarce and inconclusive. Because the Attentional Network Test relies on well-defined cortical networks and sensitively distinguishes different aspects of executive function, it might reveal brain functional alterations in relatively small samples of patients. The current pilot study assessed functional connectivity during the Attentional Network Test performed using magnetic resonance imaging in 12 participants with insomnia and 13 self-defined good sleepers. ANCOVAs were used to evaluate group differences in performance and functional connectivity in the regions of interest representing the attentional networks (i.e. alerting, orienting and executive control) at p < 0.05, uncorrected. During the orienting part, participants with insomnia showed weaker connectivity of the precentral gyrus with the superior parietal lobe (false discovery rate-corrected), while they showed stronger connectivity between premotor and visual regions. Individual differences in connectivity between premotor and visual regions correlated inversely with reaction time. Reaction times suggested more efficient executive control in participants with insomnia compared with good sleepers. During the executive control part, participants with insomnia showed stronger connectivity of thalamic parts of the arousal circuit with the middle frontal and the occipital gyri. Conversely, connectivity between the inferior and superior frontal gyri was weaker. Participants with insomnia seem to recruit more cortical resources in visuo-motor regions to orient attention than good sleepers do, and seem to have enhanced executive control that relates to stronger connectivity of arousal-related thalamic areas. This latter result should be treated with caution and requires confirmation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy Perrier
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM, COMETE Caen France
| | - Jessica Bruijel
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Department of Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience Maastricht University Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Mikaël Naveau
- UMS 3408 Cyceron, CNRS Caen Normandy University, GIP CYCERON Caen France
| | - Jennifer Ramautar
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Nicolas Delcroix
- UMS 3408 Cyceron, CNRS Caen Normandy University, GIP CYCERON Caen France
| | - Joris Coppens
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Oti Lakbila‐Kamal
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Diederick Stoffers
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | | | - Eus J. W. Van Someren
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Neuroscience VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
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6
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Zhu X, Zhu Y, Huang J, Zhou Y, Tong J, Zhang P, Luo X, Chen S, Tian B, Tan S, Wang Z, Han X, Tian L, Li CSR, Hong LE, Tan Y. Abnormal cortisol profile during psychosocial stress among patients with schizophrenia in a Chinese population. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18591. [PMID: 36329219 PMCID: PMC9633605 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20808-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction might play an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to explore the cortisol response to psychological stress in patients with schizophrenia. In this study, patients with schizophrenia (n = 104) and healthy volunteers (n = 59) were asked to complete psychological stress challenge tasks, which included the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task and Mirror-Tracing Persistence Task, and pre- and post-task saliva samples were collected to measure cortisol levels. Emotions and psychopathology were assessed by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. The results showed (1) that the cortisol response and negative emotions in patients with schizophrenia differed significantly from those in healthy volunteers, (2) there were significant interactions between the sampling time and diagnosis for saliva cortisol levels, (3) there were significant interactions between the scoring time and diagnosis for the negative affect score of the PANAS, and (4) the changes in salivary cortisol levels and negative affect scores before and after the psychological stress challenge tasks were not correlated with clinical symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. These findings indicated an abnormal cortisol profile in patients with schizophrenia, which might be a biological characteristic of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Zhu
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Zhu
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Junchao Huang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanfang Zhou
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinghui Tong
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingguang Luo
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Song Chen
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Baopeng Tian
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuping Tan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiren Wang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaole Han
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Tian
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - L Elliot Hong
- Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Yunlong Tan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
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7
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Korann V, Jacob A, Lu B, Devi P, Thonse U, Nagendra B, Maria Chacko D, Dey A, Padmanabha A, Shivakumar V, Dawn Bharath R, Kumar V, Varambally S, Venkatasubramanian G, Deshpande G, Rao NP. Effect of Intranasal Oxytocin on Resting-state Effective Connectivity in Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2022; 48:1115-1124. [PMID: 35759349 PMCID: PMC9434443 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Evidence from several lines of research suggests the critical role of neuropeptide oxytocin in social cognition and social behavior. Though a few studies have examined the effect of oxytocin on clinical symptoms of schizophrenia, the underlying neurobiological changes are underexamined. Hence, in this study, we examined the effect of oxytocin on the brain's effective connectivity in schizophrenia. METHODS 31 male patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) and 21 healthy male volunteers (HV) underwent resting functional magnetic resonance imaging scans with intra-nasal oxytocin (24 IU) and placebo administered in counterbalanced order. We conducted a whole-brain effective connectivity analysis using a multivariate vector autoregressive granger causality model. We performed a conjunction analysis to control for spurious changes and canonical correlation analysis between changes in connectivity and clinical and demographic variables. RESULTS Three connections, sourced from the left caudate survived the FDR correction threshold with the conjunction analysis; connections to the left supplementary motor area, left precentral gyrus, and left frontal inferior triangular gyrus. At baseline, SCZ patients had significantly weaker connectivity from caudate to these three regions. Oxytocin, but not placebo, significantly increased the strength of connectivity in these connections. Better cognitive insight and lower negative symptoms were associated with a greater increase in connectivity with oxytocin. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide a preliminary mechanistic understanding of the effect of oxytocin on brain connectivity in schizophrenia. The study findings provide the rationale to examine the potential utility of oxytocin for social cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bonian Lu
- AU MRI Research Center, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Priyanka Devi
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Umesh Thonse
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Bhargavi Nagendra
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Dona Maria Chacko
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Avyarthana Dey
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Anantha Padmanabha
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Venkataram Shivakumar
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Rose Dawn Bharath
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Vijay Kumar
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Shivarama Varambally
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Ganesan Venkatasubramanian
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Naren P Rao
- To whom correspondence should be addressed; tel: +91-80-26995879, e-mail:
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8
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Madl J, Janka R, Bay S, Rohleder N. MRI as a Stressor: The Psychological and Physiological Response of Patients to MRI, Influencing Factors, and Consequences. J Am Coll Radiol 2022; 19:423-432. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2021.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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9
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Kolodny T, Mevorach C, Stern P, Ankaoua M, Dankner Y, Tsafrir S, Shalev L. Are attention and cognitive control altered by fMRI scanner environment? Evidence from Go/No-go tasks in ADHD. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 16:1003-1013. [PMID: 34705186 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-021-00557-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
It is widely assumed that cognitive processes studied in fMRI are equivalent to cognitive processes engaged in the same experimental paradigms in typical behavioral lab settings. Yet very few studies examined this common assumption, and the results have been equivocal. In the current study we directly tested the effects of fMRI environment on sustained attention and response inhibition, using a Go/No-go task, among participants with (n = 42) and without (n = 21) attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants with ADHD are characterized by deficits in these cognitive functions and may be particularly susceptible to environmental effects on attention. We found a substantial slowing of reaction time in the scanner for all participants, and a trend for enhanced sustained attention, particularly in ADHD participants with poor performance. We also report limited stability of individual differences in scores obtained in the lab and in the scanner. These findings call for cautious interpretation of neuroimaging task-related results, especially those obtained in clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Kolodny
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Carmel Mevorach
- Department of Psychology and Centre of Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Pnina Stern
- Constantiner School of Education, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Maya Ankaoua
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Yarden Dankner
- Constantiner School of Education, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Lilach Shalev
- Constantiner School of Education, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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10
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Gaillard C, Lago TR, Gorka AX, Balderston NL, Fuchs BA, Reynolds RC, Grillon C, Ernst M. Methylphenidate modulates interactions of anxiety with cognition. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:544. [PMID: 34675189 PMCID: PMC8531440 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01621-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
While a large body of literature documents the impairing effect of anxiety on cognition, performing a demanding task was shown to be effective in reducing anxiety. Here we explored the mechanisms of this anxiolytic effect by examining how a pharmacological challenge designed to improve attentional processes influences the interplay between the neural networks engaged during anxiety and cognition. Using a double-blind between-subject design, we pharmacologically manipulated working memory (WM) using a single oral dose of 20 mg methylphenidate (MPH, cognitive enhancer) or placebo. Fifty healthy adults (25/drug group) performed two runs of a WM N-back task in a 3 T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. This task comprised a low (1-Back) and high (3-Back) WM load, which were performed in two contexts, safety or threat of shocks (induced-anxiety). Analyses revealed that (1) WM accuracy was overall improved by MPH and (2) MPH (vs. placebo) strengthened the engagement of regions within the fronto-parietal control network (FPCN) and reduced the default mode network (DMN) deactivation. These MPH effects predominated in the most difficult context, i.e., threat condition, first run (novelty of the task), and 3-Back task. The facilitation of neural activation can be interpreted as an expansion of cognitive resources, which could foster both the representation and integration of anxiety-provoking stimuli as well as the top-down regulatory processes to protect against the detrimental effect of anxiety. This mechanism might establish an optimal balance between FPCN (cognitive processing) and DMN (emotion regulation) recruitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Gaillard
- grid.416868.50000 0004 0464 0574Section on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - T. R. Lago
- grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA
| | - A. X. Gorka
- grid.416868.50000 0004 0464 0574Section on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - N. L. Balderston
- grid.25879.310000 0004 1936 8972Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - B. A. Fuchs
- grid.29857.310000 0001 2097 4281Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA USA
| | - R. C. Reynolds
- grid.416868.50000 0004 0464 0574Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - C. Grillon
- grid.416868.50000 0004 0464 0574Section on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - M. Ernst
- grid.416868.50000 0004 0464 0574Section on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD USA
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11
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Quidé Y, Girshkin L, Watkeys OJ, Carr VJ, Green MJ. The relationship between cortisol reactivity and emotional brain function is differently moderated by childhood trauma, in bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and healthy individuals. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2021; 271:1089-1109. [PMID: 32926285 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-020-01190-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Childhood trauma is a risk factor for psychotic and mood disorders that is associated with abnormal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in response to stress and abnormal social brain function. Here, we aimed to determine whether childhood trauma exposure would differently moderate associations between cortisol reactivity and social brain function, among cases with schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BD) and in healthy individuals (HC). Forty cases with SZ, 35 with BD and 34 HCs underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing an emotional face-matching task. Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and cortisol reactivity (i.e. the slope indexing the within-subject difference between pre- and post-imaging salivary cortisol levels) was determined. The severity of childhood trauma moderated the relationship between cortisol reactivity and brain activation in the bilateral temporo-parieto-insular junctions, right middle cingulum, right pre/postcentral gyri, left cerebellum and right lingual gyrus, differently depending on the clinical group. When exposed to high levels of trauma, the cortisol slope was negatively associated with activation in these regions in HC, while the cortisol slope was positively associated with activation in these regions in SZ cases. Similarly, there were differences between the groups in how trauma severity moderated the relationship between cortisol reactivity and functional connectivity between the amygdala and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In addition to reflecting typical associations between cortisol reactivity and emotional brain function when not exposed to childhood trauma, these findings provide new evidence that trauma exposure disrupts these relationships in both healthy individuals and in cases with SZ or BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Quidé
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia. .,Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
| | - Leah Girshkin
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | - Oliver J Watkeys
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | - Vaughan J Carr
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Melissa J Green
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia
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12
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Measuring inter-individual differences in stress sensitivity during MR-guided prostate biopsy. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2454. [PMID: 33510379 PMCID: PMC7844251 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82199-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
People often experience high level of distress during invasive interventions, which may exceed their coping abilities. This may be in particular evident when confronted with the suspicion of cancer. Taking the example of prostate biopsy sampling, we aimed at investigating the impact of an MRI guided prostate biopsy on the acute stress response and its mechanistic basis. We recruited 20 men with a clinical suspicion of prostate cancer. Immediately before an MRI guided biopsy procedure, we conducted fMRI in the same scanner to assess resting-state brain connectivity. Physiological and hormonal stress measures were taken during the procedure and associated with questionnaires, hair cortisol levels and brain measures to elucidate mechanistic factors for elevated stress. As expected, patients reported a stress-related change in affect. Decreased positive affect was associated with higher hair but not saliva cortisol concentration. Stronger use of maladaptive emotion regulation techniques, elevated depression scores and higher within-salience-network connectivity was associated with stronger increase in negative affect and/or decrease of positive affect during the procedure. While being limited in its generalization due to age, sample size and gender, our proof of concept study demonstrates the utility of real-life stressors and large-scale brain network measures in stress regulation research with potential impact in clinical practice.
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13
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Allenby C, Falcone M, Ashare RL, Cao W, Bernardo L, Wileyto EP, Pruessner J, Loughead J, Lerman C. Brain Marker Links Stress and Nicotine Abstinence. Nicotine Tob Res 2020; 22:885-891. [PMID: 31120113 DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntz077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Subjective stress is a well-documented predictor of early smoking relapse, yet our understanding of stress and tobacco use is limited by reliance on self-reported measures of stress. We utilized a validated functional neuroimaging paradigm to examine whether stress exposure during early abstinence alters objective measures of brain function. METHODS Seventy-five participants underwent blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST) on two occasions: once during smoking satiety and once following biochemically confirmed 24-hour abstinence (order counterbalanced). The primary outcome measure was brain response during stress (vs. control) blocks of the MIST, assessed using whole-brain analysis corrected for multiple comparisons using clusters determined by Z ≥ 3.1. RESULTS Abstinence (vs. satiety) was associated with significantly increased activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus, a brain region associated with inhibitory control. Abstinence-induced change in brain response to stress was positively associated with change in self-reported stress. CONCLUSIONS This study provides objective evidence that the brain response to stress is altered during the first 24 hours of a quit attempt compared to smoking satiety. IMPLICATIONS These results point to the potential value of inoculating smokers with stress management training prior to a quit attempt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheyenne Allenby
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Mary Falcone
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Rebecca L Ashare
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Wen Cao
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Leah Bernardo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - E Paul Wileyto
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Jens Pruessner
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - James Loughead
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Caryn Lerman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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14
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Inubushi T, Ito M, Mori Y, Futatsubashi M, Sato K, Ito S, Yokokura M, Shinke T, Kameno Y, Kakimoto A, Kanno T, Okada H, Ouchi Y, Yoshikawa E. Neural correlates of head restraint: Unsolicited neuronal activation and dopamine release. Neuroimage 2020; 224:117434. [PMID: 33039616 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
To minimize motion-related distortion of reconstructed images, conventional positron emission tomography (PET) measurements of the brain inevitably require a firm and tight head restraint. While such a restraint is now a routine procedure in brain imaging, the physiological and psychological consequences resulting from the restraint have not been elucidated. To address this problem, we developed a restraint-free brain PET system and conducted PET scans under both restrained and non-restrained conditions. We examined whether head restraint during PET scans could alter brain activities such as regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and dopamine release along with psychological stress related to head restraint. Under both conditions, 20 healthy male participants underwent [15O]H2O and [11C]Raclopride PET scans during working memory tasks with the same PET system. Before, during, and after each PET scan, we measured physiological and psychological stress responses, including the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scores. Analysis of the [15O]H2O-PET data revealed higher rCBF in regions such as the parahippocampus in the restrained condition. We found the binding potential (BPND) of [11C]Raclopride in the putamen was significantly reduced in the restrained condition, which reflects an increase in dopamine release. Moreover, the restraint-induced change in BPND was correlated with a shift in the state anxiety score of the STAI, indicating that less anxiety accompanied smaller dopamine release. These results suggest that the stress from head restraint could cause unsolicited responses in brain physiology and emotional states. The restraint-free imaging system may thus be a key enabling technology for the natural depiction of the mind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoo Inubushi
- Central Research Laboratory, Hamamatsu Photonics KK, Shizuoka 434-8601, Japan
| | - Masanori Ito
- Global Strategic Challenge Center, Hamamatsu Photonics KK, Shizuoka 434-8601, Japan
| | - Yutaro Mori
- Department of Biofunctional Imaging, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Higashi-Ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Masami Futatsubashi
- Global Strategic Challenge Center, Hamamatsu Photonics KK, Shizuoka 434-8601, Japan
| | - Kengo Sato
- Central Research Laboratory, Hamamatsu Photonics KK, Shizuoka 434-8601, Japan
| | - Shigeru Ito
- Global Strategic Challenge Center, Hamamatsu Photonics KK, Shizuoka 434-8601, Japan
| | - Masamichi Yokokura
- Department of Psychiatry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Tomomi Shinke
- Global Strategic Challenge Center, Hamamatsu Photonics KK, Shizuoka 434-8601, Japan
| | - Yosuke Kameno
- Department of Psychiatry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Akihiro Kakimoto
- Department of Biofunctional Imaging, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Higashi-Ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan; Hamamatsu Medical Imaging Center, Hamamatsu Medical Photonics Foundation, Shizuoka 434-0041, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Kanno
- Department of Radiological Sciences, Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences, Osaka 559-8611, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Okada
- Global Strategic Challenge Center, Hamamatsu Photonics KK, Shizuoka 434-8601, Japan; Department of Radiological Sciences, Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences, Osaka 559-8611, Japan
| | - Yasuomi Ouchi
- Department of Biofunctional Imaging, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Higashi-Ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan; Hamamatsu Medical Imaging Center, Hamamatsu Medical Photonics Foundation, Shizuoka 434-0041, Japan.
| | - Etsuji Yoshikawa
- Central Research Laboratory, Hamamatsu Photonics KK, Shizuoka 434-8601, Japan; Department of Biofunctional Imaging, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Higashi-Ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
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15
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Nguyen XV, Tahir S, Bresnahan BW, Andre JB, Lang EV, Mossa-Basha M, Mayr NA, Bourekas EC. Prevalence and Financial Impact of Claustrophobia, Anxiety, Patient Motion, and Other Patient Events in Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Top Magn Reson Imaging 2020; 29:125-130. [PMID: 32568974 DOI: 10.1097/rmr.0000000000000243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Claustrophobia, other anxiety reactions, excessive motion, and other unanticipated patient events in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) not only delay or preclude diagnostic-quality imaging but can also negatively affect the patient experience. In addition, by impeding MRI workflow, they may affect the finances of an imaging practice. This review article offers an overview of the various types of patient-related unanticipated events that occur in MRI, along with estimates of their frequency of occurrence as documented in the available literature. In addition, the financial implications of these events are discussed from a microeconomic perspective, primarily from the point of view of a radiology practice or hospital, although associated limitations and other economic viewpoints are also included. Efforts to minimize these unanticipated patient events can potentially improve not only patient satisfaction and comfort but also an imaging practice's operational efficiency and diagnostic capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan V Nguyen
- Department of Radiology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH
| | | | - Brian W Bresnahan
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
| | - Jalal B Andre
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
| | | | - Mahmud Mossa-Basha
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
| | - Nina A Mayr
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
| | - Eric C Bourekas
- Department of Radiology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH
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16
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Hälbig TD, Wüstenberg T, Giess RM, Kunte H, Bellmann-Strobl J, Ruprecht K, Paul F. Emotional experience in patients with clinically isolated syndrome and early multiple sclerosis. Eur J Neurol 2020; 27:1537-1545. [PMID: 32307769 DOI: 10.1111/ene.14269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Evidence suggests that there are changes in the processing of emotional information (EP) in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). It is unclear which functional domains of EP are affected, whether these changes are secondary to other MS-related neuropsychological or psychiatric symptoms and if EP changes are present in early MS. The aim of the study was to investigate EP in patients with early MS (clinically isolated syndrome and early relapsing/remitting MS) and healthy controls (HCs). METHODS A total of 29 patients without neuropsychological or psychiatric deficits and 29 matched HCs were presented with pictures from the International Affective Picture System with negative, positive or neutral content. Participants rated the induced emotion regarding valence and arousal using nine-level Likert scales. A speeded recognition test assessed memory for the emotional stimuli and for the emotional modulation of response time. A subgroup of participants was tested during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) session. RESULTS Patients in the MRI subgroup rated the experience induced by pictures with positive or negative emotional content significantly more weakly than HCs. Further, these patients were significantly less aroused when watching the pictures from the International Affective Picture System. There were no effects in the non-MRI subgroup or effects on emotional memory or response times. CONCLUSIONS Emotional processing changes may be present in early MS in the form of flattened emotional experience on both the valence and arousal dimensions. These changes do not appear to be secondary to neuropsychological or psychiatric deficits. The fact that emotional flattening was only found in the MRI setting suggests that EP changes may be unmasked within stressful environments and points to the potential yet underestimated impact of the MRI setting on behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- T D Hälbig
- NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - T Wüstenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - R M Giess
- NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - H Kunte
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, MSB, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - J Bellmann-Strobl
- NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - K Ruprecht
- Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - F Paul
- NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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17
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Eken A, Çolak B, Bal NB, Kuşman A, Kızılpınar SÇ, Akaslan DS, Baskak B. Hyperparameter-tuned prediction of somatic symptom disorder using functional near-infrared spectroscopy-based dynamic functional connectivity. J Neural Eng 2019; 17:016012. [DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ab50b2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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18
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Rampino A, Torretta S, Rizzo G, Viscanti G, Quarto T, Gelao B, Fazio L, Attrotto MT, Masellis R, Pergola G, Bertolino A, Blasi G. Emotional Stability Interacts with Cortisol Levels Before fMRI on Brain Processing of Fearful Faces. Neuroscience 2019; 416:190-197. [PMID: 31400483 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Functional-Magnetic-Imaging (fMRI) is widely adopted to investigate neurophysiological correlates of emotion processing (EP). However, studies have reported that scanning procedures in neuroimaging protocols may increase or cause anxiety and psychological distress related with the scanning, thus inducing peripheral cortisol release. These phenomena may in turn impact on brain EP. Additionally, previous findings have indicated that inter-individual differences in stress-response intensity are mediated by levels of Emotional Stability (ES), a personality trait that has been associated with brain activity during EP, especially in amygdala and prefrontal cortex (PFC). The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction between indices of stress related to anticipation of fMRI scanning and levels of ES on amygdala and PFC activity during EP. With this aim, 55 healthy volunteers were characterized for trait ES. Furthermore, salivary cortisol levels at baseline and soon before fMRI scanning were measured as an index of stress related to scanning anticipation. During fMRI, participants performed an explicit EP task. We found that variation in salivary cortisol (Δc) interacts with ES on left amygdala and PFC activity during EP. More in details, in the context of a higher ES, the greater the Δc, the lower the activity in left amygdala and PFC. In the context of lower ES, the opposite Δc-brain activity relationship was found. Our results suggest that the stressful potential of fMRI interacts with personality traits in modulating brain activity during EP. These findings should be taken into account when interpreting neuroimaging studies especially exploring brain physiology during EP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Rampino
- University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Consorziale Policlinico di Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Silvia Torretta
- University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Rizzo
- University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Giovanna Viscanti
- University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Tiziana Quarto
- University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Barbara Gelao
- University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Leonardo Fazio
- IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo (FG), Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Attrotto
- University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Rita Masellis
- University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Giulio Pergola
- University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bertolino
- University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Consorziale Policlinico di Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Blasi
- University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Consorziale Policlinico di Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
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19
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Yebra M, Galarza-Vallejo A, Soto-Leon V, Gonzalez-Rosa JJ, de Berker AO, Bestmann S, Oliviero A, Kroes MCW, Strange BA. Action boosts episodic memory encoding in humans via engagement of a noradrenergic system. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3534. [PMID: 31388000 PMCID: PMC6684634 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11358-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We are constantly interacting with our environment whilst we encode memories. However, how actions influence memory formation remains poorly understood. Goal-directed movement engages the locus coeruleus (LC), the main source of noradrenaline in the brain. Noradrenaline is also known to enhance episodic encoding, suggesting that action could improve memory via LC engagement. Here we demonstrate, across seven experiments, that action (Go-response) enhances episodic encoding for stimuli unrelated to the action itself, compared to action inhibition (NoGo). Functional magnetic resonance imaging, and pupil diameter as a proxy measure for LC-noradrenaline transmission, indicate increased encoding-related LC activity during action. A final experiment, replicated in two independent samples, confirmed a novel prediction derived from these data that emotionally aversive stimuli, which recruit the noradrenergic system, modulate the mnemonic advantage conferred by Go-responses relative to neutral stimuli. We therefore provide converging evidence that action boosts episodic memory encoding via a noradrenergic mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mar Yebra
- Laboratory for Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Campus Montegancedo, Madrid, Spain.
- Cedars-Sinai 127S. San Vicente Blvd, Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion, 6th Floor, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.
| | - Ana Galarza-Vallejo
- Laboratory for Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Campus Montegancedo, Madrid, Spain
| | - Vanesa Soto-Leon
- Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, FENNSI Group, Hospital Nacional de parapléjicos Finca la Peraleda s/n 45004, Toledo, Spain
| | - Javier J Gonzalez-Rosa
- Laboratory for Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Campus Montegancedo, Madrid, Spain
- University of Cadiz, Institute of Biomedical Research Cadiz (INiBICA), Puerta del Mar Hospital, Research Unit, Lab 3, 9th floor, Av. Ana de Viya, 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Archy O de Berker
- Dept Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 33 Queen Square WC1N3BG, London, UK
| | - Sven Bestmann
- Dept Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 33 Queen Square WC1N3BG, London, UK
| | - Antonio Oliviero
- Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, FENNSI Group, Hospital Nacional de parapléjicos Finca la Peraleda s/n 45004, Toledo, Spain
| | - Marijn C W Kroes
- Laboratory for Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Campus Montegancedo, Madrid, Spain
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bryan A Strange
- Laboratory for Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Campus Montegancedo, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Neuroimaging, Alzheimer's Disease Research Centre, Reina Sofia-CIEN Foundation, Calle de Valderrebollo, 5, 28031, Madrid, Spain
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20
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Peters AT, Jenkins LM, Stange JP, Bessette KL, Skerrett KA, Kling LR, Welsh RC, Milad MR, Phan KL, Langenecker SA. Pre-scan cortisol is differentially associated with enhanced connectivity to the cognitive control network in young adults with a history of depression. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 104:219-227. [PMID: 30889471 PMCID: PMC6488402 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We have previously demonstrated that pre-scan salivary cortisol is associated with attentuated frontal-subcortical brain activation during emotion processesing and semantic list-learning paradigms in depressed subjects. Additionally, altered functional connectivity is observed after remission of acute depression symptoms (rMDD). It is unknown whether cortisol also predicts altered functional connectivity during remission. METHODS Participants were 47 healthy controls (HC) and 73 rMDD, 18-30 years old who provided salivary cortisol samples before and after undergoing resting-state fMRI. We tested whether salivary cortisol by diagnosis interactions were associated with seed-based resting connectivity of the default mode (DMN) and salience and emotion (SN) networks using whole-brain, cluster-level corrected (p < .01) regression in SPM8. RESULTS Pre-scan cortisol predicted decreased (HC) and increased (rMDD) cross-network connectivity to the dorsal anterior cingulate, dorso-medial and lateral- prefrontal cortex, brain stem and cerebellum (all seeds) and precuneus (DMN seeds). By and large, pre/post-scan cortisol change predicted the same pattern of findings. In network analyses, cortisol predominantly predicted enhanced cross-network connectivity to cognitive control network regions in rMDD. CONCLUSIONS The association of cortisol with connections of default and salience networks to executive brain networks differs between individuals with and without a history of depression. Further investigation is needed to better understand the role of cortisol and related stress hormones as a potential primary and interactive driver of network coherence in depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy T. Peters
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry
| | - Lisanne M. Jenkins
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | | | - Katie L. Bessette
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry,University of Utah, Department of Psychiatry
| | | | - Leah R. Kling
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry
| | | | | | - K. Luan Phan
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry,University of Illinois-Chicago, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology & Graduate Program in Neuroscience
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21
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Baskak B. The Place of Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy in Psychiatry. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 55:103-104. [PMID: 30057448 DOI: 10.29399/npa.23249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bora Baskak
- Psychiatry Department, Ankara University School of Medicine; Brain Research Center of Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
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22
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Gossett EW, Wheelock MD, Goodman AM, Orem TR, Harnett NG, Wood KH, Mrug S, Granger DA, Knight DC. Anticipatory stress associated with functional magnetic resonance imaging: Implications for psychosocial stress research. Int J Psychophysiol 2018; 125:35-41. [PMID: 29454000 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Revised: 12/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Stress tasks performed during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) elicit a relatively small cortisol response compared to stress tasks completed in a traditional behavioral laboratory, which may be due to apprehension of fMRI that elicits an anticipatory stress response. The present study investigated whether anticipatory stress is greater prior to research completed in an MRI environment than in a traditional behavioral laboratory. Anticipatory stress (indexed by cortisol) was greater prior to testing in the MRI environment than traditional behavioral laboratory. Furthermore, anticipation of fMRI elicited a cortisol response commensurate with the response to the stress task in the behavioral laboratory. However, in the MRI environment, post-stress cortisol was significantly lower than baseline cortisol. Taken together, these findings suggest the stress elicited by anticipation of fMRI may lead to acute elevations in cortisol prior to scanning, which may in turn disrupt the cortisol response to stress tasks performed during scanning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan W Gossett
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CIRC 235H, 1720 2nd Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Muriah D Wheelock
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CIRC 235H, 1720 2nd Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Adam M Goodman
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CIRC 235H, 1720 2nd Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Tyler R Orem
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CIRC 235H, 1720 2nd Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Nathaniel G Harnett
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CIRC 235H, 1720 2nd Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Kimberly H Wood
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CIRC 235H, 1720 2nd Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Sylvie Mrug
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CIRC 235H, 1720 2nd Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Douglas A Granger
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California Irvine, United States; Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, United States; Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, United States; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States
| | - David C Knight
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CIRC 235H, 1720 2nd Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35294, United States.
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23
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Luo Y, Fernández G, Hermans E, Vogel S, Zhang Y, Li H, Klumpers F. How acute stress may enhance subsequent memory for threat stimuli outside the focus of attention: DLPFC-amygdala decoupling. Neuroimage 2018; 171:311-322. [PMID: 29329979 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-related disorders, e.g., anxiety and depression, are characterized by decreased top-down control for distracting information, as well as a memory bias for threatening information. However, it is unclear how acute stress biases mnemonic encoding and leads to prioritized storage of threat-related information even if outside the focus of attention. In the current study, healthy adults (N = 53, all male) were randomly assigned to stress induction using the socially evaluated cold-pressor test (SECPT) or a control condition. Participants performed a task in which they were required to identify a target letter within a string of letters that were either identical to the target and thereby facilitating detection (low distractor load) or mixed with other letters to complicate the search (high load). Either a fearful or neutral face was presented on the background, outside the focus of attention. Twenty-four hours later, participants were asked to perform a surprise recognition memory test for those background faces. Stress induction resulted in increased cortisol and negative subjective mood ratings. Stress did not affect visual search performance, however, participants in the stress group showed stronger memory compared to the control group for fearful faces in the low attentional load condition. Critically, the stress induced memory bias was accompanied by decoupling between amygdala and DLFPC during encoding, which may represent a mechanism for decreased ability to filter task-irrelevant threatening background information. The current study provides a potential neural account for how stress can produce a negative memory bias for threatening information even if presented outside the focus of attention. Despite of an adaptive advantage for survival, such tendencies may ultimately also lead to generalized fear, a possibility requiring additional investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Luo
- Department of Psychology, School of Educational Science, Guizhou Normal University, Guizhou, PR China; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Guillén Fernández
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Erno Hermans
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne Vogel
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Psychology, School of Educational Science, Guizhou Normal University, Guizhou, PR China.
| | - Hong Li
- College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, PR China.
| | - Floris Klumpers
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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24
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Corbett B, Weinberg L, Duarte A. The effect of mild acute stress during memory consolidation on emotional recognition memory. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2017; 145:34-44. [PMID: 28838881 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Stress during consolidation improves recognition memory performance. Generally, this memory benefit is greater for emotionally arousing stimuli than neutral stimuli. The strength of the stressor also plays a role in memory performance, with memory performance improving up to a moderate level of stress and thereafter worsening. As our daily stressors are generally minimal in strength, we chose to induce mild acute stress to determine its effect on memory performance. In the current study, we investigated if mild acute stress during consolidation improves memory performance for emotionally arousing images. To investigate this, we had participants encode highly arousing negative, minimally arousing negative, and neutral images. We induced stress using the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST) in half of the participants and a control task to the other half of the participants directly after encoding (i.e. during consolidation) and tested recognition 48h later. We found no difference in memory performance between the stress and control group. We found a graded pattern among confidence, with responders in the stress group having the least amount of confidence in their hits and controls having the most. Across groups, we found highly arousing negative images were better remembered than minimally arousing negative or neutral images. Although stress did not affect memory accuracy, responders, as defined by cortisol reactivity, were less confident in their decisions. Our results suggest that the daily stressors humans experience, regardless of their emotional affect, do not have adverse effects on memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Corbett
- School of Psychology, Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Georgia Institute of Technology, 831 Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA.
| | - Lisa Weinberg
- School of Psychology, Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Georgia Institute of Technology, 831 Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA
| | - Audrey Duarte
- School of Psychology, Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Georgia Institute of Technology, 831 Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA
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25
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Wheelock MD, Harnett NG, Wood KH, Orem TR, Granger DA, Mrug S, Knight DC. Prefrontal Cortex Activity Is Associated with Biobehavioral Components of the Stress Response. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:583. [PMID: 27909404 PMCID: PMC5112266 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Contemporary theory suggests that prefrontal cortex (PFC) function is associated with individual variability in the psychobiology of the stress response. Advancing our understanding of this complex biobehavioral pathway has potential to provide insight into processes that determine individual differences in stress susceptibility. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain activity during a variation of the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST) in 53 young adults. Salivary cortisol was assessed as an index of the stress response, trait anxiety was assessed as an index of an individual’s disposition toward negative affectivity, and self-reported stress was assessed as an index of an individual’s subjective psychological experience. Heart rate and skin conductance responses were also assessed as additional measures of physiological reactivity. Dorsomedial PFC, dorsolateral PFC, and inferior parietal lobule demonstrated differential activity during the MIST. Further, differences in salivary cortisol reactivity to the MIST were associated with ventromedial PFC and posterior cingulate activity, while trait anxiety and self-reported stress were associated with dorsomedial and ventromedial PFC activity, respectively. These findings underscore that PFC activity regulates behavioral and psychobiological components of the stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muriah D Wheelock
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Nathaniel G Harnett
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Kimberly H Wood
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Tyler R Orem
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Douglas A Granger
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California at Irvine, IrvineCA, USA; Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, BaltimoreMD, USA
| | - Sylvie Mrug
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL, USA
| | - David C Knight
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL, USA
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26
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Peters AT, Van Meter A, Pruitt PJ, Briceño EM, Ryan KA, Hagan M, Weldon AL, Kassel MT, Vederman A, Zubieta JK, McInnis M, Weisenbach SL, Langenecker SA. Acute cortisol reactivity attenuates engagement of fronto-parietal and striatal regions during emotion processing in negative mood disorders. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 73:67-78. [PMID: 27474908 PMCID: PMC5048542 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.07.215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Revised: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Depression and bipolar disorder (negative mood disorders, NMD) are associated with dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis function and disrupted emotion processing. The neural networks involved in attenuation of HPA-axis reactivity overlap with the circuitry involved in perception and modulation of emotion; however, direct links between these systems are understudied. This study investigated whether cortisol activity prior to undergoing fMRI was related to neural processing of emotional information in participants with NMD. METHODS Forty-one adults (Mage=40.33, SD=15.57) with major depression (n=29) or bipolar disorder (n=12) and 23 healthy control comparisons (Mage=36.43, SD=17.33) provided salivary cortisol samples prior to completing a facial emotion perception test during 3-Tesla fMRI. RESULTS Overall, pre-scan cortisol level was positively associated with greater engagement of the dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC), inferior parietal lobule, insula, putamen, precuneus, middle and medial frontal and postcentral gyri, posterior cingulate, and inferior temporal gyrus during emotion processing of all faces. NMD status moderated this effect; in NMD participants' pre-scan cortisol was associated with attenuated activation of the insula, postcentral gyrus, precuneus, and putamen for fearful faces and the medial frontal gyrus for angry faces relative to HCs. Cortisol-related attenuation of activation among NMD participants was also observed for facial identification in the dACC, putamen, middle temporal gyrus, precuneus, and caudate. CONCLUSIONS Across all participants, cortisol was associated with greater activation in several regions involved in the perception and control of emotion. However, cortisol responsivity was associated with hypoactivation of several of these regions in the NMD group, suggesting that HPA-axis activity may selectively interfere with the potentially adaptive recruitment of circuits supporting emotion perception, processing and/or regulation in mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy T. Peters
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Anna Van Meter
- Ferkauf Graduate School, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Patrick J. Pruitt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Emily M. Briceño
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kelly A. Ryan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Melissa Hagan
- Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Anne L. Weldon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Michelle T. Kassel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Aaron Vederman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jon-Kar Zubieta
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Melvin McInnis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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27
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Ellerbrock I, May A. MRI scanner environment increases pain perception in a standardized nociceptive paradigm. Brain Imaging Behav 2016; 9:848-53. [PMID: 25527478 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-014-9345-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been widely used in neuroscientific studies to investigate neural correlates of perception and higher cognitive functions. Early on, the MR-scanning procedure itself has been identified to create discomfort and anxiety in some individuals, which may influence task performance and perception. The present study analyzed behavioral differences in pain intensity ratings obtained in two distinct situations: MR environment and laboratory setting. Within our longitudinal study design twenty healthy volunteers were exposed daily to an identical paradigm consisting of 60 repeated noxious heat stimuli (46 °C) on 21 consecutive days. After each block of ten stimuli, participants were prompted to rate pain intensity on a visual analog scale (VAS). On days 1, 8, 14, and 21 ratings scores were obtained during a functional imaging scan, whereas on the remaining days the sessions were conducted in a laboratory. It has come to our attention that pain intensity ratings acquired in MR environment were significantly higher than behavioral data collected in the lab setting. Given that the stimuli were standardized and no task or distraction confounded the ratings, it is likely that the attentional focus on noxious stimulation was identical in both conditions. It seems that the highly artificial scanner environment as such is sufficient to increase awareness/alertness. Given that salience rather than pure nociceptive input has been suggested to explain functional imaging results in painful conditions, these findings highlight concerns regarding the comparability of behavioral data assembled across inconsistent settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Ellerbrock
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 22046, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Arne May
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 22046, Hamburg, Germany.
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28
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Kinner VL, Wolf OT, Merz CJ. Cortisol alters reward processing in the human brain. Horm Behav 2016; 84:75-83. [PMID: 27170428 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Revised: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Dysfunctional reward processing is known to play a central role for the development of psychiatric disorders. Glucocorticoids that are secreted in response to stress have been shown to attenuate reward sensitivity and thereby might promote the onset of psychopathology. However, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms mediating stress hormone effects on reward processing as well as potential sex differences remain elusive. In this neuroimaging study, we administered 30mg cortisol or a placebo to 30 men and 30 women and subsequently tested them in the Monetary Incentive Delay Task. Cortisol attenuated anticipatory neural responses to a verbal and a monetary reward in the left pallidum and the right anterior parahippocampal gyrus. Furthermore, in men, activation in the amygdala, the precuneus, the anterior cingulate, and in hippocampal regions was reduced under cortisol, whereas in cortisol-treated women a signal increase was observed in these regions. Behavioral performance also indicated that reward learning in men is impaired under high cortisol concentrations, while it is augmented in women. These findings illustrate that the stress hormone cortisol substantially diminishes reward anticipation and provide first evidence that cortisol effects on the neural reward system are sensitive to sex differences, which might translate into different vulnerabilities for psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie L Kinner
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.
| | - Christian J Merz
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
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29
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Girshkin L, O'Reilly N, Quidé Y, Teroganova N, Rowland JE, Schofield PR, Green MJ. Diurnal cortisol variation and cortisol response to an MRI stressor in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 67:61-9. [PMID: 26874562 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Markers of HPA axis function, including diurnal cortisol rhythm and cortisol responses to stress or pharmacological manipulation, are increasingly reported as disrupted in schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD). However, there has been no direct comparison of cortisol responses to stress in SZ and BD in the same study, and associations between cortisol dysfunction and illness characteristics remain unclear. In this study we used spline embedded linear mixed models to examine cortisol levels of SZ and BD participants at waking, during the first 45min after waking (representing the cortisol awakening response; CAR), during the period of rapid cortisol decline post the awakening response, and in reaction to a stressor (MRI scan), relative to healthy controls (HC). Contrary to expectations, neither SZ nor BD showed differences in waking cortisol levels, CAR, or immediate post-CAR decline compared to HC; however, waking cortisol levels were greater in BD relative to SZ. In response to the MRI stressor, the SZ group showed a significant absence of the expected increase in cortisol responsivity to stress, which was seen in both the BD and HC groups. Clinical factors affecting the CAR differed between SZ and BD. In SZ, higher antipsychotic medication dosage was associated with a steeper incline of the CAR, while greater positive symptom severity was associated with a more blunted CAR, and greater levels of anxiety were associated with the blunted cortisol response to stress. In BD, longer illness duration was associated with a steeper incline in CAR and lower levels of waking cortisol. These results suggest that cortisol responses may normalize with medication (in SZ) and longer illness duration (in BD), in line with findings of aberrant cortisol levels in the early stages of psychotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Girshkin
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicole O'Reilly
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Black Dog Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Yann Quidé
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nina Teroganova
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jesseca E Rowland
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Black Dog Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter R Schofield
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Melissa J Green
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Black Dog Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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30
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Renes RA, Vink M, van der Weiden A, Prikken M, Koevoets MGJC, Kahn RS, Aarts H, van Haren NEM. Impaired frontal processing during agency inferences in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2016; 248:134-141. [PMID: 26776080 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2015] [Revised: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
People generally experience themselves as the cause of outcomes following from their own actions. Such agency inferences occur fluently and are essential to social interaction. However, schizophrenia patients often experience difficulties in distinguishing their own actions from those of others. Building on recent research into the neural substrates underlying agency inferences in healthy individuals, the present study investigates how these inferences are represented on a neural level in patients with schizophrenia. Thirty-one schizophrenia patients and 31 healthy controls performed an agency inference task while functional magnetic resonance images were obtained. Participants were presented with a task wherein the relationship between their actions and the subsequent outcomes was ambiguous. They received instructions to cause specific outcomes to occur by pressing a key, but the task was designed to match or mismatch the color outcome with the participants' goal. Both groups experienced stronger agency when their goal matched (vs. mismatched) the outcome. However, region of interest analyses revealed that only controls showed the expected involvement of the medial prefrontal cortex and superior frontal gyrus, whereas in patients the agency experience was not related to brain activation. These findings are discussed in light of a hypofrontality model of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Renes
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Matthijs Vink
- Department of Psychiatry of the Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anouk van der Weiden
- Department of Psychiatry of the Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Merel Prikken
- Department of Psychiatry of the Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn G J C Koevoets
- Department of Psychiatry of the Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - René S Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry of the Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Henk Aarts
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Neeltje E M van Haren
- Department of Psychiatry of the Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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31
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Henckens MJAG, Klumpers F, Everaerd D, Kooijman SC, van Wingen GA, Fernández G. Interindividual differences in stress sensitivity: basal and stress-induced cortisol levels differentially predict neural vigilance processing under stress. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2015; 11:663-73. [PMID: 26668010 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsv149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress exposure is known to precipitate psychological disorders. However, large differences exist in how individuals respond to stressful situations. A major marker for stress sensitivity is hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis function. Here, we studied how interindividual variance in both basal cortisol levels and stress-induced cortisol responses predicts differences in neural vigilance processing during stress exposure. Implementing a randomized, counterbalanced, crossover design, 120 healthy male participants were exposed to a stress-induction and control procedure, followed by an emotional perception task (viewing fearful and happy faces) during fMRI scanning. Stress sensitivity was assessed using physiological (salivary cortisol levels) and psychological measures (trait questionnaires). High stress-induced cortisol responses were associated with increased stress sensitivity as assessed by psychological questionnaires, a stronger stress-induced increase in medial temporal activity and greater differential amygdala responses to fearful as opposed to happy faces under control conditions. In contrast, high basal cortisol levels were related to relative stress resilience as reflected by higher extraversion scores, a lower stress-induced increase in amygdala activity and enhanced differential processing of fearful compared with happy faces under stress. These findings seem to reflect a critical role for HPA-axis signaling in stress coping; higher basal levels indicate stress resilience, whereas higher cortisol responsivity to stress might facilitate recovery in those individuals prone to react sensitively to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marloes J A G Henckens
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Floris Klumpers
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Daphne Everaerd
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sabine C Kooijman
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Guido A van Wingen
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1070 AW Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Guillén Fernández
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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32
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Multilevel assessment of the neurobiological threat system in depressed adolescents: interplay between the limbic system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Dev Psychopathol 2015; 26:1321-35. [PMID: 25422964 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579414001059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Integrative, multilevel approaches investigating neurobiological systems relevant to threat detection promise to advance understanding of the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). In this study we considered key neuronal and hormonal systems in adolescents with MDD and healthy controls (HC). The goals of this study were to identify group differences and to examine the association of neuronal and hormonal systems. MDD and HC adolescents (N = 79) aged 12-19 years were enrolled. Key brain measures included amygdala volume and amygdala activation to an emotion face-viewing task. Key hormone measures included cortisol levels during a social stress task and during the brain scan. MDD and HC adolescents showed group differences on amygdala functioning and patterns of cortisol levels. Amygdala activation in response to emotional stimuli was positively associated with cortisol responses. In addition, amygdala volume was correlated with cortisol responses, but the pattern differed in depressed versus healthy adolescents, most notably for unmedicated MDD adolescents. The findings highlight the value of using multilevel assessment strategies to enhance understanding of pathophysiology of adolescent MDD, particularly regarding how closely related biological threat systems function together while undergoing significant developmental shifts.
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Anticipation of electric shocks modulates low beta power and event-related fields during memory encoding. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2015; 123:196-204. [PMID: 26119254 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In humans, the temporal and oscillatory dynamics of pain anticipation and its effects on long-term memory are largely unknown. Here, we investigated this open question by using a previously established behavioral paradigm in combination with magnetoencephalography (MEG). Healthy human subjects encoded a series of scene images, which was combined with cues predicting an aversive electric shock with different probabilities (0.2, 0.5 or 0.8). After encoding, memory for the studied images was tested using a remember/know recognition task. Behaviorally, pain anticipation did not modulate recollection-based recognition memory per se, but interacted with the perceived unpleasantness of the electric shock [visual analogue scale rating from 1 (not unpleasant) to 10 (highly unpleasant)]. More precisely, the relationship between pain anticipation and recollection followed an inverted u-shaped function the more unpleasant the shocks were rated by a subject. At the physiological level, this quadratic effect was mimicked in the event-related magnetic fields associated with successful memory formation ('DM-effect') ∼450ms after image onset at left frontal sensors. Importantly, across all subjects, shock anticipation modulated oscillatory power in the low beta frequency range (13-20Hz) in a linear fashion at left temporal sensors. Taken together, our findings indicate that beta oscillations provide a generic mechanism underlying pain anticipation; the effect on subsequent long-term memory, on the other hand, is much more variable and depends on the level of individual pain perception. As such, our findings give new and important insights into how aversive motivational states can drive memory formation.
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Jacob SN, Shear PK, Norris M, Smith M, Osterhage J, Strakowski SM, Cerullo M, Fleck DE, Lee JH, Eliassen JC. Impact of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner noise on affective state and attentional performance. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2015; 37:563-70. [PMID: 26059389 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2015.1029440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Previous research has shown that performance on cognitive tasks administered in the scanner can be altered by the scanner environment. There are no previous studies that have investigated the impact of scanner noise using a well-validated measure of affective change. The goal of this study was to determine whether performance on an affective attentional task or emotional response to the task would change in the presence of distracting acoustic noise, such as that encountered in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) environment. METHOD Thirty-four young adults with no self-reported history of neurologic disorder or mental illness completed three blocks of the affective Posner task outside of the scanner. The task was meant to induce frustration through monetary contingencies and rigged feedback. Participants completed a Self-Assessment Manikin at the end of each block to rate their mood, arousal level, and sense of dominance. During the task, half of the participants heard noise (recorded from a 4T MRI system), and half heard no noise. RESULTS The affective Posner task led to significant reductions in mood and increases in arousal in healthy participants. The presence of scanner noise did not impact task performance; however, individuals in the noise group did report significantly poorer mood throughout the task. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study suggest that the acoustic qualities of MRI enhance frustration effects on an affective attentional task and that scanner noise may influence mood during similar functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawna N Jacob
- a Department of Psychology , University of Cincinnati , Cincinnati , OH , USA
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McCullough AM, Ritchey M, Ranganath C, Yonelinas A. Differential effects of stress-induced cortisol responses on recollection and familiarity-based recognition memory. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2015; 123:1-10. [PMID: 25930175 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Revised: 04/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Stress-induced changes in cortisol can impact memory in various ways. However, the precise relationship between cortisol and recognition memory is still poorly understood. For instance, there is reason to believe that stress could differentially affect recollection-based memory, which depends on the hippocampus, and familiarity-based recognition, which can be supported by neocortical areas alone. Accordingly, in the current study we examined the effects of stress-related changes in cortisol on the processes underlying recognition memory. Stress was induced with a cold-pressor test after incidental encoding of emotional and neutral pictures, and recollection and familiarity-based recognition memory were measured one day later. The relationship between stress-induced cortisol responses and recollection was non-monotonic, such that subjects with moderate stress-related increases in cortisol had the highest levels of recollection. In contrast, stress-related cortisol responses were linearly related to increases in familiarity. In addition, measures of cortisol taken at the onset of the experiment showed that individuals with higher levels of pre-learning cortisol had lower levels of both recollection and familiarity. The results are consistent with the proposition that hippocampal-dependent memory processes such as recollection function optimally under moderate levels of stress, whereas more cortically-based processes such as familiarity are enhanced even with higher levels of stress. These results indicate that whether post-encoding stress improves or disrupts recognition memory depends on the specific memory process examined as well as the magnitude of the stress-induced cortisol response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M McCullough
- University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Maureen Ritchey
- University of California, Davis, Center for Neuroscience, 1644 Newton Court, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Charan Ranganath
- University of California, Davis, Center for Neuroscience, 1644 Newton Court, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Andrew Yonelinas
- University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Wong RK, Van Oudenhove L, Li X, Cao Y, Ho KY, Wilder-Smith CH. Visceral pain perception in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and healthy volunteers is affected by the MRI scanner environment. United European Gastroenterol J 2015; 4:132-41. [PMID: 26966533 DOI: 10.1177/2050640615580888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The MRI scanner environment induces marked psychological effects, but specific effects on pain perception and processing are unknown and relevant to all brain imaging studies. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS We performed visceral and somatic quantitative sensory and pain testing and studied endogenous pain modulation by heterotopic stimulation outside and inside the functional MRI scanner in 11 healthy controls and 13 patients with irritable bowel syndrome. RESULTS Rectal pain intensity (VAS 0-100) during identical distension pressures increased from 39 (95% confidence interval: 35-42) outside the scanner to 53 (43-63) inside the scanner in irritable bowel syndrome, and from 42 (31-52) to 49 (39-58), respectively, in controls (ANOVA for scanner effect: p = 0.006, group effect: p = 0.92). The difference in rectal pain outside versus inside correlated significantly with stress (r = -0.76, p = 0.006), anxiety (r = -0.68, p = 0.02) and depression scores (r = -0.67, p = 0.02) in controls, but not in irritable bowel syndrome patients, who a priori had significantly higher stress and anxiety scores. ANOVA analysis showed trends for effect of the scanner environment and subject group on endogenous pain modulation (p = 0.09 and p = 0.1, respectively), but not on somatic pain (p > 0.3). CONCLUSION The scanner environment significantly increased visceral, but not somatic, pain perception in irritable bowel syndrome patients and healthy controls in a protocol specifically aimed at investigating visceral pain. Psychological factors, including anxiety and stress, are the likely underlying causes, whereas classic endogenous pain modulation pathways activated by heterotopic stimulation play a lesser role. These results are highly relevant to a wide range of imaging applications and need to be taken into account in future pain research. Further controlled studies are indicated to clarify these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reuben K Wong
- Neurogastroenterology Unit, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Medicine, University Medical Cluster, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Lukas Van Oudenhove
- Translational Research Centre for Gastrointestinal Disorders, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Xinhua Li
- Neurogastroenterology Unit, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yang Cao
- Neurogastroenterology Unit, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Khek Yu Ho
- Neurogastroenterology Unit, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Medicine, University Medical Cluster, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Clive H Wilder-Smith
- Neurogastroenterology Unit, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Brain-Gut Research Group, Gastroenterology Group Practice, Bern, Switzerland
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Weldon AL, Hagan M, Van Meter A, Jacobs RH, Kassel MT, Hazlett KE, Haase BD, Vederman AC, Avery E, Briceno EM, Welsh RC, Zubieta JK, Weisenbach SL, Langenecker SA. Stress Response to the Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Environment in Healthy Adults Relates to the Degree of Limbic Reactivity during Emotion Processing. Neuropsychobiology 2015; 71:85-96. [PMID: 25871424 PMCID: PMC6679601 DOI: 10.1159/000369027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Imaging techniques are increasingly being used to examine the neural correlates of stress and emotion processing; however, relations between the primary stress hormone cortisol, the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) environment, and individual differences in response to emotional challenges are not yet well studied. The present study investigated whether cortisol activity prior to, and during, an fMRI scan may be related to neural processing of emotional information. METHODS Twenty-six healthy individuals (10 female) completed a facial emotion perception test during 3-tesla fMRI. RESULTS Prescan cortisol was significantly correlated with enhanced amygdala, hippocampal, and subgenual cingulate reactivity for facial recognition. Cortisol change from pre- to postscanning predicted a greater activation in the precuneus for both fearful and angry faces. A negative relationship between overall face accuracy and activation in limbic regions was observed. CONCLUSION Individual differences in response to the fMRI environment might lead to a greater heterogeneity of brain activation in control samples, decreasing the power to detect differences between clinical and comparison groups. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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Keulers EHH, Stiers P, Nicolson NA, Jolles J. The association between cortisol and the BOLD response in male adolescents undergoing fMRI. Brain Res 2014; 1598:1-11. [PMID: 25514334 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2014] [Revised: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/06/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
MRI participation has been shown to induce subjective and neuroendocrine stress reactions. A recent aging study showed that cortisol levels during fMRI have an age-dependent effect on cognitive performance and brain functioning. The present study examined whether this age-specific influence of cortisol on behavioral and brain activation levels also applies to adolescence. Salivary cortisol as well as subjective experienced anxiety were assessed during the practice session, at home, and before, during and after the fMRI session in young versus old male adolescents. Cortisol levels were enhanced pre-imaging relative to during and post-imaging in both age groups, suggesting anticipatory stress and anxiety. Overall, a negative correlation was found between cortisol output during the fMRI experiment and brain activation magnitude during performance of a gambling task. In young but not in old adolescents, higher cortisol output was related to stronger deactivation of clusters in the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex. In old but not in young adolescents, a negative correlation was found between cortisol and activation in the inferior parietal and in the superior frontal cortex. In sum, cortisol increased the deactivation of several brain areas, although the location of the affected areas in the brain was age-dependent. The present findings suggest that cortisol output during fMRI should be considered as confounder and integrated in analyzing developmental changes in brain activation during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther H H Keulers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Peter Stiers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Nancy A Nicolson
- Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jelle Jolles
- Centre Brain and Learning and AZIRE Research Institute, Faculty of Psychology and Education, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Sindi S, Fiocco AJ, Juster RP, Lord C, Pruessner J, Lupien SJ. Now you see it, now you don't: Testing environments modulate the association between hippocampal volume and cortisol levels in young and older adults. Hippocampus 2014; 24:1623-32. [PMID: 25112535 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis production of the stress hormone cortisol interacts with the hippocampal formation and impacts memory function. A growing interest is to determine whether hippocampal volume (HV) predicts basal and/or reactive cortisol levels in young and older adults. Recent evidence shows that contextual features in testing environments might be stressful and inadvertently induce a stress response in young and/or older populations. This latter result suggests that variations in testing environments might influence associations between HV and cortisol levels in young and older adults. To this end, we investigated 28 healthy young adults (ages 18-35) and 32 healthy older adults (ages 60-75) in two different environments constructed to be more or less stressful for each age group (Favoring-Young versus Favoring-Old conditions). Cortisol levels were repeatedly assessed in each environment, and young and older participants underwent an anatomical magnetic resonance imaging scan for subsequent assessment of HV. Results in both age groups showed that HV was significantly associated with cortisol levels only in the unfavorable stressful testing conditions specific for each age group. This association was absent when testing environments were designed to decrease stress for each age group. These findings are fundamental in showing that unless the nature of the testing environment is taken into consideration, detected associations between HV and cortisol levels in both young and older populations might be confounded by environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shireen Sindi
- Centre for Studies on Human Stress, Mental Health Research Centre Fernand Seguin, Hospital Louis H Lafontaine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Gaffey AE, Wirth MM, Hoks RM, Jahn AL, Abercrombie HC. Circulating cortisol levels after exogenous cortisol administration are higher in women using hormonal contraceptives: data from two preliminary studies. Stress 2014; 17:314-20. [PMID: 24773147 PMCID: PMC4273669 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2014.919447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Exogenous cortisol administration has been used to test the influence of glucocorticoids on a variety of outcomes, including memory and affect. Careful control of factors known to influence cortisol and other endogenous hormone levels is central to the success of this research. While the use of hormonal birth control (HBC) is known to exert many physiological effects, including decreasing the salivary cortisol response to stress, it is unknown how HBC influences circulating cortisol levels after exogenous cortisol administration. To determine those effects, we examined the role of HBC on participants' cortisol levels after receiving synthetic cortisol (hydrocortisone) in two separate studies. In Study 1, 24 healthy women taking HBC and 26 healthy men were administered a 0.1 mg/kg body weight intravenous dose of hydrocortisone, and plasma cortisol levels were measured over 3 h. In Study 2, 61 participants (34 women; 16 were on HBC) received a 15 mg hydrocortisone pill, and salivary cortisol levels were measured over 6 h. Taken together, results from these studies suggest that HBC use is associated with a greater cortisol increase following cortisol administration. These data have important methodological implications: (1) when given a controlled dose of hydrocortisone, cortisol levels may increase more dramatically in women taking HBC versus women not on HBC or men; and (2) in studies manipulating cortisol levels, women on hormonal contraceptives should be investigated as a separate group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison E. Gaffey
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame; Notre Dame, IN,
USA
| | - Michelle M. Wirth
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame; Notre Dame, IN,
USA
- Corresponding author at: 123B Haggar Hall, Notre Dame,
IN 46556, USA. Phone: (+1) 574-631-1635
Fax: (+1) 574-631-8883
| | - Roxanne M. Hoks
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison,
WI, USA
| | - Allison L. Jahn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison,
WI, USA
- Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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Konishi K, Etchamendy N, Roy S, Marighetto A, Rajah N, Bohbot VD. Decreased functional magnetic resonance imaging activity in the hippocampus in favor of the caudate nucleus in older adults tested in a virtual navigation task. Hippocampus 2014; 23:1005-14. [PMID: 23929534 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2013] [Accepted: 08/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The neuroimaging literature has shown consistent decreases in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activity in the hippocampus of healthy older adults engaged in a navigation task. However, navigation in a virtual maze relies on spatial or response strategies known to depend on the hippocampus and caudate nucleus, respectively. Therefore, since the proportion of people using spatial strategies decreases with normal aging, we hypothesized that it was responsible for the observed decreases in fMRI activity in the hippocampus reported in the literature. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of aging on the hippocampus and caudate nucleus during navigation while taking into account individual navigational strategies. Young (N = 23) and older adults (N = 29) were tested using fMRI on the Concurrent Spatial Discrimination Learning Task, a radial task that dissociates between spatial and response strategies (in Stage 2) after participants reached criteria (in Stage 1). Success on Stage 2 requires that participants have encoded the spatial relationship between the target object and environmental landmarks, that is, the spatial strategy. While older adults required more trials, all participants reached criterion. fMRI results showed that, as a group, young adults had significant activity in the hippocampus as opposed to older adults who instead had significant activity in the caudate nucleus. Importantly, individual differences showed that the older participants who used a spatial strategy to solve the task had significant activity in the hippocampus. These findings suggest that the aging process involves a shift from using the hippocampus toward the caudate nucleus during navigation but that activity in the hippocampus is sustained in a subset of healthy older adults engaged in spatial strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoko Konishi
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
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Ho SS, Konrath S, Brown S, Swain JE. Empathy and stress related neural responses in maternal decision making. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:152. [PMID: 24971049 PMCID: PMC4053926 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 05/24/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Mothers need to make caregiving decisions to meet the needs of children, which may or may not result in positive child feedback. Variations in caregivers' emotional reactivity to unpleasant child-feedback may be partially explained by their dispositional empathy levels. Furthermore, empathic response to the child's unpleasant feedback likely helps mothers to regulate their own stress. We investigated the relationship between maternal dispositional empathy, stress reactivity, and neural correlates of child feedback to caregiving decisions. In Part 1 of the study, 33 female participants were recruited to undergo a lab-based mild stressor, the Social Evaluation Test (SET), and then in Part 2 of the study, a subset of the participants, 14 mothers, performed a Parenting Decision Making Task (PDMT) in an fMRI setting. Four dimensions of dispositional empathy based on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index were measured in all participants—Personal Distress, Empathic Concern, Perspective Taking, and Fantasy. Overall, we found that the Personal Distress and Perspective Taking were associated with greater and lesser cortisol reactivity, respectively. The four types of empathy were distinctly associated with the negative (vs. positive) child feedback activation in the brain. Personal Distress was associated with amygdala and hypothalamus activation, Empathic Concern with the left ventral striatum, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), and supplemental motor area (SMA) activation, and Fantasy with the septal area, right SMA and VLPFC activation. Interestingly, hypothalamus-septal coupling during the negative feedback condition was associated with less PDMT-related cortisol reactivity. The roles of distinct forms of dispositional empathy in neural and stress responses are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Shaun Ho
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sara Konrath
- Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA ; Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Stephanie Brown
- Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA ; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Stony Brook University New York, NY, USA
| | - James E Swain
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Bauch EM, Rausch VH, Bunzeck N. Pain anticipation recruits the mesolimbic system and differentially modulates subsequent recognition memory. Hum Brain Mapp 2014; 35:4594-606. [PMID: 24692164 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2013] [Revised: 01/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to encode information into long-term memory is not a passive process but can be influenced by motivational factors. While the mesolimbic system has long been associated with reward-driven memory enhancement, the precise neurobiology of processing aversive events and their effects on declarative learning remain unclear. To address this issue, human subjects encoded a series of scene images, which was combined with cues predicting an aversive electric shock with different probabilities (0.2, 0.5, 0.8). Subsequently, recognition memory for the scenes was tested using a remember/know procedure. In a behavioral experiment, shock probability had linear effects on familiarity and inverted u-shaped effects on recollection. While the behavioral effect was absent in experiment 2 (fMRI), at the neural level encoding-related activity in the hippocampus mimicked the recollection specific quadratic effect, whereas activity in the anterior parahippocampal gyrus mirrored the familiarity specific linear relationship that was evident in experiment 1. Importantly, the probability of upcoming shocks was linearly coded in the substantia nigra / ventral tegmental area, and pain associated brain regions, such as the insula, responded to shock delivery. Our results demonstrate that anticipating primary aversive events recruits the human mesolimbic system and differentially modulates declarative memory functions via medial temporal lobe structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M Bauch
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
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Gathmann B, Schulte FP, Maderwald S, Pawlikowski M, Starcke K, Schäfer LC, Schöler T, Wolf OT, Brand M. Stress and decision making: neural correlates of the interaction between stress, executive functions, and decision making under risk. Exp Brain Res 2014; 232:957-73. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-013-3808-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/13/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Rausch VH, Bauch EM, Bunzeck N. White noise improves learning by modulating activity in dopaminergic midbrain regions and right superior temporal sulcus. J Cogn Neurosci 2013; 26:1469-80. [PMID: 24345178 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
In neural systems, information processing can be facilitated by adding an optimal level of white noise. Although this phenomenon, the so-called stochastic resonance, has traditionally been linked with perception, recent evidence indicates that white noise may also exert positive effects on cognitive functions, such as learning and memory. The underlying neural mechanisms, however, remain unclear. Here, on the basis of recent theories, we tested the hypothesis that auditory white noise, when presented during the encoding of scene images, enhances subsequent recognition memory performance and modulates activity within the dopaminergic midbrain (i.e., substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area, SN/VTA). Indeed, in a behavioral experiment, we can show in healthy humans that auditory white noise-but not control sounds, such as a sinus tone-slightly improves recognition memory. In an fMRI experiment, white noise selectively enhances stimulus-driven phasic activity in the SN/VTA and auditory cortex. Moreover, it induces stronger connectivity between SN/VTA and right STS, which, in addition, exhibited a positive correlation with subsequent memory improvement by white noise. Our results suggest that the beneficial effects of auditory white noise on learning depend on dopaminergic neuromodulation and enhanced connectivity between midbrain regions and the STS-a key player in attention modulation. Moreover, they indicate that white noise could be particularly useful to facilitate learning in conditions where changes of the mesolimbic system are causally related to memory deficits including healthy and pathological aging.
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Enhanced sympathetic arousal in response to FMRI scanning correlates with task induced activations and deactivations. PLoS One 2013; 8:e72576. [PMID: 23967320 PMCID: PMC3744508 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2013] [Accepted: 07/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been repeatedly shown that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) triggers distress and neuroendocrine response systems. Prior studies have revealed that sympathetic arousal increases, particularly at the beginning of the examination. Against this background it appears likely that those stress reactions during the scanning procedure may influence task performance and neural correlates. However, the question how sympathetic arousal elicited by the scanning procedure itself may act as a potential confounder of fMRI data remains unresolved today. Thirty-seven scanner naive healthy subjects performed a simple cued target detection task. Levels of salivary alpha amylase (sAA), as a biomarker for sympathetic activity, were assessed in samples obtained at several time points during the lab visit. SAA increased two times, immediately prior to scanning and at the end of the scanning procedure. Neural activation related to motor preparation and timing as well as task performance was positively correlated with the first increase. Furthermore, the first sAA increase was associated with task induced deactivation (TID) in frontal and parietal regions. However, these effects were restricted to the first part of the experiment. Consequently, this bias of scanner related sympathetic activation should be considered in future fMRI investigations. It is of particular importance for pharmacological investigations studying adrenergic agents and the comparison of groups with different stress vulnerabilities like patients and controls or adolescents and adults.
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Acute stress contributes to individual differences in pain and pain-related brain activity in healthy and chronic pain patients. J Neurosci 2013; 33:6826-33. [PMID: 23595741 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4584-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in pain sensitivity and reactivity are well recognized but the underlying mechanisms are likely to be diverse. The phenomenon of stress-induced analgesia is well documented in animal research and individual variability in the stress response in humans may produce corresponding changes in pain. We assessed the magnitude of the acute stress response of 16 chronic back pain (CBP) patients and 18 healthy individuals exposed to noxious thermal stimulations administered in a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment and tested its possible contribution to individual differences in pain perception. The temperature of the noxious stimulations was determined individually to control for differences in pain sensitivity. The two groups showed similar significant increases in reactive cortisol across the scanning session when compared with their basal levels collected over 7 consecutive days, suggesting normal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity to painful stressors in CBP patients. Critically, after controlling for any effect of group and stimulus temperature, individuals with stronger cortisol responses reported less pain unpleasantness and showed reduced blood oxygenation level-dependent activation in nucleus accumbens at the stimulus onset and in the anterior mid-cingulate cortex (aMCC), the primary somatosensory cortex, and the posterior insula. Mediation analyses indicated that pain-related activity in the aMCC mediated the relationship between the reactive cortisol response and the pain unpleasantness. Psychophysiological interaction analysis further revealed that higher stress reactivity was associated with reduced functional connectivity between the aMCC and the brainstem. These findings suggest that acute stress modulates pain in humans and contributes to individual variability in pain affect and pain-related brain activity.
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Quaedflieg CWEM, Meyer T, Smeets T. The imaging Maastricht Acute Stress Test (iMAST): A neuroimaging compatible psychophysiological stressor. Psychophysiology 2013; 50:758-66. [DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2013] [Accepted: 04/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - T. Meyer
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience; Maastricht University; Maastricht; The Netherlands
| | - T. Smeets
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience; Maastricht University; Maastricht; The Netherlands
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Gilles M, Paslakis G, Heinrich A, Szostek A, Meyer P, Nees F, Rauschenberg J, Gröbner J, Krumm B, Semmler W, Flor H, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Deuschle M. A cross-over study of effects on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathoadrenergic system in magnetic field strength exposure from 0 to 7 T. Stress 2013; 16:172-80. [PMID: 22775799 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2012.708949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of stress is relevant to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination in various ways. First, levels of stress to staff and patients have not been quantified in ultra-high magnetic fields. Second, research is increasingly interested in experimentally defining regional brain activity during stress. It is therefore important to know whether exposure to the ultra-high static magnetic fields per se might also lead to neurohormonal responses in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathoadrenal systems. In the present blinded case cross-over study with 41 healthy participants, we measured cortisol not only before and after but also during static magnetic field exposure in MRI scanners. Measures of catecholamines before and after exposure were also part of the study protocol. Using three different field strengths (1.5, 3 and 7 T) and a mock scanner (0 T), we examined whether not only the MRI procedure but also the static magnetic field per se has an influence on the neuroendocrine responses. We found no significant differences in the course of cortisol or catecholamine concentrations between the different static magnetic fields. Our study suggests that the results of MRI studies using stress-paradigms are not influenced by the static magnetic field itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gilles
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, J5, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany.
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D'Angiulli A, Van Roon PM, Weinberg J, Oberlander TF, Grunau RE, Hertzman C, Maggi S. Frontal EEG/ERP correlates of attentional processes, cortisol and motivational states in adolescents from lower and higher socioeconomic status. Front Hum Neurosci 2012. [PMID: 23181016 PMCID: PMC3500742 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Event-related potentials (ERPs) and other electroencephalographic (EEG) evidence show that frontal brain areas of higher and lower socioeconomic status (SES) children are recruited differently during selective attention tasks. We assessed whether multiple variables related to self-regulation (perceived mental effort) emotional states (e.g., anxiety, stress, etc.) and motivational states (e.g., boredom, engagement, etc.) may co-occur or interact with frontal attentional processing probed in two matched-samples of fourteen lower-SES and higher-SES adolescents. ERP and EEG activation were measured during a task probing selective attention to sequences of tones. Pre- and post-task salivary cortisol and self-reported emotional states were also measured. At similar behavioural performance level, the higher-SES group showed a greater ERP differentiation between attended (relevant) and unattended (irrelevant) tones than the lower-SES group. EEG power analysis revealed a cross-over interaction, specifically, lower-SES adolescents showed significantly higher theta power when ignoring rather than attending to tones, whereas, higher-SES adolescents showed the opposite pattern. Significant theta asymmetry differences were also found at midfrontal electrodes indicating left hypo-activity in lower-SES adolescents. The attended vs. unattended difference in right midfrontal theta increased with individual SES rank, and (independently from SES) with lower cortisol task reactivity and higher boredom. Results suggest lower-SES children used additional compensatory resources to monitor/control response inhibition to distracters, perceiving also more mental effort, as compared to higher-SES counterparts. Nevertheless, stress, boredom and other task-related perceived states were unrelated to SES. Ruling out presumed confounds, this study confirms the midfrontal mechanisms responsible for the SES effects on selective attention reported previously and here reflect genuine cognitive differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amedeo D'Angiulli
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University Ottawa, ON, Canada ; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Carleton University Ottawa, ON, Canada
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