Sex Differences in Stress Response Circuitry Activation Dependent on Female Hormonal Cycle

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3021-09.2010
• Publication Date: 2010-01-13T18:34:52Z
• Authors: Jill M. Goldstein; Matthew Jerram; Brandon Abbs; Susan Whitfield-G...; Nikos Makris
• Keywords: Periaqueductal gray; Basolateral amygdala; Orbitofrontal cortex

Understanding sex differences in stress regulation has important implications for understanding basic physiological the male and female brain their impact on vulnerability to chronic medical disorders associated with response circuitry. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we demonstrated that significant activity circuitry were dependent women's menstrual cycle phase. Twelve healthy Caucasian premenopausal women compared a group of men from same population, based age, ethnicity, education, right handedness. Subjects scanned using negative valence/high arousal versus neutral visual stimuli activated [amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus, brainstem, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), medial prefrontal (mPFC), anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG)]. Women twice normal variation hormones [i.e., early follicular (EF) late follicular–midcycle (LF/MC) phases]. Using SPM8b, there few blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal changes EF women, except ventromedial nucleus (VMN), lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), left amygdala, ACG. contrast, exhibited significantly greater BOLD LF/MC bilateral ACG OFC, mPFC, LHA, VMN, periaqueductal gray, largest effect sizes mPFC OFC. Findings suggest are hormonally regulated via subcortical cortical control arousal, demonstrate females have been endowed natural hormonal capacity regulate differs males.