Cortisol effects on brain functional connectivity during emotion processing in women with depression

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Depression is linked to altered functional connectivity and cortisol sensitivity.
• The impact of cortisol on functional connectivity in depression remains unclear.
• Prior studies indicate brief cortisol augmentation (CORT) yields positive neurocognitive effects in depression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of CORT on functional connectivity during emotion processing in women with depression.
• To examine how CORT administration influences brain network activity in relation to depression severity.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, crossover study involving 75 women (with or without depression).
• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to assess task-based functional connectivity.
• Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis examined interactions between depression severity, CORT, and functional connectivity, using hippocampus and amygdala as seed regions.

Main Results:

• CORT increased hippocampus-putamen functional connectivity during negative image presentation, correlated with depression severity.
• CORT enhanced hippocampus connectivity with the middle frontal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus during positive image presentation, associated with depression levels.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacological cortisol administration demonstrated normalizing effects on task-dependent functional connectivity in depressed women.
• Modulating cortisol availability or signaling pathways may present therapeutic avenues for affective disorders.