Patient study to investigate dynamic processes in the brain
2022
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
So far, little is known about the dynamic processes in the brain during acute stress, as research usually focuses on which areas are active at a given time.
Here, 217 subjects with and without affective disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders were observed over the entire period of a stressful situation (solving a math problem under time pressure). In addition to magnetic resonance imaging images, the researchers measured the stress hormone cortisol and heart rate.
The dynamic response of the networks in the subjects' brains during the stressful situation varied. Not only were changes found in the communication between brain regions, but also a dynamic process: different networks acted differently during acute stress. From this, the scientists could determine how susceptible a person was to a negative mood and how this increased his or her risk of mental illness. The results of the study thus show how different brain regions interact and how their communication changes over the course of the situation. These findings could be significant for the development of individual diagnoses and therapies.
Spatiotemporal dynamics of stress-induced network reconfigurations reflect negative affectivity
Elisabeth B. Binder, Anne Kühnel
Added on: 11-21-2022
[1] https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223(22)00049-X/fulltext[2] https://www.bionity.com/en/news/1174874/acute-stress-leads-to-dynamic-changes-in-the-brain.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=bionityde&WT.mc_id=ca0264
