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Cortisol secretion predicts functional macro-scale connectivity of the visual cortex: A data-driven Multivoxel
Markus Muehlhan1, Nina Alexander2, Sebastian Trautmann3
1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Science, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Neuroimaging Centre, Faculty of Psychology, School of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, School of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Cortisol levels influence brain connectivity, particularly in visual and salience networks. This study reveals a dose-dependent relationship, suggesting sensory processes may mediate cortisol
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Functional brain connectivity is crucial for brain organization.
- Cortisol, a key stress hormone, modulates brain functions.
- Prior research on cortisol and brain connectivity was limited to specific networks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify brain regions where connectivity patterns significantly covary with cortisol levels using a data-driven approach.
- To explore the spatial extent of cortisol's modulatory effects on brain connectivity beyond predefined networks.
Main Methods:
- Utilized resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) fMRI in 88 healthy individuals.
- Measured salivary cortisol at eight time points around the fMRI scan.
- Employed multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) to identify seed regions and seed-to-voxel analyses to map affected networks.
Main Results:
- MVPA identified three visual cortex regions where connectivity patterns correlated with cortisol levels.
- Seed-to-voxel analyses revealed extensive lateral connectivity clusters, primarily involving salience and control networks, as well as auditory and pericentral regions.
- A dose-response relationship was observed, with weak influence on connectivity below approximately 10 nmol/L cortisol.
Conclusions:
- Cortisol levels exhibit a dose-dependent association with rsFC between the visual cortex and lateral brain regions involved in perception, attention, cognition, and motor actions.
- Cortisol's impact on cognitive functions may be partly mediated by its effects on underlying sensory processing.
- This study provides a comprehensive, data-driven map of cortisol's influence on brain-wide functional connectivity.
