A Novel Paradigm for Collecting Concurrent Brain Activity and Stress Physiology Data in Adolescents

• In Event: Successes and Challenges Adapting the Trier Social Stress Test for Remote, Diverse, and fMRI Populations

Abstract

Introduction: Several models of psychopathology development consider stress, and physiological responses to environmental challenges, a key predictor of mental illness (Pizzagalli, 2014). This is especially important in adolescence, which is characterized by opportunities for growth and risk for psychopathology, accompanied by changes in caregiver buffering of the stress response (Paus et al., 2008, Hostinar et al., 2015). Research has aimed to identify patterns of brain activity that may mediate the relationship between stressful experiences, physiological stress responses, and adolescent behavioral outcomes. However, these efforts have relied upon methods associating responses to laboratory tasks with brain activity acquired in separate neuroimaging sessions and have largely not considered stress buffering. We introduce a novel paradigm for collecting concurrent brain imaging and neuroendocrine stress physiology data during a socially evaluative stressor and apply it to research investigating neuroendocrine patterns associated with social buffering. Methods: The first study established the novel task and collected data from 40 youth aged 11-14 years (Mean age = 12.3 years, 18 female), 32 with usable MRI and salivary cortisol data. Participants completed a version of the modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST-M; Yim et al., 2010) in which they gave a five-minute speech to two unfamiliar judges and completed multiple-choice math problems with and without judges. Results: Evaluation of salivary cortisol levels identified a group of cortisol responders (N =19) who mounted a cortisol response > 10% greater than pre-stress and non-responders who did not (N = 18). fMRI analysis revealed task effects such that judged math was associated with increased fusiform gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, insula, and anterior cingulate activity compared to unjudged math (p < 0.005, cluster corrected p < 0.05). Comparisons of activity between groups suggested greater activation of the anterior cingulate, insula, and superior frontal gyrus in cortisol non-responders compared to responders (Figure 1). Importantly, measures of self-reported stress and math performance were not associated with cortisol production during the task (t(1, 35) = -0.982, p = 0.33 and t(1,35) = 0.91, p = 0.37, respectively). The second study has collected data from 35 subjects (mean age = 12.6 years, 18 female), with data collection ongoing. One objective of the second study is to investigate differences in cortisol production and neuroendocrine activity when participants complete the stress task alone, with a stranger, with a same-sex friend, or with their caregiver in the scan room with them. Preliminary results again indicate a cortisol response in the majority of participants (63%) but that only caregivers buffer the stress response (t(1, 34) = 2.76, p = 0.01; Figure 2). Neither self-reported stress nor math performance differed between cortisol response groups (t(1, 34) = -1.99, p = 0.06 and t(1,33) = 0.94, p = 0.35, respectively) nor were they related to buffering condition. These studies indicate that our novel paradigm for imaging the neuroendocrine stress response in real time holds promise for future research investigating the role of stressful experiences and stress buffering by caregivers in the emergence of psychopathology during adolescence.

Authors

• Max P Herzberg, Washington University in St. Louis
  Presenting Author

• Ruskin H Hunt, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
  Non-Presenting Author

• Zachary Miller, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
  Non-Presenting Author

• Bonny Donzella, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
  Non-Presenting Author

• Megan R. Gunnar, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kathleen M. Thomas, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
  Non-Presenting Author