Examining brain structures associated with perceived stress in a large sample of young adults via voxel-based morphometry

Li, Haijiang; Li, Wenfu; Wei, Dongtao; Chen, Qunlin; Jackson, Todd; Zhang, Qinglin; Qiu, Jiang

doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.01.044

Cited by 54 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 85 publications

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“…Our findings in HIV-infected women are consistent with previous studies of healthy individuals demonstrating that higher levels of perceived stress are associated with smaller volumes in the parahippocampus (Li et al , 2014; Papagni et al , 2011). The parahippocampus has been implicated in not only memory consolidation but also in the detection of stress-related stimuli, emotion regulation, and emotion perception (Bremner, 2007; Hahn et al , 2012; Lai, 2014; Phillips et al , 2008; Sakamoto et al , 2005).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…The composition of our sample was comprised of a high proportion of women who have experienced abuse (83%) and who self-reported symptoms of PTSD (26%). Previous studies of HIV-uninfected women indicate that increasing cumulative exposure to adverse life events as well as PTSD and other stress-related disorders are associated with structural alterations in the MTL and prefrontal cortex (Ansell et al , 2012; Bremner, 2007; Li et al , 2014). Inconsistent with these previous studies (Ansell et al , 2012; Bremner, 2007; Li et al , 2014) we did not find significant associations between higher perceived stress and decreased hippocampal, amygdala, and anterior cingulate volumes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies of HIV-uninfected women indicate that increasing cumulative exposure to adverse life events as well as PTSD and other stress-related disorders are associated with structural alterations in the MTL and prefrontal cortex (Ansell et al , 2012; Bremner, 2007; Li et al , 2014). Inconsistent with these previous studies (Ansell et al , 2012; Bremner, 2007; Li et al , 2014) we did not find significant associations between higher perceived stress and decreased hippocampal, amygdala, and anterior cingulate volumes. It is important to note; however, that we did find small to moderate effect sizes for these brain structures with the largest being the amygdala (Cohen’s d =0.54 left hemisphere; Cohen’s d =0.45 right hemisphere) followed by the anterior cingulate (Cohen’s d =0.49 left hemisphere).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prefrontal cortical volume loss is associated with stress-related deficits in verbal learning and memory in HIV-infected women

Rubin

Meyer

Conant

et al. 2016

Neurobiology of Disease

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Deficits in verbal learning and memory are a prominent feature of neurocognitive function in HIV-infected women, and are associated with high levels of perceived stress. To understand the neurobiological factors contributing to this stress-related memory impairment, we examined the association between stress, verbal memory, and brain volumes in HIV-infected women. Participants included 38 HIV-infected women (Mean age=43.9 years) from the Chicago Consortium of the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS). Participants underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and completed standardized measures of verbal learning and memory, and stress (Perceived Stress Scale-10; PSS-10). Brain volumes were evaluated in a priori regions of interest, including the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Compared to HIV-infected women with lower stress (PSS-10 scores in lower two tertiles), HIV-infected women with higher stress, (scores in the top tertile) performed worse on measures of verbal learning and memory and showed smaller volumes bilaterally in the parahippocampal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus (p’s<0.05). Reduced volumes in the inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus (all right hemisphere) were negatively associated with verbal learning and memory performance. Prefrontal cortical atrophy is associated with stress-related deficits in verbal learning and memory in HIV-infected women. The time course of these volume losses in relation to memory deficits has yet to be elucidated, but the magnitude of the volumetric differences between women with higher versus lower stress suggests a prolonged vulnerability due to chronic stress and/or early life trauma.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prefrontal cortical volume loss is associated with stress-related deficits in verbal learning and memory in HIV-infected women

Rubin

Meyer

Conant

et al. 2016

Neurobiology of Disease

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“…The observed association between white matter volume reduction and increased levels of cortisol is novel; as such, the finding requires replication and further research into its underlying mechanisms. This should be done in combination with measures of fractional anisotropy and diffusion, which may potentially provide evidence of less efficient transfer and integration of information in relation to structural integrity and stress (Li et al, 2014), particularly in already vulnerable patients.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite indications that complex brain processes depend on networks including white matter interconnections (Kumar and Cook, 2002), and suggestions that changes in both grey and white matter volume are associated with increased levels of perceived stress (Li et al, 2014), existing research has focussed on grey matter structure. Given that the first episode of psychosis is associated with progressive brain changes in frontal, temporal as well as parietal areas, the relationship between biological measures of stress and whole brain measures of cortical thickness and white matter volume was examined.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between stress, HPA axis functioning and brain structure in first episode psychosis over the first 12 weeks of treatment

Reniers

Garner

Phassouliotis

et al. 2015

Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging

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a b s t r a c tStress and abnormal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning have been implicated in the early phase of psychosis and may partly explain reported changes in brain structure. This study used magnetic resonance imaging to investigate whether biological measures of stress were related to brain structure at baseline and to structural changes over the first 12 weeks of treatment in first episode patients (n ¼22) compared with matched healthy controls (n ¼ 22). At baseline, no significant group differences in biological measures of stress, cortical thickness or hippocampal volume were observed, but a significantly stronger relationship between baseline levels of cortisol and smaller white matter volumes of the cuneus and anterior cingulate was found in patients compared with controls. Over the first 12 weeks of treatment, patients showed a significant reduction in thickness of the posterior cingulate compared with controls. Patients also showed a significant positive relationship between baseline cortisol and increases in hippocampal volume over time, suggestive of brain swelling in association with psychotic exacerbation, while no such relationship was observed in controls. The current findings provide some support for the involvement of stress mechanisms in the pathophysiology of early psychosis, but the changes are subtle and warrant further investigation.

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Mother's but not father's education predicts general fluid intelligence in emerging adulthood: Behavioral and neuroanatomical evidence

Kong

Chen

Xue

et al. 2015

Human Brain Mapping

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Lower parental education impairs cognitive abilities of their offspring such as general fluid intelligence dependent on the prefrontal cortex (PFC), but the independent contribution of mother's and father's education is unknown. We used an individual difference approach to test whether mother's and father's education independently affected general fluid intelligence in emerging adulthood at both the behavioral and neural level. Behaviorally, mother's but not father's education accounted for unique variance in general fluid intelligence in emerging adulthood (assessed by the Raven's advanced progressive matrices). Neurally, the whole-brain correlation analysis revealed that the regional gray matter volume (rGMV) in the medial PFC was related to both mother's education and general fluid intelligence but not father's education. Furthermore, after controlling for mother's education, the association between general fluid intelligence and the rGMV in medial PFC was no longer significant, indicating that mother's education plays an important role in influencing the structure of the medial PFC associated with general fluid intelligence. Taken together, our study provides the first behavioral and neural evidence that mother's education is a more important determinant of general cognitive ability in emerging adulthood than father's education.

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Examining brain structures associated with perceived stress in a large sample of young adults via voxel-based morphometry

Cited by 54 publications

References 85 publications

Prefrontal cortical volume loss is associated with stress-related deficits in verbal learning and memory in HIV-infected women

Prefrontal cortical volume loss is associated with stress-related deficits in verbal learning and memory in HIV-infected women

The relationship between stress, HPA axis functioning and brain structure in first episode psychosis over the first 12 weeks of treatment

Mother's but not father's education predicts general fluid intelligence in emerging adulthood: Behavioral and neuroanatomical evidence

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