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Amygdala size varies with stress perception.

Inês Caetano1,2,3, Liliana Amorim1,2,3,4, José Miguel Soares1,2,3

  • 1Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.

Neurobiology of Stress
|May 20, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Perceived stress levels correlate with brain structure changes. Higher perceived stress is associated with increased right amygdala and anterior hippocampus volumes in individuals.

Keywords:
AmygdalaFSL, FMRIB Software LibraryFWE-R, Family-wise error rateFreeSurferGM, Gray matterHealthy subjectsM, MeanPSS10, 10-items Perceived Stress ScalePerceived stressROI, Region-of-interestSD, Standard deviationTFCE, Threshold-free cluster enhancementVBM, Voxel-based morphometryVoxel-based morphometryWM, White mattereTIV, Estimated total intracranial volume

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Stress is a universal human experience with diverse impacts.
  • Stress-related pathologies are increasing, prompting research into stress's neurological effects.
  • Neuroimaging studies have identified brain regions involved in stress, but findings are often conflicting.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between perceived stress levels and brain structure.
  • To identify specific brain regions whose volumes are associated with an individual's perception of stress.

Main Methods:

  • Volumetric regression analysis was employed.
  • Participants' perceived stress levels were used as the primary variable of interest.
  • Neuroimaging data was analyzed to determine regional brain volumes.

Main Results:

  • A positive association was found between perceived stress and brain structure.
  • Increased perceived stress levels correlated with larger volumes of the right amygdala.
  • Higher perceived stress was also linked to increased anterior hippocampal volumes.

Conclusions:

  • Perception of stress significantly influences brain structure.
  • The right amygdala and anterior hippocampus are key regions affected by perceived stress.
  • These findings contribute to understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of stress perception.