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Endogenous cortisol is associated with functional connectivity between the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex
Ilya M Veer1, Nicole Y L Oei, Philip Spinhoven
1Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, The Netherlands. i.m.veer@lumc.nl
Psychoneuroendocrinology
|December 30, 2011
Summary
Cortisol levels influence brain connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and amygdala in humans. Higher baseline cortisol strengthens this connection, potentially modulating stress and emotional responses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- The role of glucocorticoids in mediating medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) regulation of the amygdala in humans is not fully understood.
- Previous research suggests a link between glucocorticoids and the mPFC-amygdala pathway, but direct evidence in humans under non-stressful conditions is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between cortisol levels and amygdala resting-state functional connectivity with the mPFC in healthy males.
- To determine if endogenous cortisol modulates the functional connectivity between the mPFC and amygdala, even in the absence of acute stress.
Main Methods:
- Acquisition of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 20 healthy male participants.
- Collection of salivary cortisol samples at multiple time points to calculate cortisol area under the curve increase (AUCi).
- Application of seed-based correlation analysis on fMRI data, with statistical maps corrected for multiple comparisons using cluster-based thresholding.
Main Results:
- Two regions in the mPFC, the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex and medial frontal pole (BA10), exhibited decreasing negative functional connectivity with the amygdala.
- This change in connectivity was associated with a lesser decrease in cortisol AUCi, indicating a relationship with cortisol dynamics.
- Further analysis revealed that higher baseline cortisol levels were the primary driver, correlating with stronger negative functional connectivity between the amygdala and mPFC.
Conclusions:
- Endogenous cortisol levels can modulate amygdala functional connectivity with specific mPFC regions, even under relatively stress-free conditions.
- These findings support the hypothesis of cortisol-mediated regulation of the amygdala by the mPFC in humans.
- This feedback mechanism may play a role in adjusting the stress response and modulating general emotional processing.
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