Amygdala-centred functional connectivity affects daily cortisol concentrations: a putative link with anxiety
Yuko Hakamata1,2, Shotaro Komi3, Yoshiya Moriguchi4
1Department of Adult Mental Health, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan. hakamatay@ncnp.go.jp.
Scientific Reports
|August 18, 2017
Summary
Daily cortisol levels influence brain connectivity related to anxiety. Higher cortisol strengthens amygdala-hippocampus connections but weakens amygdala-pgACC links, impacting emotional regulation and anxiety vulnerability.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- The amygdala is crucial for emotional processing.
- Its connectivity with the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex is linked to anxiety and stress.
- The impact of daily cortisol on amygdala-centered functional connectivity (FC) remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between daily cortisol concentrations (dCOR) and amygdala-centered FC.
- To explore how this connectivity affects anxiety and cortisol levels in healthy individuals.
Main Methods:
- Functional connectivity (FC) analyses were performed on 41 healthy humans.
- FC was examined during emotional processing (fearful vs. neutral faces).
- Daily cortisol concentrations (dCOR) were measured.
Main Results:
- Higher dCOR correlated with strengthened amygdala-hippocampus and amygdala-cerebellum FC.
- Higher dCOR correlated with inhibited amygdala-supramarginal gyrus and amygdala-perigenual ACC (pgACC) FC during fearful face processing.
- Amygdala-hippocampus FC mediated the cortisol-anxiety link, modulated by amygdala-pgACC FC.
Conclusions:
- Diminished amygdala-pgACC connectivity during fear processing may increase anxiety vulnerability with higher cortisol.
- Specific amygdala-hippocampal-pgACC connectivity patterns may explain the link between cortisol and anxiety-related behaviors.
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