Title | Diurnal cortisol amplitude and fronto-limbic activity in response to stressful stimuli. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2009 |
Authors | Cunningham-Bussel AC, Root JC, Butler T, Tuescher O, Pan H, Epstein J, Weisholtz DS, Pavony M, Silverman ME, Goldstein MS, Altemus M, Cloitre M, Ledoux J, McEwen B, Stern E, Silbersweig D |
Journal | Psychoneuroendocrinology |
Volume | 34 |
Issue | 5 |
Pagination | 694-704 |
Date Published | 2009 Jun |
ISSN | 1873-3360 |
Keywords | Adult, Behavior, Brain Mapping, Circadian Rhythm, Female, Frontal Lobe, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Limbic System, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Photic Stimulation, Reaction Time, September 11 Terrorist Attacks, Stress, Psychological |
Abstract | The development and exacerbation of many psychiatric and neurologic conditions are associated with dysregulation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis as measured by aberrant levels of cortisol secretion. Here we report on the relationship between the amplitude of diurnal cortisol secretion, measured across 3 typical days in 18 healthy individuals, and blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response in limbic fear/stress circuits, elicited by in-scanner presentation of emotionally negative stimuli, specifically, images of the World Trade Center (WTC) attack. Results indicate that subjects who secrete a greater amplitude of cortisol diurnally demonstrate less brain activation in limbic regions, including the amygdala and hippocampus/parahippocampus, and hypothalamus during exposure to traumatic WTC-related images. Such initial findings can begin to link our understanding, in humans, of the relationship between the diurnal amplitude of a hormone integral to the stress response, and those neuroanatomical regions that are implicated as both modulating and being modulated by that response. |
DOI | 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.11.011 |
Alternate Journal | Psychoneuroendocrinology |
PubMed ID | 19135805 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC4250041 |
Grant List | P50 MH058911 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States P50 MH58911-S1 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States |
Related Institute:
Brain Health Imaging Institute (BHII)