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Shang Z, Liu N, Ouyang H, Cai X, Yan W, Wang J, Zhan J, Jia Y, Xing C, Huang L, Wu L, Liu W. Sex-based differences in brain morphometry under chronic stress: A pilot MRI study. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30354. [PMID: 38726160 PMCID: PMC11079087 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Sex-based differences are known to be a significant feature of chronic stress; however, the morphological mechanisms of the brain underlying these differences remain unclear. The present study aimed to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to investigate the effects of sex on gray matter volume (GMV) changes under conditions of chronic stress. Methods A total of 32 subjects were included for analysis in the present study: 16 participants experiencing chronic stress and 16 healthy controls. T1-weighted (T1WI) images from a 3 T MRI scanner were extracted from the OpenfMRI database. Images were segmented into gray matter using VBM analysis. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a 2 × 2 full factorial design was used to evaluate the main and interaction effects of chronic stress and sex on GMV changes, and then post hoc testing was used to verify each simple effect. Results Two-way ANOVA showed a chronic stress × sex interaction effect on GMV. Simple effects analysis indicated that the GMV of the bilateral pre- and post-central gyri, the right cuneus and superior occipital gyrus was decreased in males, whereas that of the bilateral pre- and post-central gyri, the right superior occipital gyrus and the left middle frontal gyrus and orbital middle frontal gyrus was increased in females, under chronic stress. Additionally, in the control group, the GMV of the bilateral pre- and post-central gyri, the right cuneus and superior occipital gyrus was greater in males than females. While in the chronic stress group, the above sex-based differences were no longer significant. Conclusions This study preliminarily shows that there are significant differences in gray matter volume changes between males and females under chronic stress. These findings provide a basis for future studies investigating the volumetric mechanisms of sex differences under chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilei Shang
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Nianqi Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Educational Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hui Ouyang
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xiaojie Cai
- Department of Radiology, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Suzhou University, Changshu, 215500, China
| | - Wenjie Yan
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Jingye Zhan
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Yanpu Jia
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Chenqi Xing
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Lijun Huang
- Department of Radiology, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Suzhou University, Changshu, 215500, China
| | - Lili Wu
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Weizhi Liu
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
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Grodin EN, Kirsch D, Belnap M, Ray LA. Sex differences in neural response to an acute stressor in individuals with an alcohol use disorder. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:843-854. [PMID: 38652235 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and stress influence overlapping neural circuits in the brain. The literature is mixed regarding the presence of sex differences in the neural response to acute stressors, and this issue has not been examined in individuals with AUD. We validated a stress functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigm in individuals with AUD and tested for sex differences. METHODS Twenty-five treatment-seeking individuals with AUD (15M/10F) were recruited to participate in the neuroimaging study linked to a clinical trial of ibudilast (NCT03594435). To assess social-evaluative stress, participants completed the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST). Whole brain and amygdala region-of-interest analyses were conducted. Subjective ratings of anxiety and distress were collected. Repeated measures ANCOVAs were performed to evaluate the effect of stress on anxiety and distress and to evaluate sex differences. RESULTS There were trend-level effects of stress on anxiety ratings and amygdala activation (p's = 0.06). There was a significant effect of stress in the bilateral thalamus, ventral tegmental area, and paracingulate (Z's > 4.09, p's < 0.03). There was a trend-level effect of sex on subjective ratings of stress (p's = 0.07). Females had higher amygdala activation in response to stress (p = 0.02). Females also had greater activation than males in the precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, and right inferior frontal gyrus during acute stress (Z's > 3.56, p's < 0.03). CONCLUSIONS This study provides an initial validation of the MIST in a sample of individuals with AUD. It also provides preliminary evidence of sex differences in the response to social-evaluative stress, which is important, given the relevance of stress and negative emotionality as motivators for alcohol use in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica N Grodin
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Brain Research Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dylan Kirsch
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Malia Belnap
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Lara A Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Brain Research Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Luo Y, Xiao M, Chen X, Zeng W, Chen H. Harsh, unpredictable childhood environments are associated with inferior frontal gyrus connectivity and binge eating tendencies in late adolescents. Appetite 2024; 195:107210. [PMID: 38266713 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107210] [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: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Harsh, unpredictable childhood environments (HUCE) are associated with obesity older in life, but knowledge of how HUCE affect binge eating tendencies is lacking. Five hundred and one late adolescents aged 16-22 were recruited to finish resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan, behavioral measures including retrospective recall of childhood environmental harshness and unpredictability, binge eating tendencies and demographics. Three hundred and seventy-six of participants further completed the computerized visual probe task designed to evaluate attentional engagement towards high and low calorie food. As right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) was the key nodes that related to both early life adversity and binge eating tendencies, it was treated as the interest region in the dynamic functional connectivity analyses. Results found that HUCE are associated with significant but modest decreases in connectivity of right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG)- bilateral medial frontal gyrus, right IFG - bilateral inferior parietal lobule (IPL), and right IFG - left superior frontal gyrus connectivity, as well as attentional engagement to high-calorie food and binge eating tendencies. A machine-learning method named linear support vector regression (SVR) and leave one out cross-validation (LOOCV) procedure used to examine the robustness of the brain-behavior relationship further confirm the findings. Mediation analyses suggested that right IFG - left IPL connectivity mediates the association of HUCE and binge eating tendencies. Findings suggest right IFG - left IPL connectivity may serve as a crucial neurobiological underpinning of HUCE to regulate binge eating behaviors. As such, these results contribute to a novel perspective and hypotheses in elucidating developmental neuro-mechanisms related to binge eating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijun Luo
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Minyue Xiao
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Ximei Chen
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Weiyu Zeng
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Hong Chen
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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Chaudhary S, Wong HK, Chen Y, Zhang S, Li CSR. Sex differences in the effects of individual anxiety state on regional responses to negative emotional scenes. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:15. [PMID: 38351045 PMCID: PMC10863151 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00591-6] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Men and women are known to show differences in the incidence and clinical manifestations of mood and anxiety disorders. Many imaging studies have investigated the neural correlates of sex differences in emotion processing. However, it remains unclear how anxiety might impact emotion processing differently in men and women. METHOD We recruited 119 healthy adults and assessed their levels of anxiety using State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) State score. With functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we examined regional responses to negative vs. neutral (Neg-Neu) picture matching in the Hariri task. Behavioral data were analyzed using regression and repeated-measures analysis of covariance with age as a covariate, and fMRI data were analyzed using a full-factorial model with sex as a factor and age as a covariate. RESULTS Men and women did not differ in STAI score, or accuracy rate or reaction time (RT) (Neg-Neu). However, STAI scores correlated positively with RT (Neg-Neu) in women but not in men. Additionally, in women, STAI score correlated positively with lingual gyrus (LG) and negatively with medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and superior frontal gyrus (SFG) activity during Neg vs. Neu trials. The parameter estimates (βs) of mPFC also correlated with RT (Neg-Neu) in women but not in men. Generalized psychophysiological interaction (gPPI) analysis in women revealed mPFC connectivity with the right inferior frontal gyrus, right SFG, and left parahippocampal gyrus during Neg vs. Neu trials in positive correlation with both STAI score and RT (Neg-Neu). In a mediation analysis, mPFC gPPI but not mPFC activity fully mediated the association between STAI scores and RT (Neg-Neu). CONCLUSION With anxiety affecting the behavioral and neural responses to negative emotions in women but not in men and considering the known roles of the mPFC in emotion regulation, we discussed heightened sensitivity and regulatory demands during negative emotion processing as neurobehavioral markers of anxiety in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shefali Chaudhary
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut Mental Health Center, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA.
| | | | - Yu Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut Mental Health Center, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut Mental Health Center, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut Mental Health Center, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
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Chaudhary S, Wong HK, Chen Y, Zhang S, Li CSR. Sex differences in the effects of individual anxiety state on regional responses to negative emotional scenes. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3701951. [PMID: 38196586 PMCID: PMC10775373 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3701951/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Background Men and women are known to show differences in the incidence and clinical manifestations of mood and anxiety disorders. Many imaging studies have investigated the neural correlates of sex differences in emotion processing. However, it remains unclear how anxiety might impact emotion processing differently in men and women. Method We recruited 119 healthy adults and assessed their levels of anxiety using State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) State score. With functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we examined regional responses to negative vs. neutral (Neg-Neu) picture matching in the Hariri task. Behavioral data were analyzed using regression and repeated-measures analysis of covariance with age as a covariate, and fMRI data were analyzed using a full-factorial model with sex as a factor and age as a covariate. Results Men and women did not differ in STAI score, or accuracy rate or reaction time (RT) (Neg-Neu). However, STAI scores correlated positively with RT (Neg-Neu) in women but not in men. Additionally, in women, STAI score correlated positively with lingual gyrus (LG) and negatively with medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and superior frontal gyrus (SFG) activity during Neg vs. Neu trials. The parameter estimates (β's) of mPFC also correlated with RT (Neg-Neu) in women but not in men. Generalized psychophysiological interaction (gPPI) analysis in women revealed mPFC connectivity with the right inferior frontal gyrus, right SFG, and left parahippocampal gyrus during Neg vs. Neu trials in positive correlation with both STAI score and RT (Neg-Neu). In a mediation analysis, mPFC gPPI but not mPFC activity fully mediated the association between STAI scores and RT (Neg-Neu). Conclusion With anxiety affecting the behavioral and neural responses to negative emotions in women but not in men and considering the known roles of the mPFC in emotion regulation, we discussed heightened sensitivity and regulatory demands during negative emotion processing as neurobehavioral markers of anxiety in women.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yu Chen
- Yale School of Medicine: Yale University School of Medicine
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Yale School of Medicine: Yale University School of Medicine
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6
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Chaudhary S, Hu S, Hu K, Dominguez JC, Chao HH, Li CSR. Sex differences in the effects of trait anxiety and age on resting-state functional connectivities of the amygdala. JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS REPORTS 2023; 14:100646. [PMID: 38105798 PMCID: PMC10723810 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2023.100646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Numerous studies characterized how resting-state functional connectivities (rsFCs) of the amygdala were disrupted in emotional disorders and varied with emotional traits, including anxiety. With trait anxiety known to diminish with age, a critical issue concerns disambiguating the effects of age and anxiety on amygdala rsFCs in studying the neural bases of individual differences in anxiety. Methods Two-hundred adults (83 women) 19-85 years of age underwent fMRI and assessment for trait anxiety. Amygdala rsFC correlates were identified using multiple regression with age and anxiety in the same model for all and separately in men and women. The rsFC correlates were examined for age-anxiety interaction. Results Anxiety was negatively correlated with amygdala-temporooccipital gyri rsFC in all and in men alone. In women, amgydala rsFC with the thalamus/pallidum, angular/supramarginal gyri, inferior temporal gyrus, and posterior insula correlated positively and rsFC with calcarine cortex and caudate correlated negatively with anxiety. We also observed sex differences in age correlation of amgydala-posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus and -insula/temporoparietal rsFCs, with stronger associations in women. In women alone, anxiety and age interacted to determine amygdala rsFC with the thalamus/pallidum, calcarine cortex, and caudate, with older age associated with stronger correlation between anxiety and the rsFCs. Limitations The findings need to be validated in an independent sample and further explored using task-based data. Conclusion Highlighting anxiety- and age- specific as well as interacting correlates of amygdala rsFCs and sex differences in the correlates, the findings may shed light on the neural markers of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shefali Chaudhary
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Sien Hu
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126, USA
| | - Kesong Hu
- Department of Psychology, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR 72204, USA
| | | | - Herta H. Chao
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Chiang-Shan R. Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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Liu Y, Zhang C, Li M, Gao Y, Wang Y, Liu X, Li J. Exploring specific associations of childhood maltreatment with social cognition in drug-naive first-episode major depressive disorder: a sex-centric approach. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023:10.1007/s00406-023-01723-6. [PMID: 38038762 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-023-01723-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment (CM) has been linked to social cognition deficits in major depressive disorder (MDD), but little is known about sex-specific effects. This study aimed to investigate the sex-specific associations of CM with social cognition in first-episode drug-naive patients with MDD. A total of 117 first-episode drug-naive patients with MDD and 134 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited and assessed for demographic and clinical characteristics. All participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Interpersonal Reactivity Index-C (IRI), and Facial Emotion Recognition Test. Partial correlation analysis was used to explore the sex-specific association of CM with social cognition. Our findings revealed significant differences in the associations of CM with social cognition between males and females in MDD patients. In comparison to HCs, the associations of CM with social cognition displayed distinct and even contrasting sex-specific patterns in MDD patients. Specifically, male MDD patients exhibited unique imbalanced associations between emotional neglect and alexithymia, while both female and male MDD patients shared imbalanced associations of childhood abuse with empathy. These results emphasize the importance of considering the sex-specific associations of CM with social cognition in MDD and highlight the need for personalized interventions and treatments based on sex for MDD patients with a history of CM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liu
- Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, 13 Liulin RdHexi District, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Chuhao Zhang
- Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, 13 Liulin RdHexi District, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Meijuan Li
- Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, 13 Liulin RdHexi District, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Ying Gao
- Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, 13 Liulin RdHexi District, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Yuting Wang
- Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, 13 Liulin RdHexi District, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Xueying Liu
- Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, 13 Liulin RdHexi District, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Jie Li
- Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, 13 Liulin RdHexi District, Tianjin, 300222, China.
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Nasrullah N, Khorashad Sorouri B, Lundmark A, Seiger R, Savic I. Occupational stress is associated with sex and subregion specific modifications of the amygdala volumes. Stress 2023; 26:2247102. [PMID: 37771232 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2023.2247102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Despite the rapid increase in reports of exhaustion syndrome (ES) due to daily occupational stress, the mechanisms underlying ES are unknown. In the present study, we investigated whether occupational ES is associated with specific modifications of the subfields of the amygdala and hippocampus resembling those described in other chronic stress conditions. Special focus was paid to possible sex differences.Methods: As a follow up to our previous studies of occupational ES, we carried out MRI-based subfield segmentation of the hippocampus and amygdala volumes in 58 patients with occupational ES (22 males) and 65 age-matched controls (27 males) (age range 30-46 years).Results: There was a significant and bilateral enlargement of the lateral, basal and central nucleus of the amygdala in patients with ES (corrected for the total intracranial volume (ICV)). These differences were detected only in females. Higher values in the right central and right basal amygdala remained when the whole amygdala volume was used as reference, instead of the ICV. Notably, in female patients the volumes of these specific nuclei were positively correlated with the degree of perceived stress. No changes in the hippocampus subfields were detected in female or male patients.Conclusions: The findings underline that ES is a chronic stress condition, suggesting that not only extreme forms of stress, but also the everyday stress is associated with localized differences from controls in the amygdala. The absence of significant alterations among men with ES despite a similar degree of perceived stress supports the notion that women seem more susceptible to stress-related cerebral changes, and may explain the higher prevalence of ES among women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilab Nasrullah
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute and Neurology Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - B Khorashad Sorouri
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute and Neurology Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anton Lundmark
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute and Neurology Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rene Seiger
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute and Neurology Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ivanka Savic
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute and Neurology Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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9
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Henze GI, Konzok J, Kudielka BM, Wüst S, Nichols TE, Kreuzpointner L. Associations between cortisol stress responses and limbic volume and thickness in young adults: An exploratory study. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:3962-3980. [PMID: 37806665 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16161] [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: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The investigation of the relationship between neural measures of limbic structures and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis responses to acute stress exposure in healthy young adults has so far focused in particular on task-based and resting state functional connectivity studies. Thus, the present study examined the association between limbic volume and thickness measures and acute cortisol responses to the psychosocial stress paradigm ScanSTRESS. Using Permutation Analysis of Linear Models controlling for sex, age and total brain volume, the associations between (sex-specific) cortisol increases and human connectome project style anatomical variables of limbic structures (i.e. volume and thickness) were investigated in 66 healthy and young (18-33 years) subjects (35 men, 31 women taking oral contraceptives). In addition, exploratory (sex-specific) bivariate correlations between cortisol increases and structural measures were conducted. The present data provide interesting new insights into the involvement of striato-limbic structures in psychosocial stress processing, suggesting that acute cortisol stress responses are also associated with mere structural measures of the human brain. Thus, our preliminary findings suggest that not only situation- and context-dependent reactions of the limbic system (i.e. blood oxygenation level-dependent reactions) are related to acute (sex-specific) cortisol stress responses but also basal and somewhat more constant structural measures. Our study hereby paves the way for further analyses in this context and highlights the relevance of the topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina-Isabelle Henze
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Research Division of Mind and Brain, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Julian Konzok
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Stefan Wüst
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Thomas E Nichols
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Frasier RM, De Oliveira Sergio T, Starski PA, Grippo AJ, Hopf FW. Heart rate variability measures indicating sex differences in autonomic regulation during anxiety-like behavior in rats. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1244389. [PMID: 38025424 PMCID: PMC10644002 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1244389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Mental health conditions remain a substantial and costly challenge to society, especially in women since they have nearly twice the prevalence of anxiety disorders. However, critical mechanisms underlying sex differences remain incompletely understood. Measures of cardiac function, including heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV), reflect balance between sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) systems and are potential biomarkers for pathological states. Methods To better understand sex differences in anxiety-related autonomic mechanisms, we examined HR/HRV telemetry in food-restricted adult rats during novelty suppression of feeding (NSF), with conflict between food under bright light in the arena center. To assess HRV, we calculated the SDNN (reflective of both SNS and PNS contribution) and rMSSD (reflective of PNS contribution) and compared these metrics to behaviors within the anxiety task. Results Females had greater HR and lower SNS indicators at baseline, as in humans. Further, females (but not males) with higher basal HR carried this state into NSF, delaying first approach to center. In contrast, males with lower SNS measures approached and spent more time in the brightly-lit center. Further, females with lower SNS indicators consumed significantly more food. In males, a high-SNS subpopulation consumed no food. Among consumers, males with greater SNS ate more food. Discussion Together, these are congruent with human findings suggesting women engage PNS more, and men SNS more. Our previous behavior-only work also observed female differences from males during initial movement and food intake. Thus, high basal SNS in females reduced behavior early in NSF, while subsequent reduced SNS allowed greater food intake. In males, lower SNS increased engagement with arena center, but greater SNS predicted higher consumption. Our findings show novel and likely clinically relevant sex differences in HRV-behavior relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raizel M. Frasier
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | | | - Phillip A. Starski
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Angela J. Grippo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, United States
| | - F. Woodward Hopf
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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11
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Kogler L, Müller VI, Moser E, Windischberger C, Gur RC, Habel U, Eickhoff SB, Derntl B. Testosterone and the Amygdala's Functional Connectivity in Women and Men. J Clin Med 2023; 12:6501. [PMID: 37892639 PMCID: PMC10607739 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12206501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala contains androgen receptors and is involved in various affective and social functions. An interaction between testosterone and the amygdala's functioning is likely. We investigated the amygdala's resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) network in association with testosterone in 94 healthy young adult women and men (final data available for analysis from 42 women and 39 men). Across the whole sample, testosterone was positively associated with the rsFC between the right amygdala and the right middle occipital gyrus, and it further predicted lower agreeableness scores. Significant sex differences appeared for testosterone and the functional connectivity between the right amygdala and the right superior frontal gyrus (SFG), showing higher testosterone levels with lower connectivity in women. Sex further predicted the openness and agreeableness scores. Our results show that testosterone modulates the rsFC between brain areas involved in affective processing and executive functions. The data indicate that the cognitive control of the amygdala via the frontal cortex is dependent on the testosterone levels in a sex-specific manner. Testosterone seems to express sex-specific patterns (1) in networks processing affect and cognition, and (2) in the frontal down-regulation of the amygdala. The sex-specific coupling between the amygdala and the frontal cortex in interaction with the hormone levels may drive sex-specific differences in a variety of behavioral phenomena that are further associated with psychiatric illnesses that show sex-specific prevalence rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Kogler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Centre for Mental Health (TüCMH), Medical Faculty, University of Tübingen, Calwerstrasse 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany;
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG) Partner Site, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Veronika I. Müller
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: Brain and Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; (V.I.M.); (S.B.E.)
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ewald Moser
- High-Field MR Center, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (E.M.); (C.W.)
| | - Christian Windischberger
- High-Field MR Center, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (E.M.); (C.W.)
| | - Ruben C. Gur
- Brain Behavior Laboratory and Neurodevelopment and Psychosis Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany;
- JARA BRAIN Institute I, Translational Brain Medicine, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Simon B. Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: Brain and Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; (V.I.M.); (S.B.E.)
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Centre for Mental Health (TüCMH), Medical Faculty, University of Tübingen, Calwerstrasse 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany;
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG) Partner Site, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- LEAD Graduate School and Network, University of Tübingen, Walter-Simon-Straße 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for the Mechanisms of Mental Function and Dysfunction (IMPRS-MMFD), Otfried-Müller-Str. 27, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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12
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Kogler L, Regenbogen C, Müller VI, Kohn N, Schneider F, Gur RC, Derntl B. Cognitive Stress Regulation in Schizophrenia Patients and Healthy Individuals: Brain and Behavior. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12072749. [PMID: 37048832 PMCID: PMC10095473 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12072749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is an important factor in the development, triggering, and maintenance of psychotic symptoms. Still, little is known about the neural correlates of cognitively regulating stressful events in schizophrenia. The current study aimed at investigating the cognitive down-regulation of negative, stressful reactions during a neuroimaging psychosocial stress paradigm (non-regulated stress versus cognitively regulated stress). In a randomized, repeated-measures within-subject design, we assessed subjective reactions and neural activation in schizophrenia patients (SZP) and matched healthy controls in a neuroimaging psychosocial stress paradigm. In general, SZP exhibited an increased anticipation of stress compared to controls (p = 0.020). During non-regulated stress, SZP showed increased negative affect (p = 0.033) and stronger activation of the left parietal operculum/posterior insula (p < 0.001) and right inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula (p = 0.005) than controls. Contrarily, stress regulation compared to non-regulated stress led to increased subjective reactions in controls (p = 0.003) but less deactivation in SZP in the ventral anterior cingulate cortex (p = 0.027). Our data demonstrate stronger reactions to and anticipation of stress in patients and difficulties with cognitive stress regulation in both groups. Considering the strong association between mental health and stress, the investigation of cognitive regulation in individuals vulnerable to stress, including SZP, has crucial implications for improving stress intervention trainings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Kogler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Centre for Mental Health (TüCMH), Medical Faculty, University of Tübingen, Calwerstrasse 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christina Regenbogen
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Veronika I Müller
- Institute of Neuroscience und Medicine, INM-7, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Nils Kohn
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Postbus 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Frank Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ruben C Gur
- Neuropsychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Centre for Mental Health (TüCMH), Medical Faculty, University of Tübingen, Calwerstrasse 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for the Mechanisms of Mental Function and Dysfunction (IMPRS-MMFD), Otfried-Müller-Str. 27, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- LEAD Graduate School and Network, University of Tübingen, Walter-Simon-Straße 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
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13
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Soiné A, Walla P. Sex-Determined Alteration of Frontal Electroencephalographic (EEG) Activity in Social Presence. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13020585. [PMID: 36836942 PMCID: PMC9961853 DOI: 10.3390/life13020585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
This study represents a follow-up event-related potential (ERP) analysis of a prior investigation. The previous results showed that participants had most negative-tending ERPs in the mid-frontal brain region during exposure to neutral emotion pictures (compared to negative and positive pictures) while being accompanied by a significant other person (social presence condition). The present analysis aimed at investigating potential sex differences related to this phenomenon. Female and male participants' brain activity data from the previous study were analyzed separately for one representative mid-frontal electrode location selected on the basis of having the highest significance level. As a result, only female participants showed significantly more negative-tending potentials in response to neutral pictures, compared to both other emotion categories (positive and negative) in the social presence condition. This was not found in male participants. The respective ERP effect was most dominant at 838 ms post stimulus onset, which is slightly later than the effect found in the prior study. However, this result is interpreted as evidence that the general effect from the prior study can be understood as a largely female phenomenon. In line with the prior study, the present results are interpreted as a predominantly female activation in the mid-frontal brain region in response to neutral picture stimuli while being accompanied by a significant other person (social presence condition). Although only speculative, this would align with previous studies demonstrating sex-related hormonal and structural differences in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). In general, ACC activation has been associated with an integrative weighting function in ambiguous social settings, which makes sense given the ambiguous nature of neutral pictures in combination with a social presence condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Soiné
- CanBeLab, Psychology Department, Webster Vienna Private University, Praterstrasse 23, 1020 Vienna, Austria
- Medical Neurosciences, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Walla
- Faculty of Psychology, Freud CanBeLab, Sigmund Freud University, Sigmund Freud Platz 1, 1020 Vienna, Austria
- Faculty of Medicine, Sigmund Freud University, Sigmund Freud Platz 3, 1020 Vienna, Austria
- School of Psychology, Newcastle University, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
- Correspondence:
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14
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Kuhn L, Noack H, Wagels L, Prothmann A, Schulik A, Aydin E, Nieratschker V, Derntl B, Habel U. Sex-dependent multimodal response profiles to psychosocial stress. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:583-596. [PMID: 35238348 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sex differences in stress reactions are often reported in the literature. However, the sex-dependent interplay of different facets of stress is still not fully understood. Particularly in neuroimaging research, studies on large samples combining different indicators of stress remain scarce. MATERIALS AND METHODS In a functional magnetic resonance imaging study, a sample of 140 healthy participants (67 females using oral contraceptives) underwent a standardized stress induction protocol, the ScanSTRESS. During the experiment, salivary cortisol and subjective ratings were obtained at multiple time points and heart rate was recorded. RESULTS Sex differences emerged in different facets of the stress response:Women reacted with enhanced subjective feelings of stress and increases in heart rate, while men showed more pronounced neural activation in stress-related brain regions such as the inferior frontal gyrus and insula. Subjective feelings of stress and (para) hippocampal activity were negatively related in women,whereas a slightly positive association was observed in men. DISCUSSION These results provide further insight in the sex-specific stress response patterns. Moreover, they emphasize the role of the hippocampus in the regulation of the stress response. This paves the way for the identification of sex-dependent vulnerability factors that can, in the future, be implemented in the prevention and treatment of stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandra Kuhn
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Hannes Noack
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraβe 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lisa Wagels
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straβe, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Anna Prothmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Anna Schulik
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Ece Aydin
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmaceutical (Bio-)Analysis, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, (Haus B), 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Vanessa Nieratschker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraβe 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.,Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraβe 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.,Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.,Lead Research Network, University of Tübingen, Europastraβe 6, 72072 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straβe, 52425 Jülich, Germany
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15
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Liang H, Ernst T, Oishi K, Ryan MC, Herskovits E, Cunningham E, Wilson E, Kottilil S, Chang L. Abnormal brain diffusivity in participants with persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms after COVID-19. NEUROIMMUNE PHARMACOLOGY AND THERAPEUTICS 2023; 2:37-48. [PMID: 37067870 PMCID: PMC10091517 DOI: 10.1515/nipt-2022-0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives
We aimed to compare brain white matter integrity in participants with post-COVID-19 conditions (PCC) and healthy controls.
Methods
We compared cognitive performance (NIH Toolbox®), psychiatric symptoms and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics between 23 PCC participants and 24 controls. Fractional anisotropy (FA), axial (AD), radial (RD), and mean (MD) diffusivities were measured in 9 white matter tracts and 6 subcortical regions using MRICloud.
Results
Compared to controls, PCC had similar cognitive performance, but greater psychiatric symptoms and perceived stress, as well as higher FA and lower diffusivities in multiple white matter tracts (ANCOVA-p-values≤0.001–0.048). Amongst women, PCC had higher left amygdala-MD than controls (sex-by-PCC p=0.006). Regardless of COVID-19 history, higher sagittal strata-FA predicted greater fatigue (r=0.48-0.52, p<0.001) in all participants, and higher left amygdala-MD predicted greater fatigue (r=0.61, p<0.001) and anxiety (r=0.69, p<0.001) in women, and higher perceived stress (r=0.45, p=0.002) for all participants.
Conclusions
Microstructural abnormalities are evident in PCC participants averaged six months after COVID-19. The restricted diffusivity (with reduced MD) and higher FA suggest enhanced myelination or increased magnetic susceptibility from iron deposition, as seen in stress conditions. The higher amygdala-MD in female PCC suggests persistent neuroinflammation, which might contribute to their fatigue, anxiety, and perceived stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huajun Liang
- Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Thomas Ernst
- Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
- Department of Neurology , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Kenichi Oishi
- Department of Radiology , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Meghann C. Ryan
- Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
- Program in Neuroscience , University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Edward Herskovits
- Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Eric Cunningham
- Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Eleanor Wilson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease , Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Shyamasundaran Kottilil
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease , Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Linda Chang
- Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine , University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
- Department of Neurology , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
- Department of Neurology , University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
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16
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Sun Y, Zhang H, Wang B, Chen C, Chen Y, Chen Y, Xia F, Tan X, Zhang J, Li Q, Qi L, Lu Y, Wang N. Joint exposure to positive affect, life satisfaction, broad depression, and neuroticism and risk of cardiovascular diseases: A prospective cohort study. Atherosclerosis 2022; 359:44-51. [PMID: 36055801 DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2022.08.007] [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] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Psychologic wellbeing can impact cardiovascular health. We aimed to evaluate the joint association of multiple psychologic wellbeing factors with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and examine whether this association was modified by genetic susceptibility. METHODS In the UK Biobank, 126,255 participants free of CVD (coronary heart disease [CHD], stroke, and heart failure [HF]) at baseline, who completed a questionnaire on psychological factors, were included. The psychological wellbeing score was calculated by four factors: happiness, life satisfaction, broad depression, and neuroticism. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between the psychological wellbeing score and CVD risk. RESULTS During the median follow-up of 11.5 years, 10,815 participants had newly diagnosed CVDs. Low life satisfaction, the presence of depression, and neuroticism score ≥1 were significantly associated with an increased risk of CVD in the multivariable-adjusted model. Through decreasing the psychological wellbeing score, there were significant increasing linear trends in the risk of CVD, CHD, stroke, and HF (all p for trend < 0.001). Participants with the lowest psychological wellbeing score had the highest risk for CVD (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.42-1.61). Women were more susceptible to worse psychological wellbeing status for CVD than men (p for interaction = 0.009). The associations of the psychological wellbeing score with CVD were consistent across genetic risk (p for interaction >0.05). When considered jointly, participants exposed to high-risk psychological wellbeing and genetic status had a 2.70-fold (95% CI 2.25-3.24) risk for CHD. CONCLUSIONS Joint exposure to multiple psychological wellbeing factors was associated with increased risks of incident CVD in an additive manner, regardless of genetic susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Sun
- Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Haojie Zhang
- Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chi Chen
- Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yingchao Chen
- Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fangzhen Xia
- Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Tan
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Jihui Zhang
- Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qing Li
- Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Lu Qi
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yingli Lu
- Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Ningjian Wang
- Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Corr R, Glier S, Bizzell J, Pelletier-Baldelli A, Campbell A, Killian-Farrell C, Belger A. Triple Network Functional Connectivity During Acute Stress in Adolescents and the Influence of Polyvictimization. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:867-875. [PMID: 35292406 PMCID: PMC9464656 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to both chronic and acute stressors can disrupt functional connectivity (FC) of the default mode network (DMN), salience network (SN), and central executive network (CEN), increasing risk for negative health outcomes. During adolescence, these stress-sensitive triple networks undergo critical neuromaturation that is altered by chronic exposure to general forms of trauma or victimization. However, no work has directly examined how acute stress affects triple network FC in adolescents or whether polyvictimization-exposure to multiple categories/subtypes of victimization-influences adolescent triple network neural acute stress response. METHODS This functional magnetic resonance imaging study examined seed-to-voxel FC of the DMN, SN, and CEN during the Montreal Imaging Stress Task. Complete data from 73 participants aged 9 to 16 years (31 female) are reported. RESULTS During acute stress, FC was increased between DMN and CEN regions and decreased between the SN and the DMN and CEN. Greater polyvictimization was associated with reduced FC during acute stress exposure between the DMN seed and a cluster containing the left insula of the SN. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that acute stress exposure alters FC between the DMN, SN, and CEN in adolescents. In addition, FC changes during stress between the DMN and SN are further moderated by polyvictimization exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Corr
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
| | - Sarah Glier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Joshua Bizzell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Andrea Pelletier-Baldelli
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Alana Campbell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Candace Killian-Farrell
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Aysenil Belger
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
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18
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Raposo-Lima C, Moreira P, Magalhães R, Ferreira S, Sousa N, Picó-Pérez M, Morgado P. Differential patterns of association between resting-state functional connectivity networks and stress in OCD patients. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 118:110563. [PMID: 35569618 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder that is characterized by its complex pathophysiology and heterogenous presentation. Multiple studies to date have identified a variety of factors that are involved in the development of symptoms, but little is known about how these affect brain function. In this study, we have tried to understand how stress, one of the most studied risk factors for OCD, may influence resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) by comparing resting brain activity of OCD patients with healthy control subjects, while assessing self-reported levels of perceived stress using the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). Seventy-five OCD patients and seventy-one healthy matched control subjects were enrolled in this study, where we used a data-driven, independent component analysis approach. Our results show differences in connectivity between patients and healthy controls involving the dorsal attention (DAN) and lateral visual networks, with patients presenting increased rsFC within the DAN and decreased rsFC within the lateral visual network. Moreover, connectivity in the anterior default mode (aDMN), dorsal attention and basal ganglia networks was associated with PSS scores in OCD patients. Specifically, rsFC within the DAN and aDMN was positively correlated with PSS scores, while the opposite was observed for the basal ganglia network. This study is the first to report such association between rsFC alterations and self-reported stress levels. Our findings are relevant in the context of OCD pathophysiology given evidence of functional dysconnectivity involving the same networks in previous OCD studies and the possible involvement of these changes in the generation of obsessions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Raposo-Lima
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS-3Bs PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal; Clinical Academic Center - Braga, Braga, Portugal
| | - Pedro Moreira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS-3Bs PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal; Clinical Academic Center - Braga, Braga, Portugal; Psychology Research Centre (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Magalhães
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS-3Bs PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal; Clinical Academic Center - Braga, Braga, Portugal
| | - Sónia Ferreira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS-3Bs PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal; Clinical Academic Center - Braga, Braga, Portugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS-3Bs PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal; Clinical Academic Center - Braga, Braga, Portugal
| | - Maria Picó-Pérez
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS-3Bs PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal; Clinical Academic Center - Braga, Braga, Portugal
| | - Pedro Morgado
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS-3Bs PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal; Clinical Academic Center - Braga, Braga, Portugal; Hospital de Braga, Braga, Portugal.
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Corr R, Glier S, Bizzell J, Pelletier-Baldelli A, Campbell A, Killian-Farrell C, Belger A. Stress-related hippocampus activation mediates the association between polyvictimization and trait anxiety in adolescents. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2022; 17:767-776. [PMID: 34850948 PMCID: PMC9340110 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life stress exposures are associated with adverse health outcomes and heightened anxiety symptoms in adolescents. Stress-sensitive brain regions like the hippocampus and amygdala are particularly impacted by early life adversities and are also implicated in the development of anxiety disorders. However, to date, no studies have specifically examined the neural correlates of polyvictimization (exposure to multiple categories of victimization) or the contribution of stress-sensitive neural nodes to polyvictimization's impact on mental health. To elucidate these relationships, the current study analyzed associations between polyvictimization, hippocampal and amygdalar activation during an acute stress task and trait anxiety in a sample of 80 children and adolescents aged 9-16 years (33 female participants). Results showed that polyvictimization was associated with higher trait anxiety as well as greater stress-related right hippocampus activation, and this greater hippocampal activity predicted heightened trait anxiety. Robust mediation analyses revealed that stress-related right hippocampus activation partially mediated the relationship between polyvictimization and trait anxiety. Our results expand upon the existing polyvictimization literature by suggesting a possible neurobiological pathway through which polyvictimization is connected to the etiology of mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Corr
- Correspondence should be addressed to Rachel Corr, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 101 Manning Drive, CB 7160, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA. E-mail:
| | - Sarah Glier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
- Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Joshua Bizzell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
- Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27510, USA
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Andrea Pelletier-Baldelli
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
- Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Alana Campbell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27510, USA
| | - Candace Killian-Farrell
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Aysenil Belger
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
- Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27510, USA
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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20
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Börchers S, Krieger JP, Asker M, Maric I, Skibicka KP. Commonly-used rodent tests of anxiety-like behavior lack predictive validity for human sex differences. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 141:105733. [PMID: 35367714 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Women are more likely to develop an anxiety disorder than men. Yet, preclinical models of anxiety were largely developed in male rodents, with poorly understood predictive validity for sex differences. Here, we investigate whether commonly-used anxiety-like behavior tests, elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field (OF), represent the human sex difference in adult Sprague-Dawley rats. When interpreted by EPM or OF, female rats displayed less anxiety-like behavior compared to males, as they spent twice as much time in the open arms of the EPM or the center of the OF compared to males. However, they also displayed vastly different levels of locomotor activity, possibly confounding interpretation of these locomotion-dependent tests. To exclude locomotion from the assessment, the acoustic startle response (ASR) test was used. When interpreted by the ASR test, females displayed more anxiety-like behavior compared to males, as indicated by a nearly two-fold higher startle amplitude. The observed sex differences were not driven by gonadal steroids. Overall, all but one of the tests fail to mirror the sex difference in anxiety reported in humans. Our findings suggest that the ASR might be a better fit in modelling female anxiety-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stina Börchers
- Institute for Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jean-Philippe Krieger
- Institute for Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mohammed Asker
- Institute for Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ivana Maric
- Institute for Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Karolina P Skibicka
- Institute for Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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21
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Handa RJ, Sheng JA, Castellanos EA, Templeton HN, McGivern RF. Sex Differences in Acute Neuroendocrine Responses to Stressors in Rodents and Humans. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2022; 14:a039081. [PMID: 35667789 PMCID: PMC9438783 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a039081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in the neuroendocrine response to acute stress occur in both animals and humans. In rodents, stressors such as restraint and novelty induce a greater activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) in females compared to males. The nature of this difference arises from steroid actions during development (organizational effects) and adulthood (activational effects). Androgens decrease HPA stress responsivity to acute stress, while estradiol increases it. Androgenic down-regulation of HPA responsiveness is mediated by the binding of testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to the androgen receptor, as well as the binding of the DHT metabolite, 3β-diol, to the β form of the estrogen receptor (ERβ). Estradiol binding to the α form of the estrogen receptor (ERα) increases HPA responsivity. Studies of human sex differences are relatively few and generally employ a psychosocial paradigm to measure stress-related HPA activation. Men consistently show greater HPA reactivity than women when being evaluated for achievement. Some studies have found greater reactivity in women when being evaluated for social performance. The pattern is inconsistent with rodent studies but may involve the differential nature of the stressors employed. Psychosocial stress is nonphysical and invokes a significant degree of top-down processing that is not easily comparable to the types of stressors employed in rodents. Gender identity may also be a factor based on recent work showing that it influences the neural processing of positive and negative emotional stimuli independent of genetic sex. Comparing different types of stressors and how they interact with gender identity and genetic sex will provide a better understanding of sex steroid influences on stress-related HPA reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Handa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - Julietta A Sheng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - Emily A Castellanos
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - Hayley N Templeton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - Robert F McGivern
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92120, USA
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Van't Westeinde A, Ström S, Hirvikoski T, Dahlqvist P, Wahlberg J, Gezelius A, Kämpe O, Bensing S, Lajic S. Young adult Swedish patients with autoimmune Addison's disease report difficulties with executive functions in daily life despite overall good cognitive performance. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 140:105714. [PMID: 35290880 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105714] [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] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Sub-optimal replacement of glucocorticoids (GC) in autoimmune Addison's disease (AAD) may affect cognitive functioning. The present study therefore sought to investigate cognitive performance and self-reported problems with executive functions in a cohort of young adult patients with AAD. DESIGN AND METHODS 67 patients with AAD (39 females), mean age 32 yrs. (range 19-41), and 80 control participants (43 females), mean age 29 yrs. (range 19-43), completed neuropsychological tests estimating verbal and non-verbal intellectual ability, learning, memory and executive functioning, in addition to self-report scales assessing problems with executive functions, fatigue and symptoms of anxiety and depression. RESULTS Patients performed within the average range on all cognitive tests compared to population norms. However, female AAD patients reported more problems than controls with both hot (emotion regulation) and cold (cognitive regulation) executive functions in daily life. Moreover, experienced problems with executive functions in both male and female patients were associated with increased mental fatigue and lower GC replacement doses. CONCLUSIONS Despite average performance in neuropsychological tests by both sexes, young adult female patients with AAD experience problems with executive functions in daily life. Coping with mental fatigue and optimization of pharmacotherapy may be important factors to be addressed in order to provide timely support for patients. Future research is needed to further determine other risk factors for experiencing executive function impairments in AAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelies Van't Westeinde
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sara Ström
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet and Department of Endocrinology, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tatja Hirvikoski
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Pediatric Neuropsychiatry Unit, Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Karolinska Institutet, SE-17177 Stockholm Sweden; Unit for Habilitation & Health, Stockholm County Council, Sweden
| | - Per Dahlqvist
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jeanette Wahlberg
- Department of Endocrinology and Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköpings University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden; Department of Internal Medicine, School of Health and Medical Sciences, Örebro University, SE-702 81 Örebro, Sweden
| | - Anton Gezelius
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olle Kämpe
- Department of Medicine (Solna), Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Sophie Bensing
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet and Department of Endocrinology, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Svetlana Lajic
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden.
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Gokseven Y, Ozturk GZ, Karadeniz E, Sarı E, Tas BG, Ozdemir HM. The Fear of COVID-19 Infection in Older People. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2022; 35:460-466. [PMID: 33745357 DOI: 10.1177/08919887211002651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the levels of COVID-19-related fear and to investigate fear-associated factors among older people. METHODS This study was conducted with patients aged 65 years and older from the Family Medicine Clinic of Health Sciences University Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Hospital over a 1-month period. A telephone survey was administered to evaluate patients' sociodemographic data and knowledge level on the COVID-19 pandemic and the degree of its impact. The fear levels of participants were determined using the fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19 S). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 15.0. A p value of < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS The study included 315 participants: 178 were female and 137 were male. The mean age was 71.5 ± 5.6 (min: 65, max: 94) years, and 26 participants were living alone. Moreover, 47.6% participants considered they had sufficient information about the COVID-19 outbreak, and 61.6% received information about the pandemic from television and 22.2% from their inner circle. While 11.7% participants considered they would require psychological support after the COVID-19 pandemic, 30.8% had sleep disorders for the last month. The mean FCV-19 S score was 16.0 ± 6.4; the FCV-19 S scores were statistically higher in participants who were women, living alone, had partial information about the COVID-19 pandemic, had sleep disorders for the last month, and were in requirement of psychological support after the pandemic. CONCLUSION It is necessary to screen the older people for the COVID-19-related fear and accompanying psychological disorders and to develop appropriate intervention programs for individuals at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yagmur Gokseven
- Hassa Government Hospital, Family Medicine Clinics, Hatay, Turkey
| | - Guzin Zeren Ozturk
- Health Sciences University Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ecem Karadeniz
- Health Sciences University Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ecem Sarı
- Health Sciences University Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Beray Gelmez Tas
- Health Sciences University Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Hacı Mustafa Ozdemir
- Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology Surgery Specialist, Health Sciences University Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
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Alghofaily M, Alsalleeh F. Levels of Anxiety and Fear Related to Non-Surgical Root Canal Treatment Performed by Endodontic Residents and Endodontists. FRONTIERS IN DENTAL MEDICINE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fdmed.2022.851834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ObjectivesDespite advances in endodontic treatment procedures, root canal treatment is still associated with anxiety and fear. This may cause care avoidance and subsequent oral complications due to untreated endodontic infections. Anxiety and fear levels in response to non-surgical root canal treatment performed by endodontic residents and endodontists were analyzed.MethodsA descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted among patients visiting the endodontic clinics at the University Dental Hospital. The questions addressed the participant's demographics, previous root canal treatment visits, clinician's level of training, and post-treatment experience.ResultsDemographics play a role in anxiety and dental fear in root canal treatment. Men scored significantly lower in the high-anxiety category than women, and patients treated by endodontic residents expressed lower levels of anxiety. Post-treatment experience of an endodontist or endodontic resident was a significant factor in reducing dental fear and anxiety.ConclusionThe level of anxiety and fear related to root canal experience of endodontists or endodontic residents is very low. Most of the patients expressed willingness to undergo further root canal treatment to save a tooth.
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Ren X, Zhao X, Li J, Liu Y, Ren Y, Pruessner JC, Yang J. The Hippocampal-Ventral Medial Prefrontal Cortex Neurocircuitry Involvement in the Association of Daily Life Stress With Acute Perceived Stress and Cortisol Responses. Psychosom Med 2022; 84:276-287. [PMID: 35149637 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Daily life stressors include everyday irritants, hassles, and inconveniences, such as problems in traffic and unexpected work deadlines. A growing body of research has suggested higher daily stress is associated with blunted cortisol response to acute psychosocial stressors. However, so far, the neural mechanism underlying this association has not been elucidated. The current study aimed to examine the role of stress neurocircuitry between the hippocampus and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex in this relationship. METHODS To this end, as an index of daily stress in 44 young healthy individuals (23 females; mean [standard deviation] age = 19.07 [1.11] years), the total stressful rating score of daily life stress events that occurred in a 24-hour period was quantified. Individuals were then administered a modified version of the Montreal Imaging Stress Task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging scans, and their saliva samples were collected for assessment of the stress hormone cortisol. RESULTS Results revealed that a higher level of daily stress was associated with lower salivary cortisol secretion (r = -0.39, p = .008) and lower activation of the left hippocampus (tpeak = -5.51) in response to the Montreal Imaging Stress Task. Furthermore, a higher level of daily stress was associated with stronger functional connectivity between the left hippocampus and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex/subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (tpeak = 4.91, R2= 0.365). CONCLUSIONS Taken together, the current study suggested a possible neurocircuitry of the hippocampus and ventral medial prefrontal cortex in the relationship between daily life stress and acute psychosocial stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Ren
- From the Faculty of Psychology (X. Ren, Zhao, Li, liu, Y. Ren, Yang), Southwest University, Chongqing, China; and Department of Psychology (Pruessner), University of Constance, Constance, Germany
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Trends in the incidence and DALYs of anxiety disorders at the global, regional, and national levels: Estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. J Affect Disord 2022; 297:83-93. [PMID: 34678404 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anxiety disorders are the second leading mental health-related cause of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and years lived with disability (YLDs) worldwide. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the burden of anxiety disorders at the global, regional, and national levels in 1990 and 2019 and the trends over this period. METHODS We used data for incidence cases, DALYs, age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDR) from Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (GBD 2019) and calculated the estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) to assess the incidence rate and DALYs rate trends for anxiety disorders. RESULTS The incidence cases of anxiety disorders increased by 47.19%, from 31.13 million in 1990 to 45.82 million in 2019, and DALYs increased by 53.70%, from 18.66 million in 1990 to 28.68 million in 2019. Over the past 29 years, the changes of ASIR and ASDR worldwide were stable (EAPC = 0.011 and -0.001, respectively). Women were more likely to experience anxiety disorders. Participants aged 10-14 had the highest incidence rate, followed by those aged 35-44. Those aged 15-19 and 40-44 had the highest estimated DALYs rate. The ASIR and ASDR were estimated to be the highest in Iran and Portugal, and Portugal and Brazil, respectively. Both of ASIR and ASDR were high in high- sociodemographic index regions in 2019. LIMITATIONS Further exploration of related risk factors needs to be analyzed in the future studies. CONCLUSIONS Compared with 1990, the absolute increase in incidence cases and DALYs of anxiety disorders in 2019 still remained high. Our findings contribute to the formulation of health policies for controlling and preventing anxiety disorders in different countries and regions.
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Sex-specific neural responses to acute psychosocial stress in depression. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:2. [PMID: 35013110 PMCID: PMC8748634 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01768-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is characterized by increased stress sensitivity. Emerging findings in healthy adults suggest that stress responses within limbic/striatal-prefrontal regions are moderated by sex and unfold over time. Thus, we hypothesized that stress response abnormalities in MDD might be affected by sex and stress exposure time. The Montreal Imaging Stress Task was administered to 124 unmedicated patients with first-episode MDD (76 females) and 243 healthy controls (HC; 137 females) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Based on prior studies, amygdala, hippocampus, medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC), nucleus accumbens (NAc) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) were selected as a priori regions of interest. In a complementary approach, we probed the effects of stress on the frontoparietal network (FPN) and a network including the amygdala, NAc and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Across groups, males exhibited higher dlPFC activity and right FPN amplitude than females. Relative to female HCs, the female MDD group had less deactivation in limbic/striatal regions (amygdala, NAc, hippocampus, Amygdala-NAc-ACC network). Furthermore, unlike female HCs, the female MDD group failed to show a significant increase of deactivation over stress exposure time in the amygdala, mOFC and NAc. Our findings confirm the importance of considering sex differences when investigating neural stress responses. Case-control differences in neural stress responses observed in females (but not males) provide insights into sex differences in the etiology and pathophysiology of depression. The failure to deactivate limbic/NAc regions in depressed females point to dysfunction of adaptive stress responses over stress exposure time.
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Davies C, Appiah-Kusi E, Wilson R, Blest-Hopley G, Bossong MG, Valmaggia L, Brammer M, Perez J, Allen P, Murray RM, McGuire P, Bhattacharyya S. Altered relationship between cortisol response to social stress and mediotemporal function during fear processing in people at clinical high risk for psychosis: a preliminary report. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 272:461-475. [PMID: 34480630 PMCID: PMC8938358 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-021-01318-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that people at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR) have a blunted cortisol response to stress and altered mediotemporal activation during fear processing, which may be neuroendocrine-neuronal signatures of maladaptive threat responses. However, whether these facets are associated with each other and how this relationship is affected by cannabidiol treatment is unknown. We examined the relationship between cortisol response to social stress and mediotemporal function during fear processing in healthy people and in CHR patients. In exploratory analyses, we investigated whether treatment with cannabidiol in CHR individuals could normalise any putative alterations in cortisol-mediotemporal coupling. 33 CHR patients were randomised to 600 mg cannabidiol or placebo treatment. Healthy controls (n = 19) did not receive any drug. Mediotemporal function was assessed using a fearful face-processing functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigm. Serum cortisol and anxiety were measured immediately following the Trier Social Stress Test. The relationship between cortisol and mediotemporal blood-oxygen-level-dependent haemodynamic response was investigated using linear regression. In healthy controls, there was a significant negative relationship between cortisol and parahippocampal activation (p = 0.023), such that the higher the cortisol levels induced by social stress, the lower the parahippocampal activation (greater deactivation) during fear processing. This relationship differed significantly between the control and placebo groups (p = 0.033), but not between the placebo and cannabidiol groups (p = 0.67). Our preliminary findings suggest that the parahippocampal response to fear processing may be associated with the neuroendocrine (cortisol) response to experimentally induced social stress, and that this relationship may be altered in patients at clinical high risk for psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathy Davies
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Elizabeth Appiah-Kusi
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Robin Wilson
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Grace Blest-Hopley
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Matthijs G. Bossong
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lucia Valmaggia
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.37640.360000 0000 9439 0839National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Michael Brammer
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Jesus Perez
- grid.450563.10000 0004 0412 9303CAMEO Early Intervention Service, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paul Allen
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF UK ,grid.35349.380000 0001 0468 7274Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London, UK ,grid.416167.30000 0004 0442 1996Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, USA
| | - Robin M. Murray
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Philip McGuire
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF UK ,grid.37640.360000 0000 9439 0839National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK ,grid.37640.360000 0000 9439 0839Outreach and Support in South London (OASIS) Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Sagnik Bhattacharyya
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
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Wang J, Zhao H, Girgenti MJ. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Brain Transcriptomics: Convergent Genomic Signatures Across Biological Sex. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:6-13. [PMID: 33840456 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
While a definitive understanding of the molecular pathology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is far from a current reality, it has become increasingly clear that many of the molecular effects of PTSD are sex specific. Women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD after a traumatic event, and neurobiological evidence suggests that there are structural differences between the brains of males versus females with PTSD. Recent advances in genomic technologies have begun to shed light on the sex-specific molecular determinants of PTSD, which seem to be governed predominantly by dysfunction of GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acidergic) signaling and immune function. We review the current state of the field of PTSD genomics focusing on the effect of sex. We provide an overview of difference in heritability of PTSD based on sex, how difference in gene regulation based on sex impacts the PTSD brain, and what is known about genomic regulation that is dysregulated in specific cell types in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Wang
- Program of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Hongyu Zhao
- Program of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Matthew J Girgenti
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Psychiatry Service, Veterans Administration Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut; Veterans Administration National Center for PTSD, West Haven, Connecticut.
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Brain activation elicited by acute stress: An ALE meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:706-724. [PMID: 34801579 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.020] [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: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Stress abounds in daily life and is closely related to psychiatric disease. Less is known about the neural basis for the gender differences in stress, and the common and specific neural mechanism for physiological and psychosocial stress. The current study obtained 141 stress-oriented neuroimaging experiments from 126 eligible articles and sorted them into nine types of neuroimaging datasets based on the combination of stress (general, physiological or psychosocial) and gender (overall, male or female). An activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis was conducted on each dataset to detect the spatial convergence of activations. A hierarchical clustering analysis was also conducted to uncover the relationship between the stress-induced paradigms and spatial distribution of brain activations. We found that the physiological stress and psychosocial stress showed common activation in the bilateral anterior insula and brainstem, but different activation likelihood in the bilateral insula, thalami, middle cingulate cortex, left fusiform gyri, and left amygdala. Men were more likely to activate the bilateral thalami during physiological stress, whereas women were more likely to activate the left amygdala during psychosocial stress. The activation patterns are more consistent among different physiological stress paradigms than psychosocial stress paradigms. Our results suggest that physiological stress and psychosocial stress activate common brain regions for movement and attentional regulation but different brain regions for sensory and affective processing.
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31
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Chen BK, Luna VM, Shannon ME, Hunsberger HC, Mastrodonato A, Stackmann M, McGowan JC, Rubinstenn G, Denny CA. Fluoroethylnormemantine, a Novel NMDA Receptor Antagonist, for the Prevention and Treatment of Stress-Induced Maladaptive Behavior. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 90:458-472. [PMID: 34274107 PMCID: PMC9590626 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder is a common, recurrent illness. Recent studies have implicated the NMDA receptor in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder. (R,S)-ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, is an effective antidepressant but has numerous side effects. Here, we characterized a novel NMDA receptor antagonist, fluoroethylnormemantine (FENM), to determine its effectiveness as a prophylactic and/or antidepressant against stress-induced maladaptive behavior. METHODS Saline, memantine (10 mg/kg), (R,S)-ketamine (30 mg/kg), or FENM (10, 20, or 30 mg/kg) was administered before or after contextual fear conditioning in 129S6/SvEv mice. Drug efficacy was assayed using various behavioral tests. Protein expression in the hippocampus was quantified with immunohistochemistry or Western blotting. In vitro radioligand binding was used to assay drug binding affinity. Patch clamp electrophysiology was used to determine the effect of drug administration on glutamatergic activity in ventral hippocampal cornu ammonis 3 (vCA3) 1 week after injection. RESULTS Given after stress, FENM decreased behavioral despair and reduced perseverative behavior. When administered after re-exposure, FENM facilitated extinction learning. As a prophylactic, FENM attenuated learned fear and decreased stress-induced behavioral despair. FENM was behaviorally effective in both male and female mice. (R,S)-ketamine, but not FENM, increased expression of c-fos in vCA3. Both (R,S)-ketamine and FENM attenuated large-amplitude AMPA receptor-mediated bursts in vCA3, indicating a common neurobiological mechanism for further study. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that FENM is a novel drug that is efficacious when administered at various times before or after stress. Future work will further characterize FENM's mechanism of action with the goal of clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana K Chen
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Victor M Luna
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc./New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | | | - Holly C Hunsberger
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc./New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Alessia Mastrodonato
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc./New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Michelle Stackmann
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Josephine C McGowan
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | | | - Christine A Denny
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc./New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York.
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A review of sex differences in the mechanisms and drivers of overeating. Front Neuroendocrinol 2021; 63:100941. [PMID: 34454955 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Disordered eating is often associated with marked psychological and emotional distress, and severe adverse impact on quality of life. Several factors can influence eating behavior and drive food consumption in excess of energy requirements for homeostasis. It is well established that stress and negative affect contribute to the aetiology of eating disorders and weight gain, and there is substantial evidence suggesting sex differences in sub-clinical and clinical types of overeating. This review will examine how negative affect and stress shape eating behaviors, and how the relationship between the physiological, endocrine, and neural responses to stress and eating behaviors differs between men and women. We will examine several drivers of overeating and explore possible mechanisms underlying sex differences in eating behavior.
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Albert KM, Boyd BD, Taylor WD, Newhouse PA. Differential effects of estradiol on neural and emotional stress response in postmenopausal women with remitted Major Depressive Disorder. J Affect Disord 2021; 293:355-362. [PMID: 34233228 PMCID: PMC8349860 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.06.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Estrogen fluctuations throughout the lifespan may contribute to major depressive disorder (MDD) risk in women through effects on brain networks important in stress responding, and mood regulation. Although there is evidence to support ovarian hormone treatment for peri-menopausal depression, postmenopausal use has not been well examined. The objective of this study was to investigate whether estrogen modulation of the neural and emotional cognitive responses to stress differs between postmenopausal women with and without MDD history. METHODS 60 postmenopausal women completed an fMRI psychosocial stress task, after receiving no drug or 3 months of daily estradiol (E2). fMRI activity and subjective mood response were examined. RESULTS In women without a history of MDD, E2 was associated with a more negative mood response to stress and less activity in emotional regulation regions. In women with a history of MDD, E2 was associated with a less negative mood response to stress and less activity in emotion perception regions. LIMITATIONS This study was limited by open-label estradiol administration and inclusion of participants using antidepressants. CONCLUSIONS These results support a differential effect of estrogen on emotional and neural responses to psychosocial stress in postmenopausal women with MDD history and may reflect a shift in brain activity patterns related to emotion processing following menopause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly M. Albert
- Center for Cognitive Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Brian D. Boyd
- Center for Cognitive Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Warren D. Taylor
- Center for Cognitive Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States,Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Tennessee Valley VA Health System, Nashville TN, United States
| | - Paul A. Newhouse
- Center for Cognitive Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States,Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Tennessee Valley VA Health System, Nashville TN, United States
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Rehbein E, Kogler L, Hornung J, Morawetz C, Bayer J, Krylova M, Sundström-Poromaa I, Derntl B. Estradiol administration modulates neural emotion regulation. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 134:105425. [PMID: 34607175 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Variations of sex hormones during the menstrual cycle can lead to changes in emotion processing. The ability to successfully regulate one's emotions is associated with better social abilities and mental health. While women show better performance in fear extinction learning under high estradiol (E2) compared to women under low E2 levels, little is known about the effect of E2 on emotion regulation. We explored whether E2 modulates emotion regulation in a functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigm and administered E2 valerate to 32 young naturally cycling women during their early follicular phase in a double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subject design. This standardized experimental control allowed us to explore the specific effect of E2 on emotion regulation while controlling for other hormones varying throughout the menstrual cycle. Behaviorally, no difference between conditions appeared. However, on the neural level, E2 administration was associated with lower activation in the right lingual- and left calcarine gyrus, right orbitofrontal cortex and left hippocampus relative to placebo. With respect to the main effect of down-regulation higher activation of the right superior frontal gyrus and left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex was seen; which is in accordance to previous literature. An interaction between drug condition and emotion regulation appeared for the left inferior frontal gyrus extending into the middle frontal gyrus indicating lower activation during down-regulation in the E2 condition than the placebo condition. On the behavioral level, women reported less negative affect in the E2 condition. The results fit well to a previously described psychoneuroendocrinological model in which E2 plays an important modulatory role on emotional processes and risk factors of mental health in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Rehbein
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Innovative Neuroimaging, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Lydia Kogler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Innovative Neuroimaging, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jonas Hornung
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Innovative Neuroimaging, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Carmen Morawetz
- Institute of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Janine Bayer
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marina Krylova
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Jena, Jena, Germany; Medical Physics Group, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital - Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
| | | | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Innovative Neuroimaging, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Lead Graduate School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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35
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Helpman L, Zhu X, Zilcha-Mano S, Suarez-Jimenez B, Lazarov A, Rutherford B, Neria Y. Reversed patterns of resting state functional connectivity for females vs. males in posttraumatic stress disorder. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100389. [PMID: 34527793 PMCID: PMC8433283 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is twice as prevalent among females as compared to males following potentially traumatic events. While there is evidence for aberrant functional connectivity between hubs of the central executive network (CEN), salience network (SN), and the default mode network (DMN) in PTSD, little is known regarding sex-specificity of this connectivity. The current study aims to directly examine sex-specific resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) in trauma exposed males and females, with and without PTSD. Methods One hundred and seventy-eight individuals underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at rest, of them 85 females (45 with PTSD) and 93 males (57 with PTSD). We conducted whole-brain seed-based analysis using CEN (lateral prefrontal cortex [lPFC]), SN (anterior cingulate cortex [ACC], insula, amygdala [AMG]), and DMN (medial prefrontal cortex [mPFC], posterior parietal cortex [PCC], and hippocampus [HIP]) hubs as seed regions. Group-by-Sex ANOVA was conducted. Results The amygdala-precuneus, ACC-precuneus, and hippocampus-precuneus pathways exhibited significant group-by-sex interaction effects, with females with PTSD consistently differing in connectivity patterns from males with PTSD and from trauma-exposed healthy females. Conclusions Sex-specific neural connectivity patterns were found within and between key nodes of the CEN, DMN, and the SN, suggesting opposite patterns of connectivity in PTSD and trauma-exposed controls as a function of sex as a biological variable (SABV). This may point to mechanistic sex differences in adaptation following trauma and may inform differential neural targets for treatment of females and males with PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liat Helpman
- University of Haifa, 199 Aba Hushi St. Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Israel
- Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizmann St., Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Psychiatry and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, 1071 Riverside Dr., New York, NY, USA
- Corresponding author. Dept. of Counseling and Human Development, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Hushi St. Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Xi Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, 1071 Riverside Dr., New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Amit Lazarov
- Department of Psychiatry and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, 1071 Riverside Dr., New York, NY, USA
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Bret Rutherford
- Department of Psychiatry and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, 1071 Riverside Dr., New York, NY, USA
| | - Yuval Neria
- Department of Psychiatry and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, 1071 Riverside Dr., New York, NY, USA
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Konzok J, Henze GI, Peter H, Giglberger M, Bärtl C, Massau C, Kärgel C, Schiffer B, Eisenbarth H, Wüst S, Kudielka BM. Externalizing behavior in healthy young adults is associated with lower cortisol responses to acute stress and altered neural activation in the dorsal striatum. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13936. [PMID: 34482554 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The externalizing spectrum is characterized by disinhibition, impulsivity, antisocial-aggressive behavior as well as substance (mis)use. Studies in forensic samples and mentally impaired children suggested that higher rates of externalization are linked to lower cortisol stress responses and altered affect-related neural activation. In this fMRI-study, we investigated whether externalizing behavior in healthy participants is likewise associated with altered cortisol responses and neural activity to stress. Following a quasi-experimental approach, we tested healthy participants (N = 61, 31 males) from the higher versus lower range of the non-clinical variation in externalization (31 participants with high externalization) as assessed by the subscales disinhibition and meanness of the Triarchic-Psychopathy-Measure. All participants were exposed to ScanSTRESS, a standardized psychosocial stress paradigm for scanner environments. In both groups, ScanSTRESS induced a significant rise in cortisol levels with the high externalization group showing significantly lower cortisol responses to stress than the low externalization group. This was mainly driven by males. Further, individual increases in cortisol predicted neural response differences between externalization groups, indicating more activation in the dorsal striatum in low externalization. This was primarily driven by females. In contrast, post-hoc analysis showed that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyporeactivity in males was associated with prefrontal and hippocampal activation. Our data substantiate that individuals from the general population high on externalization, show reduced cortisol stress responses. Furthermore, dorsal striatum activity as part of the mesolimbic system, known to be sensitive to environmental adversity, seems to play a role in externalization-specific cortisol stress responses. Beyond that, a modulating influence of gender was disclosed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Konzok
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Hannah Peter
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Marina Giglberger
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Bärtl
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Massau
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, LWL-University Hospital, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Christian Kärgel
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, LWL-University Hospital, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Boris Schiffer
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, LWL-University Hospital, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Hedwig Eisenbarth
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Stefan Wüst
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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Tei-Tominaga M, Nakanishi M. Factors of feelings of happiness at work among staff in geriatric care facilities. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21:818-824. [PMID: 34312959 PMCID: PMC8456940 DOI: 10.1111/ggi.14247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Aim To examine the factors influencing feelings of happiness at work among caregivers in geriatric care facilities. Methods Self‐reported questionnaires were distributed to caregivers (n = 1396) at 26 geriatric care facilities. The response rate was 68%. The questionnaire had items regarding feelings of happiness at work, professionalism in dementia care (i.e. intrinsic motivation), wage adequacy, and subscales of The Social Capital and Ethical Climate in the Workplace scale (extrinsic motivations), basic attributes, and work and organizational characteristics. Data pertaining to 632 staff members were used in the multivariable logistic regression for the group with high scores on feelings of happiness at work, by sex and occupation. Results Higher professionalism in dementia caregiving was more likely to occur in the high‐score groups among all staff (OR 1.21–1.55, P < 0.01). Female nurses and male professional caregivers with higher scores for social capital in the workplace (OR 3.11, P < 0.01; OR = 2.33, P < 0.05) and female professional caregivers with higher scores for ethical leadership (OR 1.78, P < 0.01) were more likely to be in the high‐score group for feelings of happiness at work, whereas male professional caregivers with perceived inadequacy of wages (OR 0.33, P < 0.05) were less likely to be in the high‐score group for feelings of happiness at work. Conclusions The findings underlined the important contributory factors of feelings of happiness at work, which could motivate stakeholders to enhance social capital, ethical leadership, and remuneration and other extrinsic rewards to improve staff well‐being. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 818–824.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maki Tei-Tominaga
- Faculty of Nursing, Setsunan University, Hirakata City, Osaka, Japan
| | - Miharu Nakanishi
- Psychiatric Nursing, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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Gómez IF, Rosende VC, Alejandro Juárez RP. [Salivary cortisol concentrations according to gender in the different stages of human development. A review of the literature]. REVISTA CIENTÍFICA ODONTOLÓGICA 2021; 9:e074. [PMID: 38464851 PMCID: PMC10919834 DOI: 10.21142/2523-2754-0903-2021-074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Salivary cortisol secretion (Corts) is an individual adaptation reflex to internal / external stressors, which involves several biological and social factors. The aim of this study was to perform a review on variations in Corts concentrations in relation to biological differences of sex and gender socialization in the different stages of human development. MEDLINE / PubMed and Google Scholar were used to search for scientific evidence. 20 original English-language articles published from 2010-2020 were selected, including clinical trials and observational studies. The relationship between Corts and gender was historically discussed considering evolutionary and biological aspects. However, it cannot be explained as a cause-effect view and depends on unique sociocultural factors, which in sensitive periods of human development alter the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and condition coping with stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Francisco Gómez
- Grupo de Investigación y Desarrollo: Saliva como Fluido Diagnóstico, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Corrientes, Argentina. , , Universidad Nacional del Nordeste Grupo de Investigación y Desarrollo: Saliva como Fluido Diagnóstico Facultad de Odontología Universidad Nacional del Nordeste Corrientes Argentina
| | - Virginia Cecilia Rosende
- Grupo de Investigación y Desarrollo: Saliva como Fluido Diagnóstico, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Corrientes, Argentina. , , Universidad Nacional del Nordeste Grupo de Investigación y Desarrollo: Saliva como Fluido Diagnóstico Facultad de Odontología Universidad Nacional del Nordeste Corrientes Argentina
| | - Rolando Pablo Alejandro Juárez
- Grupo de Investigación y Desarrollo: Saliva como Fluido Diagnóstico, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Corrientes, Argentina. , , Universidad Nacional del Nordeste Grupo de Investigación y Desarrollo: Saliva como Fluido Diagnóstico Facultad de Odontología Universidad Nacional del Nordeste Corrientes Argentina
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Henze GI, Konzok J, Kreuzpointner L, Bärtl C, Giglberger M, Peter H, Streit F, Kudielka BM, Kirsch P, Wüst S. Sex-Specific Interaction Between Cortisol and Striato-Limbic Responses to Psychosocial Stress. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:972-984. [PMID: 33961049 PMCID: PMC8421693 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although women and men differ in psychological and endocrine stress responses as well as in the prevalence rates of stress-related disorders, knowledge on sex differences regarding stress regulation in the brain is scarce. Therefore, we performed an in-depth analysis of data from 67 healthy participants (31 women, taking oral contraceptives), who were exposed to the ScanSTRESS paradigm in a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Changes in cortisol, affect, heart rate and neural activation in response to psychosocial stress were examined in women and men as well as potential sex-specific interactions between stress response domains. Stress exposure led to significant cortisol increases, with men exhibiting higher levels than women. Depending on sex, cortisol elevations were differently associated with stress-related responses in striato-limbic structures: higher increases were associated with activations in men but with deactivations in women. Regarding affect or heart rate responses, no sex differences emerged. Although women and men differ in their overall stress reactivity, our findings do not support the idea of distinct neural networks as the base of this difference. Instead, we found differential stress reactions for women and men in identical structures. We propose considering quantitative predictors such as sex-specific cortisol increases when exploring neural response differences of women and men.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julian Konzok
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Christoph Bärtl
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Marina Giglberger
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Hannah Peter
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Fabian Streit
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Peter Kirsch
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.,Institute of Psychology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Wüst
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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Mikkelsen MB, Tramm G, Zachariae R, Gravholt CH, O’Toole MS. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of emotion regulation on cortisol. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021; 5:100020. [PMID: 35754452 PMCID: PMC9216322 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2020.100020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
It is generally acknowledged that hormones are implicated in socioemotional behavior, yet little is known about the role of hormones in the context of emotion regulation. The aims of the present review and meta-analysis were to review and synthesize the available evidence pertaining to the effect of emotion regulation instructions on hormones, and to investigate whether this effect varies according to: type of hormone, context (e.g., emotion-induction procedure), emotion regulation characteristics (e.g., emotion regulation strategy), and presence and type of psychiatric disorder. PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were searched for experimental studies assessing the effect of instructed emotion regulation on levels of hormones (i.e., testosterone, cortisol, oxytocin, estradiol, and vasopressin) in physically healthy adults. The literature search yielded 17 relevant studies, 16 investigating cortisol and one investigating testosterone. Of these, 12 cortisol studies had eligible data for the meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis indicated no statistically significant effect of receiving an emotion regulation instruction compared with receiving no instruction on the cortisol response to subsequent emotion induction (g = −0.05, p = .48). However, within-person comparisons of change from an unregulated response to a regulated response indicated a significant change in cortisol levels (g = 0.18, p = .03) consistent with the specified regulation goal (i.e., either up- or downregulation). No statistically significant effects were found in subgroup meta-analyses conducted according to context, emotion regulation characteristics or psychiatric disorders. Taken together, the findings indicate that emotion-induction procedures are associated with increases in cortisol that may subsequently return to equilibrium regardless of emotion-regulation instructions. Based on the large gaps in research (e.g., few studies investigated other hormones than cortisol, few studies included self-report measures of emotions) identified in the present review, we conclude that the effect of emotion regulation on hormones remains poorly understood. Prospero registration CRD42020157336. Research on the effect of emotion regulation on hormones has focused on cortisol. Emotion regulation does not influence cortisol responses to emotion induction. Psychological confounders have received little attention in the reviewed research. The effect of emotion regulation on hormones remains poorly understood.
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Berretz G, Packheiser J, Kumsta R, Wolf OT, Ocklenburg S. The brain under stress-A systematic review and activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of changes in BOLD signal associated with acute stress exposure. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 124:89-99. [PMID: 33497786 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Psychosocial stress is an omnipresent phenomenon whose neural correlates in humans are still poorly understood. Several paradigms have been developed to induce acute stress in fMRI settings, but it is unclear whether there is a global brain activation pattern related to psychosocial stress. To integrate the different neuronal activation patterns, we conducted an activation likelihood estimation analysis on 31 studies totaling 1279 participants. Studies used the ScanSTRESS, Montreal Imaging Stress Test, aversive viewing paradigm (AVP), Social-Evaluative Threat or Cyberball. The analysis revealed bilateral activation clusters comprising the claustrum, insula and inferior frontal gyrus. This indicates that exposure to psychosocial stress leads to activations in brain areas involved in affective processing and the endocrine stress response. Furthermore, in a systematic review, Cyberball and AVP presented themselves as outliers due to increased activation in motor areas and lack of induction of stress related activity changes, respectively. As different paradigms emphasize different dimensions of psychosocial stress such as social evaluation or performance pressure, future research is needed to identify differences between the paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gesa Berretz
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Julian Packheiser
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Robert Kumsta
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Institute of Health and Development, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Shi XH, Wang YK, Li T, Liu HY, Wang XT, Wang ZH, Mang J, Xu ZX. Gender-related difference in altered fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations after electroacupuncture on primary insomnia patients: A resting-state fMRI study. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e01927. [PMID: 33146953 PMCID: PMC7821580 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1927] [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: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary insomnia (PI) is defined as a sleep disorder with no definite cause or inducement. Electroacupuncture, a treatment of inserting needles into specific points on the body surface and applying electrical stimulation, has been proved effective in treating PI with minimal adverse effects. However, the influence of gender difference on the clinical treatment efficacy of electroacupuncture for PI patients remains unclear. Therefore, we designed a clinical trial to compare the clinical treatment efficacy of electroacupuncture for PI patients with different genders. The research on the mechanism of electroacupuncture suggested it could modulate the sleep and wakefulness by activating or deactivating brain regions via a needling/tactile somatosensory specific stimulus. Therefore, we also designed a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) study to detect the spontaneous brain activity of PI patients before and after the electroacupuncture treatment. METHOD Thirty PI patients were recruited to accept 5-week electroacupuncture treatment on HT-7. Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) questionnaires were used to evaluate the clinical treatment efficacy. Rs-fMRI was employed to observe the spontaneous brain activity in the resting state at the baseline and after 5 weeks of electroacupuncture treatment, which was measured by the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF). RESULT The AIS and PSQI scores were significantly decreased both in the female PI group and the male PI group after treatment. The decreased PSQI of female patients was significantly more than that of male patients (p < .05). The gender-related difference in the cerebral response to electroacupuncture was mainly in posterior cingulate and supramarginal gyrus. CONCLUSION There is a gender-related difference in the clinical treatment efficacy of electroacupuncture for PI patients, and female patients may benefit more from electroacupuncture. Gender-related differences in the cerebral response to electroacupuncture may be one of the factors affecting clinical treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Hua Shi
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yu-Kai Wang
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Tie Li
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Hong-Yu Liu
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xin-Tong Wang
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhi-Hong Wang
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Jing Mang
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhong-Xin Xu
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Corr R, Pelletier-Baldelli A, Glier S, Bizzell J, Campbell A, Belger A. Neural mechanisms of acute stress and trait anxiety in adolescents. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 29:102543. [PMID: 33385881 PMCID: PMC7779323 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The Montreal Imaging Stress Task is an effective acute stressor for adolescents. Acute stress exposure impacts fMRI measures of brain activation in adolescents. Hippocampal deactivation during acute stress is associated with cortisol release. Trait anxiety is linked to stress-related hippocampus, VS, and putamen activity. Males exhibit greater putamen deactivation during acute stress than females.
Adolescence is a critical period of heightened stress sensitivity and elevated vulnerability for developing mental illness, suggesting a possible association between stress exposure and the etiology of psychiatric disorders. In adults, aberrant neurobiological responses to acute stress relate to anxiety symptoms, yet less is known about the neural stress response in adolescents and how it relates to biological and psychological variables. Here we characterize the neurobiology of stress response in adolescents using multiple modalities, including neuroimaging, subjective stress ratings, heart rate, and cortisol data. We evaluated stress response in adolescents using the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST), an acute psychosocial stressor commonly administered in adult functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies but not previously utilized with this population. FMRI data were acquired from 101 adolescents (44 female; 9–16 years) exhibiting varied trait anxiety severity. The MIST elicited decreased high-frequency heart rate variability and increased heart rate, subjective stress and cortisol. Whole-brain analyses comparing fMRI activity during experimental versus control MIST conditions revealed stress-related activation in regions including the anterior insula, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and deactivations in the hippocampus, ventral striatum, and putamen. Region of Interest analyses found that during acute stress (a) hippocampal deactivation corresponded to heightened cortisol release, (b) trait anxiety was associated with increased hippocampal and ventral striatum activation and decreased putamen activity, and (c) males exhibited greater putamen deactivation than females. These results provide novel evidence that the MIST is an effective stressor for adolescents. Associations between the neural acute stress response, other biological factors, and trait anxiety highlight the importance of these neurobiological mechanisms in understanding anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Corr
- Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States.
| | - Andrea Pelletier-Baldelli
- Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Sarah Glier
- Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Joshua Bizzell
- Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Alana Campbell
- Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Aysenil Belger
- Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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Baroni C, Lionetti V. The impact of sex and gender on heart-brain axis dysfunction: current concepts and novel perspectives. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2020; 99:151-160. [PMID: 33002366 DOI: 10.1139/cjpp-2020-0391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The heart-brain axis (HBA) recapitulates all the circuits that regulate bidirectional flow of communication between heart and brain. Several mechanisms may underlie the interdependent relationship involving heterogeneous tissues at rest and during specific target organ injury such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, arrhythmia, stroke, mood disorders, or dementia. In-depth translational studies of the HBA dysfunction under single-organ injury should include both male and female animals to develop sex- and gender-oriented prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies. Indeed, sex and gender are determining factors as females and males exhibit significant differences in terms of susceptibility to risk factors, age of onset, severity of symptoms, and outcome. Despite most studies having focused on the male population, we have conducted a careful appraisal of the literature investigating HBA in females. In particular, we have (i) analyzed sex-related heart and brain illnesses, (ii) recapitulated the most significant studies simultaneously conducted on cardio- and cerebro-vascular systems in female populations, and (iii) hypothesized future perspectives for the development of a gender-based approach to HBA dysfunction. Although sex- and gender-oriented research is at its infancy, the impact of sex on HBA dysfunction is opening unexpected new avenues for managing the health of female subjects exposed to risk of lifestyle multi-organ disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlotta Baroni
- Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Lionetti
- Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy.,UOS Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Fondazione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa, Italy
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Harrewijn A, Vidal-Ribas P, Clore-Gronenborn K, Jackson SM, Pisano S, Pine DS, Stringaris A. Associations between brain activity and endogenous and exogenous cortisol - A systematic review. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 120:104775. [PMID: 32592873 PMCID: PMC7502528 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
To arrive at a coherent understanding of the relation between glucocorticoids and the human brain, we systematically reviewed the literature for studies examining the associations between endogenous or exogenous cortisol and human brain function. Higher levels of endogenous cortisol during psychological stress were related to increased activity in the middle temporal gyrus and perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), decreased activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and altered function (i.e., mixed findings, increased or decreased) in the amygdala, hippocampus and inferior frontal gyrus. Moreover, endogenous cortisol response to psychological stress was related to increased activity in the inferior temporal gyrus and altered function in the amygdala during emotional tasks that followed psychological stress. Exogenous cortisol administration was related to increased activity in the postcentral gyrus, superior frontal gyrus and ACC, and altered function in the amygdala and hippocampus during conditioning, emotional and reward-processing tasks after cortisol administration. These findings were in line with those from animal studies on amygdala activity during and after stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Harrewijn
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Pablo Vidal-Ribas
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 6710 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Katharina Clore-Gronenborn
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, 9501 Euclid Ave. EC10, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA; Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Sarah M Jackson
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Simone Pisano
- Department of Neuroscience, AORN Santobono-Pausilipon, Via Mario Fiore 6, Naples, Italy; Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Federico II University, Via Pansini 5, Naples, Italy
| | - Daniel S Pine
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Argyris Stringaris
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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Rab SL, Admon R. Parsing inter- and intra-individual variability in key nervous system mechanisms of stress responsivity and across functional domains. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 120:550-564. [PMID: 32941963 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to stressful events is omnipresent in modern human life, yet people show considerable heterogeneity in the impact of stress exposure(s) on their functionality and overall health. Encounter with stressor(s) is counteracted by an intricate repertoire of nervous-system responses. This narrative review starts with a brief summary of the vast evidence that supports heart rate variability, cortisol secretion, and large-scale cortical network interactions as kay physiological, endocrinological, and neural mechanisms of stress responsivity, respectively. The second section highlights potential sources for inter-individual variability in these mechanisms, by focusing on biological, environmental, social, habitual, and psychological factors that may influence stress responsivity patterns and thus contribute to heterogeneity in the impact of stress exposure on functionality and health. The third section introduces intra-individually variability in stress responsivity across functional domains as a novel putative source for heterogeneity in the impact of stress exposure. Challenges and future directions are further discussed. Parsing inter- and intra-individual variability in nervous-system mechanisms of stress responsivity and across functional domains is critical towards potential clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharona L Rab
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Roee Admon
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
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McGlade E, Rogowska J, DiMuzio J, Bueler E, Sheth C, Legarreta M, Yurgelun-Todd D. Neurobiological evidence of sexual dimorphism in limbic circuitry of US Veterans. J Affect Disord 2020; 274:1091-1101. [PMID: 32663937 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Female Veterans are an increasing patient population in the Department of Veterans Affairs and may have distinct clinical and neurobiological features compared to males. METHODS Nineteen female and 19 male Veterans who met diagnostic criteria for depression/posttraumatic stress disorder (MDD/PTSD) completed diagnostic interviews, symptom measures, and resting-state neuroimaging. Participants completed clinical measures of mood and aggression in addition to magnetic resonance imaging on a 3.0 Tesla Siemens scanner. RESULTS Females showed increased functional connectivity between the left and right basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the left and right cerebellar and occipital lobes. Sex differences also were evident in the relationship between affective and clinical symptoms with BLA connectivity. Females showed a correlation between revenge planning and decreased connectivity between the left BLA and left occipital lobe and also a correlation between aggression and decreased connectivity between the right BLA and right mid cingulate, right and left medial frontal lobe, and right frontal lobe. Males evidenced a relationship between increased depressive symptoms and increased connectivity between the left BLA and right and left occipital lobe, left calcarine, and other areas associated with visual memory and processing, and interpretation of sensory information. Additionally, males reported higher levels of physical aggression and revenge planning compared to females. LIMITATIONS This study included neuroimaging and self-report clinical measures. Further studies will benefit from multimodal measures, including behavioral measures of aggression. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that male Veterans report more aggression than females and symptoms of aggression and mood are differentially related to BLA connectivity by sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin McGlade
- Diagnostic Neuroimaging Lab, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; VISN 19 MIRREC, Salt Lake City, UT, United States.
| | - Jadwiga Rogowska
- Diagnostic Neuroimaging Lab, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Jennifer DiMuzio
- Diagnostic Neuroimaging Lab, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; VISN 19 MIRREC, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Elliott Bueler
- Diagnostic Neuroimaging Lab, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; VISN 19 MIRREC, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Chandni Sheth
- Diagnostic Neuroimaging Lab, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Margaret Legarreta
- Diagnostic Neuroimaging Lab, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; VISN 19 MIRREC, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Deborah Yurgelun-Todd
- Diagnostic Neuroimaging Lab, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; VISN 19 MIRREC, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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Chipika RH, Christidi F, Finegan E, Li Hi Shing S, McKenna MC, Chang KM, Karavasilis E, Doherty MA, Hengeveld JC, Vajda A, Pender N, Hutchinson S, Donaghy C, McLaughlin RL, Hardiman O, Bede P. Amygdala pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and primary lateral sclerosis. J Neurol Sci 2020; 417:117039. [PMID: 32713609 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2020.117039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Temporal lobe studies in motor neuron disease overwhelmingly focus on white matter alterations and cortical grey matter atrophy. Reports on amygdala involvement are conflicting and the amygdala is typically evaluated as single structure despite consisting of several functionally and cytologically distinct nuclei. A prospective, single-centre, neuroimaging study was undertaken to comprehensively characterise amygdala pathology in 100 genetically-stratified ALS patients, 33 patients with PLS and 117 healthy controls. The amygdala was segmented into groups of nuclei using a Bayesian parcellation algorithm based on a probabilistic atlas and shape deformations were additionally assessed by vertex analyses. The accessory basal nucleus (p = .021) and the cortical nucleus (p = .022) showed significant volume reductions in C9orf72 negative ALS patients compared to controls. The lateral nucleus (p = .043) and the cortico-amygdaloid transition (p = .024) were preferentially affected in C9orf72 hexanucleotide carriers. A trend of total volume reduction was identified in C9orf72 positive ALS patients (p = .055) which was also captured in inferior-medial shape deformations on vertex analyses. Our findings highlight that the amygdala is affected in ALS and our study demonstrates the selective involvement of specific nuclei as opposed to global atrophy. The genotype-specific patterns of amygdala involvement identified by this study are consistent with the growing literature of extra-motor clinical features. Mesial temporal lobe pathology in ALS is not limited to hippocampal pathology but, as a key hub of the limbic system, the amygdala is also affected in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rangariroyashe H Chipika
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Foteini Christidi
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland; Department of Neurology, Aeginition Hospital, University of Athens, Greece
| | - Eoin Finegan
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Stacey Li Hi Shing
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Mary Clare McKenna
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Kai Ming Chang
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland; Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Efstratios Karavasilis
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland; 2nd Department of Radiology, Attikon University Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Mark A Doherty
- Complex Trait Genomics Laboratory, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Jennifer C Hengeveld
- Complex Trait Genomics Laboratory, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Alice Vajda
- Complex Trait Genomics Laboratory, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Niall Pender
- Department of psychology, Beaumont Hospital Dublin, Ireland
| | - Siobhan Hutchinson
- Department of Neurology, St James's Hospital, James's St, Ushers, Dublin 8 D08 NHY1, Ireland
| | - Colette Donaghy
- Department of Neurology, Belfast, Western Health & Social Care Trust, UK
| | - Russell L McLaughlin
- Complex Trait Genomics Laboratory, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Orla Hardiman
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Peter Bede
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.
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Li G, Zhang S, Le TM, Tang X, Li CSR. Neural responses to negative facial emotions: Sex differences in the correlates of individual anger and fear traits. Neuroimage 2020; 221:117171. [PMID: 32682098 PMCID: PMC7789231 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies have examined sex differences in emotion processing in health and illness. However, it remains unclear how these neural processes may relate to individual differences in affective traits. We addressed this issue with a dataset of 970 subjects (508 women) curated from the Human Connectome Project. Participants were assessed with the NIH Toolbox Emotion Measures and fMRI while identifying negative facial emotion and neutral shape targets in alternating blocks. Imaging data were analyzed with published routines and the results were reported at a corrected threshold. Men scored similarly in Anger- but lower in Fear-Affect, as compared to women. Men as compared with women engaged the occipital-temporal visual cortex, retrosplenial cortex (RSC), and both anterior and posterior cingulate cortex to a greater extent during face versus shape identification. Women relative to men engaged higher activation of bilateral middle frontal cortex. In regional brain responses to face versus shape identification, men relative to women showed more significant modulations by both Anger- and Fear- Affect traits. The left RSC and right RSC/precuneus each demonstrated activities during face vs. shape identification in negative correlation with Anger- and Fear- Affect scores in men only. Anger affect was positively correlated with prolonged RT in identifying face vs. shape target in men but not women. In contrast, women relative to men showed higher Fear-Affect score and higher activation in the right middle frontal cortex, which was more strongly correlated with prolonged RT during face vs. shape identification. Together, men and women with higher Fear-Affect demonstrated lower accuracy in identifying negative facial emotion versus neutral shape target, a relationship mediated by activity of the RSC. These findings add to the literature of sex and trait individual differences in emotion processing and may help research of sex-shared and sex-specific behavioral and neural markers of emotional disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangfei Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of technology, 715-3 Teaching Building No.5, Beijing Institute of technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Thang M Le
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Xiaoying Tang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of technology, 715-3 Teaching Building No.5, Beijing Institute of technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut Mental Health Center S112, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06519-1109, United States; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
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Sun X, Ming Q, Zhong X, Dong D, Li C, Xiong G, Cheng C, Cao W, He J, Wang X, Yi J, Yao S. The MAOA Gene Influences the Neural Response to Psychosocial Stress in the Human Brain. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:65. [PMID: 32499684 PMCID: PMC7243356 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The stress response is regulated by many mechanisms. Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) has been related to many mental illnesses. However, few studies have explored the relationship between MAOA and acute laboratory-induced psychosocial stress with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In the current study, the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST) and fMRI were used to investigate how MAOA influences the stress response. Increased cortisol concentrations were observed after the task; functional connectivity between the bilateral anterior hippocampus and other brain regions was reduced during stress. MAOA-H allele carriers showed greater deactivation of the right anterior hippocampus and greater cortisol response after stress than did MAOH-L allele carriers. Hippocampal deactivation may lead to disinhibition of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the initiation of stress hormone release under stress. Our results suggest that the MAOA gene regulates the stress response by influencing the right anterior hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiang Sun
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Qingsen Ming
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sochoow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xue Zhong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Daifeng Dong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Chuting Li
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Ge Xiong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Chang Cheng
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Wanyi Cao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Jiayue He
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Jinyao Yi
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Shuqiao Yao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
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