Ilya Milos
Veer1,2, Nicole Y. Oei1,3, Mark A. van Buchem1,2,
Bernet M. Elzinga1,3, Serge A. Rombouts1,2
1Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
(LIBC), Leiden, Netherlands; 2Department of Radiology, Leiden
University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, Netherlands; 3Leiden
University - Institute of Psychology, Leiden, Netherlands
The
amygdalae are crucial in mediating stress effects and have extensive
interplay with brain regions involved in emotion and memory. The present
study investigated whether acute stress alters amygdala functional
connectivity with these areas. Healthy males underwent acute social stress
(n=18) or a control procedure (n=20). Hereafter, resting-state fMRI data were
acquired. Group differences were analyzed in a priori regions of interest (p≤0.001,
uncorrected). After stress, increased amygdala connectivity with the
posterior cingulate cortex and medial orbitofrontal cortex was found. Acute
social stress thus has prolonged effects on amygdala functional connectivity
with areas involved in emotion processing and regulation.
Keywords