Journal Article

FZJ-2023-01117

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Stressor-Specific Sex Differences in Amygdala - Frontal Cortex Networks

Bürger, Z. (Corresponding author) ; Müller, V.FZJ* ; Hoffstaedter, F.FZJ* ; Habel, U.FZJ* ; Gur, R. C. ; Windischberger, C. ; Moser, E. ; Derntl, B. ; Kogler, L.

2023
MDPI Basel

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Please use a persistent id in citations: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/33933  doi:10.3390/jcm12030865

Abstract: Females and males differ in stress reactivity, coping, and the prevalence rates of stress-related disorders. According to a neurocognitive framework of stress coping, the functional connectivity between the amygdala and frontal regions (including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), ventral anterior cingulate cortex (vACC), and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)) plays a key role in how people deal with stress. In the current study, we investigated the effects of sex and stressor type in a within-subject counterbalanced design on the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the amygdala and these frontal regions in 77 healthy participants (40 females). Both stressor types led to changes in subjective ratings, with decreasing positive affect and increasing negative affect and anger. Females showed higher amygdala-vACC and amygdala-mPFC rsFC for social exclusion than for achievement stress, and compared to males. Whereas a higher amygdala-vACC rsFC indicates the activation of emotion processing and coping, a higher amygdala-mPFC rsFC indicates feelings of reward and social gain, highlighting the positive effects of social affiliation. Thus, for females, feeling socially affiliated might be more fundamental than for males. Our data indicate interactions of sex and stressor in amygdala-frontal coupling, which translationally contributes to a better understanding of the sex differences in prevalence rates and stress coping.

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Gehirn & Verhalten (INM-7)
2. Jara-Institut Brain structure-function relationships (INM-10)

Research Program(s):

1. 5251 - Multilevel Brain Organization and Variability (POF4-525) (POF4-525)

Appears in the scientific report 2023

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Database coverage:
; ; ; ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Clinical Medicine ; DOAJ Seal ; Ebsco Academic Search ; IF < 5 ; JCR ; PubMed Central ; SCOPUS ; Web of Science Core Collection

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