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Amygdala functional connectivity is reduced after the cold pressor task.

ABSTRACT: The amygdala forms a crucial link between central pain and stress systems. Previous research indicates that psychological stress affects amygdala activity, but it is less clear how painful stressors influence subsequent amygdala functional connectivity. In the present study, we used pulsed arterial spin labeling (PASL) to investigate differences in healthy male adults' resting-state amygdala functional connectivity following a cold pressor versus a control task, with the stressor and control conditions being conducted on different days. During the period of peak cortisol response to acute stress (approximately 15-30 min after stressor onset), participants were asked to rest for 6 min with their eyes closed during a PASL scanning sequence. The cold pressor task led to reduced resting-state functional connectivity between the amygdalae and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and this occurred irrespective of cortisol release. The stressor also induced greater inverse connectivity between the left amygdala and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a brain region implicated in the down-regulation of amygdala responsivity. Furthermore, the degree of poststressor left amygdala decoupling with the lateral OFC varied according to self-reported pain intensity during the cold pressor task. These findings indicate that the cold pressor task alters amygdala interactions with prefrontal and ACC regions 15-30 min after the stressor, and that these altered functional connectivity patterns are related to pain perception rather than cortisol feedback.

SUBMITTER: Clewett D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3778131 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Amygdala functional connectivity is reduced after the cold pressor task.

Clewett David D Schoeke Andrej A Mather Mara M

Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience 20130901 3

The amygdala forms a crucial link between central pain and stress systems. Previous research indicates that psychological stress affects amygdala activity, but it is less clear how painful stressors influence subsequent amygdala functional connectivity. In the present study, we used pulsed arterial spin labeling (PASL) to investigate differences in healthy male adults' resting-state amygdala functional connectivity following a cold pressor versus a control task, with the stressor and control con ...[more]

PMID: 23645370

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Disruptive behaviors are prevalent in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and often cause substantial impairments. However, the underlying neural mechanisms of disruptive behaviors remain poorly understood in ASD. In children without ASD, disruptive behavior is associated with amygdala hyperactivity and reduced connectivity with the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC). This study examined amygdala reactivity and connectivity in children with ASD with and without co-occurring disruptive behavior disorders. We also investigated differential contributions of externalizing behaviors and callous-unemotional traits to variance in amygdala connectivity and reactivity. METHODS:This cross-sectional study involved behavioral assessments and neuroimaging in three groups of children 8 to 16 years of age: 18 children had ASD and disruptive behavior, 20 children had ASD without disruptive behavior, and 19 children were typically developing control participants matched for age, gender, and IQ. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, participants completed an emotion perception task of fearful versus calm faces. Task-specific changes in amygdala reactivity and connectivity were examined using whole-brain, psychophysiological interaction, and multiple regression analyses. RESULTS:Children with ASD and disruptive behavior showed reduced amygdala-vlPFC connectivity compared with children with ASD without disruptive behavior. Externalizing behaviors and callous-unemotional traits were associated with amygdala reactivity to fearful faces in children with ASD after controlling for suppressor effects. CONCLUSIONS:Reduced amygdala-vlPFC connectivity during fear processing may differentiate children with ASD and disruptive behavior from children with ASD without disruptive behavior. The presence of callous-unemotional traits may have implications for identifying differential patterns of amygdala activity associated with increased risk of aggression in ASD. These findings suggest a neural mechanism of emotion dysregulation associated with disruptive behavior in children with ASD.

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Amygdala functional connectivity is reduced after the cold pressor task.

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Amygdala functional connectivity is reduced after the cold pressor task.

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