The effect of perceived stress on cognition is mediated by personality and the underlying neural mechanism

Perceived stress and cognitive function in breast cancer chemotherapy patients: A latent profile analysis

PURPOSE

Cognitive performance in patients with breast cancer is significantly impacted by perceived stress. However, there is a lack of attention to individual heterogeneity in perceived stress and its association with cognitive function among these patients. Therefore, the study aimed to identify the latent profiles of perceived stress in breast cancer patients and evaluate the relationship between perceived stress and cognitive function.

METHODS

Data was collected from a sample of 418 breast cancer patients from the internal medicine ward of a tertiary oncology hospital in Beijing, using the Perceived Stress Scale and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function. Latent profile analysis revealed the potential profile fit with lower AIC, BIC, aBIC, and higher entropy. Subsequent inter-group comparisons (chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U, t-test) were conducted to examine differences in sociodemographic characteristics and cognitive function across perceived stress profiles. Binary logistic regression was used to explore demographic variables perceived stress latent profiles.

RESULTS

The potential profile analysis indicated that the two profiles of perceived stress consist of the "high self-esteem-low stress group" and the "low sense of control-high stress group," which exhibited disparities in cognitive function. The "low sense of control-high stress group" was characterized by a large proportion of patients falling within the age range of 40-55 years old. The "high self-esteem-low stress group" may be characterized by advanced-age patients with high levels of social support or social networks CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the interplay of age and psychosocial resources (e.g., social networks) in shaping stress perception and cognitive health. However, the role of psychosocial resources and employment status still needs further exploration. Targeted interventions to enhance perceived control in middle-aged working populations and strengthen social support systems may mitigate stress-related cognitive decline.

Mapping fatigue: discovering brain regions and genes linked to fatigue susceptibility

BACKGROUND

The relationship between the brain and fatigue is gaining increasing attention, with numerous studies indicating that certain specific brain regions may be closely linked to fatigue. Our study aimed to identify brain regions exhibiting significant causal relationships to fatigue and discover potential neurotherapeutic targets associated with fatigue, in the pursuit of seeking new approaches for fatigue treatment.

METHODS

A bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) method was employed to investigate causal relationships between cortical and subcortical gray matter volumes in 83 regions and fatigue. Then, we utilized frontal cortex expression Quantitative Trait Loci data, employing the methods of Summary-data-based Mendelian Randomization (SMR) and Bayesian colocalization to identify genes that exhibit significant association with fatigue. Finally, the transcription levels of candidate genes were assessed in a central fatigue rat model using RT-qPCR.

RESULTS

The results of the TSMR analysis revealed that an increased in the volume of the right lateral orbitofrontal, left caudal middle frontal, right caudal middle frontal, and right rostral middle frontal cortices may be correlated with a diminished susceptibility to fatigue. The SMR and Bayesian colocalization analysis identified ECE2, GPX1, METTL21EP, RP11-665J16.1, and SNF8 as candidate genes associated with fatigue. RT-qPCR results confirmed significantly elevated transcription levels of Ece2, Gpx1, and Snf8 in the frontal cortex of central fatigue model rats compared to controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings afford substantial theoretical support for the connection between the brain and fatigue, while also providing novel insights into the genetic mechanisms and therapeutic targets for fatigue, particularly central fatigue.

Perceived stress and brain connectivity in subthreshold depression: Insights from eyes-closed and eyes-open states

Perceived stress is an acknowledged risk factor for subthreshold depression (StD), and fluctuations in perceived stress are thought to disrupt the harmony of brain networks essential for emotional and cognitive functioning. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between eye-open (EO) and eye-closed (EC) states, perceived stress, and StD. We recruited 27 individuals with StD and 33 healthy controls, collecting resting state fMRI data under both EC and EO conditions. We combined intrinsic connectivity and seed-based functional connectivity analyses to construct the functional network and explore differences between EC and EO conditions. Graph theory analysis revealed weakened connectivity strength in the right superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and right median cingulate and paracingulate gyrus (MCC) among participants with StD, suggesting an important role for these regions in the stress-related emotions dysregulation. Notably, altered SFG connectivity was observed to significantly relate to perceived stress levels in StD, and the SFG connection emerges as a neural mediator potentially influencing the relationship between perceived stress and StD. These findings highlight the role of SFG and MCC in perceived stress and suggest that understanding EC and EO states in relation to these regions is important in the neurobiological framework of StD. This may offer valuable perspectives for early prevention and intervention strategies in mental health disorders.

Neural Markers of Emotion Reactivity and Regulation Before and After a Targeted Social Rejection: Differences Among Girls With and Without Suicidal Ideation and Behavior Histories

BACKGROUND

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) are common among adolescent girls and increase risk for suicide death. Emotion regulation difficulties are linked with STBs, particularly in response to targeted social rejection. However, neural correlates of this link have not been investigated and may identify novel targets for interventions. Here, we examined neural correlates of emotion regulation before and after an experimentally delivered targeted social rejection in adolescent girls with STBs and girls without STBs (i.e., control participants).

METHODS

Girls (N = 138; age range, 9-15 years; mean [SD] age = 11.6 [1.79] years) completed a functional neuroimaging emotion regulation task. In the middle of the task, participants were socially rejected by an unfamiliar confederate whom the participants had elected to meet. Participants also completed a multimethod STB assessment.

RESULTS

Before rejection, girls with a history of STBs, compared with control participants, showed greater activation in the right superior frontal gyrus when passively viewing negative stimuli, and girls with suicidal behavior (SB) versus those without SB showed less activation in the right frontal pole during emotion regulation attempts. Following the rejection, girls with STBs, compared with control participants, showed greater activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus during emotion regulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Before social rejection, girls with SB versus without SB may not activate brain regions implicated in emotion regulation, suggesting a vulnerability to poor regulation at their baseline emotional state. After social rejection, girls with any history of STBs showed altered activation in a brain region strongly associated with inhibition and emotion regulation success, possibly reflecting increased effort at inhibiting emotional responses during regulation following stress exposure.

Maternal mental health and offspring's IQ: Evidence from two Brazilian birth cohorts

Maternal mental health during different stages of life can have a significant impact on a child's cognitive development. This study aimed to investigate the association between maternal CMD at two distinct stages of the offspring's life (at 3 months and 11 years) and their IQ scores at 6 and 18 years across two birth cohorts. The study utilized data from two Brazilian birth cohorts: the 1993 cohort (full sample: N = 3719, subsample: N = 436), and the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort (N = 3440). IQ assessments were conducted at ages 18 and 6, employing the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, third version (WAIS-III), and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, third version (WISC-III), respectively. The presence of maternal CMD at 3 months and 11 years of age was evaluated using the Brazilian version of the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). After adjustment, participants whose mothers experienced CMD at 3 months had average IQ scores 1.74 (95 % CI: -2.83 to -0.67) and 2.79 (95 % CI: -5.54 to -0.04) points lower at ages 6 (2004 cohort) and 18 (1993 cohort subsample), respectively. Furthermore, in the 1993 cohort (both full and subsample), maternal CMD at 11 years was associated with lower IQ scores at age 18. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this association, emphasized by these findings, is crucial for promoting children's cognitive development, educational achievement, and overall well-being.

Association between Perceived Stress and Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome in an Elderly Population: Rugao Longevity and Aging Study

INTRODUCTION

Previous studies have indicated a correlation between perceived stress and cognitive decline. However, it remains unknown whether high levels of perceived stress can result in motoric cognitive risk (MCR) syndrome. This study investigated the relationship between perceived stress and MCR in a community-based population.

METHODS

The study cohort comprised 852 elderly individuals from the Rugao Longitudinal Aging Cohort. Perceived stress was assessed using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), while MCR was defined as the coexistence of subjective memory complaints (SMCs) and slow gait speed.

RESULTS

The average age of the study participants is 79.84 ± 4.34 years. The mean score of PSS-10 among participants is 10.32 (range = 0-33; [SD] = 5.71), with a median score of 10.00 (6.00, 14.00). The prevalence of MCR is 9.3%. In the logistic regression analysis, for each 1-SD (5.71) increase in the global PSS-10 score, the risk of MCR increased by 40% (95% CI 1.09-1.80). Additionally, in the aspect of two components of MCR, with a 1-SD increase (5.71) in the global PSS-10 score, there was a 50% (95% CI 1.29-1.75) increase in the risk of SMCs and a 27% (95% CI 1.04-1.55) increase in the risk of slow gait speed. In terms of specific walking speed, there was a reverse correlation between the global PSS-10 score and walking speed (r = -0.14, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided preliminary evidence that high levels of perceived stress were associated with the risk of MCR in a community-dwelling population.

Is recovery just the beginning? Persistent symptoms and health and performance deterioration in post-COVID-19, non-hospitalized university students-a cross-sectional study

Many individuals experience persistent symptoms such as deteriorated physical and mental health, increased fatigue, and reduced cognitive performance months after recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There is limited data on the long-term trajectory and prevalence of these symptoms, especially in milder cases. Our study aimed to assess the persistent effects of COVID-19 on physical and mental health, fatigue, and cognitive performance in a cohort of 214 students, averaging 21.8 years of age. Of these, 148 had contracted COVID-19 but were not hospitalized, with the time since infection ranging from 1 to 39 months. We utilized a comprehensive panel of cognitive tests to measure intelligence, memory, and psychomotor skills, and a detailed anamnestic questionnaire to evaluate physical and mental health. While contracting COVID-19 did not significantly impact overall health and performance, it was associated with increased reports of fatigue. However, the reported severity of the disease had a pronounced negative influence on physical health, mental well-being, fatigue, and reaction time. Trends of improvement in physical and mental health, as well as error rate, were observed within the first 2 years post-infection. However, fatigue and reaction time showed a trend of deterioration. Beyond the 2-year mark, physical health and error rate continued to improve, while mental health began to deteriorate. Fatigue and reaction time continued to decline. Overall, our findings suggest that some effects of contracting COVID-19 can persist or even deteriorate over time, even in younger individuals who had mild cases that did not require hospitalization.

Covariation of preadult environmental exposures, adult brain imaging phenotypes, and adult personality traits

Exposure to preadult environmental exposures may have long-lasting effects on mental health by affecting the maturation of the brain and personality, two traits that interact throughout the developmental process. However, environment-brain-personality covariation patterns and their mediation relationships remain unclear. In 4297 healthy participants (aged 18-30 years), we combined sparse multiple canonical correlation analysis with independent component analysis to identify the three-way covariation patterns of 59 preadult environmental exposures, 760 adult brain imaging phenotypes, and five personality traits, and found two robust environment-brain-personality covariation models with sex specificity. One model linked greater stress and less support to weaker functional connectivity and activity in the default mode network, stronger activity in subcortical nuclei, greater thickness and volume in the occipital, parietal and temporal cortices, and lower agreeableness, consciousness and extraversion as well as higher neuroticism. The other model linked higher urbanicity and better socioeconomic status to stronger functional connectivity and activity in the sensorimotor network, smaller volume and surface area and weaker functional connectivity and activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, lower white matter integrity, and higher openness to experience. We also conducted mediation analyses to explore the potential bidirectional mediation relationships between adult brain imaging phenotypes and personality traits with the influence of preadult environmental exposures and found both environment-brain-personality and environment-personality-brain pathways. We finally performed moderated mediation analyses to test the potential interactions between macro- and microenvironmental exposures and found that one category of exposure moderated the mediation pathways of another category of exposure. These results improve our understanding of the effects of preadult environmental exposures on the adult brain and personality traits and may facilitate the design of targeted interventions to improve mental health by reducing the impact of adverse environmental exposures.

Peripherally acting anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies alter cortical gray matter thickness in migraine patients: A prospective cohort study

Migraine is underpinned by central nervous system neuroplastic alterations thought to be caused by the repetitive peripheral afferent barrage the brain receives during the headache phase (cortical hyperexcitability). Calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibodies (anti-CGRP-mAbs) are highly effective migraine preventative treatments. Their ability to alter brain morphometry in treatment-responders vs. non-responders is not well understood. Our aim was to determine the effects of the anti-CGRP-mAb galcanezumab on cortical thickness after 3-month treatment of patients with high-frequency episodic or chronic migraine. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging was performed pre- and post-treatment in 36 migraine patients. In this group, 19 patients were classified responders (≥50 % reduction in monthly migraine days) and 17 were considered non-responders (<50 % reduction in monthly migraine days). Following cross-sectional processing to analyze the baseline differences in cortical thickness, two-stage longitudinal processing and symmetrized percent change were conducted to investigate treatment-related brain changes. At baseline, no significant differences were found between the responders and non-responders. After 3-month treatment, decreased cortical thickness (compared to baseline) was observed in the responders in regions of the somatosensory cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, medial frontal cortex, superior frontal gyrus, and supramarginal gyrus. Non-responders demonstrated decreased cortical thickness in the left dorsomedial cortex and superior frontal gyrus. We interpret the cortical thinning seen in the responder group as suggesting that reduction in head pain could lead to changes in neural swelling and dendritic complexity and that such changes reflect the recovery process from maladaptive neural activity. This conclusion is further supported by our recent study showing that 3 months after treatment initiation, the incidence of premonitory symptoms and prodromes that are followed by headache decreases but not the incidence of the premonitory symptoms or prodromes themselves (that is, cortical thinning relates to reductions in the nociceptive signals in the responders). We speculate that a much longer recovery period is required to allow the brain to return to a more 'normal' functioning state whereby prodromes and premonitory symptoms no longer occur.

Comparison between the Effects of Acute Physical and Psychosocial Stress on Feedback-Based Learning

Stress modulates feedback-based learning, a process that has been implicated in declining mental function in aging and mental disorders. While acute physical and psychosocial stressors have been used interchangeably in studies on feedback-based learning, the two types of stressors involve distinct physiological and psychological processes. Whether the two types of stressors differentially influence feedback processing remains unclear. The present study compared the effects of physical and psychosocial stressors on feedback-based learning. Ninety-six subjects (Mage = 19.11 years; 50 female) completed either a cold pressor task (CPT) or mental arithmetic task (MAT), as the physical or psychosocial stressor, while electrocardiography and blood pressure were measured to assess cardiovascular stress reactivity (CVR). Self-ratings on the emotional valence of the stressors were also obtained. A probabilistic learning task was given prior to and after the stressors. Accuracy in selecting positive (Go accuracy) and avoiding negative stimuli (No-go accuracy) were recorded as learning outcomes. Repeated measures ANOVA and multiple regressions were used to compare the effects of two stressors and examine the effects of CVR and valence on the learning outcomes. The results showed that although the effects of CPT and MAT on feedback processing were not different, CVR and valence influenced Go and No-go accuracy, respectively. The results suggest that stress-modulated feedback-based learning involves multiple pathways and underscore the link between CVR and reward sensitivity. The findings have clinical implications and may contribute to a better understanding of human behavioral systems.

Being active over one's own motion: Considering predictive mechanisms in self-motion perception

Self-motion perception is a key element guiding pilots' behavior. Its importance is mostly revealed when impaired, leading in most cases to spatial disorientation which is still today a major factor of accidents occurrence. Self-motion perception is known as mainly based on visuo-vestibular integration and can be modulated by the physical properties of the environment with which humans interact. For instance, several studies have shown that the respective weight of visual and vestibular information depends on their reliability. More recently, it has been suggested that the internal state of an operator can also modulate multisensory integration. Interestingly, the systems' automation can interfere with this internal state through the loss of the intentional nature of movements (i.e., loss of agency) and the modulation of associated predictive mechanisms. In this context, one of the new challenges is to better understand the relationship between automation and self-motion perception. The present review explains how linking the concepts of agency and self-motion is a first approach to address this issue.

The role of mindfulness and dysexecutive functioning in the association between depression and COVID-19-related stress: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses

Background: Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the severity of college student's mental health has increased, with depression being the most prominent. This study's primary purpose was to explore (1) whether the perceived stress of COVID-19 was associated with depression through sequential mediation of mindfulness and dysexecutive function and also (2) the temporal association among mindfulness, dysexecutive function and depression.Methods: We performed two studies to evaluate dysexecutive function as a mechanism through which mindfulness impacts depression under the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. Study 1 used a sequential mediation model to test the mediating role of mindfulness and dysexecutive function between the perceived stress of COVID-19 and depression based on 1,665 emerging adults. Study 2 used a random-effect, cross-lagged panel model (RE-CLPM) to test the directionality among mindfulness, dysexecutive function, and depression based on 370 emerging adults.Results: The cross-sectional study showed that perceived stress of COVID-19 was positively associated with depression through the sequential mediation of mindfulness and dysexecutive function (effect: 0.08, 95%CI = [0.07, 0.10]), also through the mediation of mindfulness (effect: 0.05, 95%CI = [0.03, 0.06]) and dysexecutive function (effect: 0.08, 95%CI = [0.06, 0.10]) separately. The RE-CLPM study indicated that dysexecutive function mediates the reciprocal relation between mindfulness and depression at the within-person level.Conclusion: These results suggest that dysexecutive function is an intermediate psychological mechanism that exacerbates depression under pandemic-related stress. Mindfulness can predict dysexecutive function and subsequently improve depression. As depression under pandemic-related stress can weaken the mindful state, long-term mindfulness practices are needed to maintain mental health during COVID-19.

Stress and the brain: Emotional support mediates the association between myelination in the right supramarginal gyrus and perceived chronic stress

Perceived stress, which refers to people's evaluation of a stressful event and their ability to cope with it, has emerged as a stable predictor for physical and mental health outcomes. Increasing evidence has suggested the buffering effect of social support on perceived stress. Although previous studies have investigated the brain structural features (e.g., gray matter volume) associated with perceived stress, less is known about the association between perceived chronic stress and intra-cortical myelin (ICM), which is an important microstructure of brain and is essential for healthy brain functions, and the role of social support in this association. Using a sample of 1076 healthy young adults drawn from the Human Connectome Project, we quantified the ICMby the contrast of T1w and T2w images and examined its association with perceived chronic stress during the last month and social support. Behavioral results showed that perceived chronic stress was negatively associated with both emotional support and instrumental support. Vertex-wise multiple regression analyses revealed that higher level of perceived chronic stress was significantly associated with lower ICM content of a cluster in the right supramarginal gyrus (rSMG). Interestingly, the emotional support, but not the instrumental support, significantly mediated the association of perceived chronic stress with ICM in the rSMG. Overall, the present study provides novel evidence for the cortical myelination of perceived chronic stress in humans and highlights the essential role of the rSMG in perceived chronic stress and emotional support.