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Brouillard A, Davignon LM, Turcotte AM, Marin MF. Morphologic alterations of the fear circuitry: the role of sex hormones and oral contraceptives. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1228504. [PMID: 38027091 PMCID: PMC10661904 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1228504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Endogenous sex hormones and oral contraceptives (OCs) have been shown to influence key regions implicated in fear processing. While OC use has been found to impact brain morphology, methodological challenges remain to be addressed, such as avoiding selection bias between OC users and non-users, as well as examining potential lasting effects of OC intake. Objective We investigated the current and lasting effects of OC use, as well as the interplay between the current hormonal milieu and history of hormonal contraception use on structural correlates of the fear circuitry. We also examined the role of endogenous and exogenous sex hormones within this network. Methods We recruited healthy adults aged 23-35 who identified as women currently using (n = 62) or having used (n = 37) solely combined OCs, women who never used any hormonal contraceptives (n = 40), or men (n = 41). Salivary endogenous sex hormones and current users' salivary ethinyl estradiol (EE) were assessed using liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry. Using structural magnetic resonance imaging, we extracted surface-based gray matter volumes (GMVs) and cortical thickness (CT) for regions of interest of the fear circuitry. Exploratory whole-brain analyses were conducted with surface-based and voxel-based morphometry methods. Results Compared to men, all three groups of women exhibited a larger GMV of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, while only current users showed a thinner ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Irrespective of the menstrual cycle phase, never users exhibited a thicker right anterior insular cortex than past users. While associations with endogenous sex hormones remain unclear, we showed that EE dosage in current users had a greater influence on brain anatomy compared to salivary EE levels and progestin androgenicity, with lower doses being associated with smaller cortical GMVs. Discussion Our results highlight a sex difference for the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex GMV (a fear-promoting region), as well as a reduced CT of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (a fear-inhibiting region) specific to current OC use. Precisely, this finding was driven by lower EE doses. These findings may represent structural vulnerabilities to anxiety and stress-related disorders. We showed little evidence of durable anatomical effects, suggesting that OC intake can (reversibly) affect fear-related brain morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Brouillard
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Quebec in Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Lisa-Marie Davignon
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Quebec in Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Marie-France Marin
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Quebec in Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Biran I, Admon R, Gazit T, Fahoum F. Interaction of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Network Analysis of a Single Case. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1010. [PMID: 32670129 PMCID: PMC7326076 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this case study, we present a 21 years old female with long-standing Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) who, following a sexual assault, also developed Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), leading to a change in her seizure semiology. The new seizures seemed to be a re-enactment of the sexual assault and accordingly were at first thought to be Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES). Nevertheless, electroencephalography (EEG) recording at the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) revealed ictal epileptic brain activity during these new attacks. In order to further explore the nature of the relation between epileptic seizures and PTSD symptomatology, a functional MRI (fMRI) scan was conducted focusing on neural response to threat (fearful faces). The results indicated that the response to threat elicited bilateral amygdala activation, as well as enhanced amygdala connectivity with the insula and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), all central nodes of the fear circuitry. Accordingly, we suggest that this unique presentation of "pseudo" PNES might stem from the anatomical proximity of the epileptic network in this patient (temporal-insular-frontal) to the fear circuitry, allowing abnormal epileptic activity to "exploit" or activate the fear circuit or vice versa. We further propose that the traumatic experience may have changed the patient's ictal semiology by modifying the course of the spread of the ictal activity toward the PTSD network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iftah Biran
- Neurological Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Israel Neuropsychoanalysis Society, Kadima, Israel
| | - Roee Admon
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Tomer Gazit
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Firas Fahoum
- Neurological Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Koorneef LL, Bogaards M, Reinders MJT, Meijer OC, Mahfouz A. How Metabolic State May Regulate Fear: Presence of Metabolic Receptors in the Fear Circuitry. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:594. [PMID: 30210279 PMCID: PMC6119828 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic status impacts on the emotional brain to induce behavior that maintains energy balance. While hunger suppresses the fear circuitry to promote explorative food-seeking behavior, satiety or obesity may increase fear to prevent unnecessary risk-taking. Here we aimed to unravel which metabolic factors, that transfer information about the acute and the chronic metabolic status, are of primary importance to regulate fear, and to identify their sites of action within fear-related brain regions. We performed a de novo analysis of central and peripheral metabolic factors that can penetrate the blood–brain barrier using genome-wide expression data across the mouse brain from the Allen Brain Atlas (ABA). The central fear circuitry, as defined by subnuclei of the amygdala, the afferent hippocampus, the medial prefrontal cortex and the efferent periaqueductal gray, was enriched with metabolic receptors. Some of their corresponding ligands were known to modulate fear (e.g., estrogen and thyroid hormones) while others had not been associated with fear before (e.g., glucagon, ACTH). Additionally, several of these enriched metabolic receptors were coexpressed with well-described fear-modulating genes (Crh, Crhr1, or Crhr2). Co-expression analysis of monoamine markers and metabolic receptors suggested that monoaminergic nuclei have differential sensitivity to metabolic alterations. Serotonergic neurons expressed a large number of metabolic receptors (e.g., estrogen receptors, fatty acid receptors), suggesting a wide responsivity to metabolic changes. The noradrenergic system seemed to be specifically sensitive to hypocretin/orexin modulation. Taken together, we identified a number of novel metabolic factors (glucagon, ACTH) that have the potential to modulate the fear response. We additionally propose novel cerebral targets for metabolic factors (e.g., thyroid hormones) that modulate fear, but of which the sites of action are (largely) unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa L Koorneef
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Marit Bogaards
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Marcel J T Reinders
- Leiden Computational Biology Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Delft Bioinformatics Laboratory, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Onno C Meijer
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Ahmed Mahfouz
- Leiden Computational Biology Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Delft Bioinformatics Laboratory, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
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Brout JJ, Edelstein M, Erfanian M, Mannino M, Miller LJ, Rouw R, Kumar S, Rosenthal MZ. Investigating Misophonia: A Review of the Empirical Literature, Clinical Implications, and a Research Agenda. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:36. [PMID: 29467604 PMCID: PMC5808324 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Misophonia is a neurobehavioral syndrome phenotypically characterized by heightened autonomic nervous system arousal and negative emotional reactivity (e. g., irritation, anger, anxiety) in response to a decreased tolerance for specific sounds. The aims of this review are to (a) characterize the current state of the field of research on misophonia, (b) highlight what can be inferred from the small research literature to inform treatment of individuals with misophonia, and (c) outline an agenda for research on this topic. We extend previous reviews on this topic by critically reviewing the research investigating mechanisms of misophonia and differences between misophonia and other conditions. In addition, we integrate this small but growing literature with basic and applied research from other literatures in a cross-disciplinary manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J Brout
- International Misophonia Research Network, New York, NY, United States
| | - Miren Edelstein
- International Misophonia Research Network, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Psychology, Center for Brain and Cognition, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Mercede Erfanian
- International Misophonia Research Network, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Michael Mannino
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
| | - Lucy J Miller
- International Misophonia Research Network, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Psychology, Brain and Cognition, Amsterdam University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Romke Rouw
- Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sukhbinder Kumar
- International Misophonia Research Network, New York, NY, United States.,Auditory Group, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom
| | - M Zachary Rosenthal
- International Misophonia Research Network, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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Kim EJ, Horovitz O, Pellman BA, Tan LM, Li Q, Richter-Levin G, Kim JJ. Dorsal periaqueductal gray-amygdala pathway conveys both innate and learned fear responses in rats. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:14795-800. [PMID: 23959880 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1310845110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The periaqueductal gray (PAG) and amygdala are known to be important for defensive responses, and many contemporary fear-conditioning models present the PAG as downstream of the amygdala, directing the appropriate behavior (i.e., freezing or fleeing). However, empirical studies of this circuitry are inconsistent and warrant further examination. Hence, the present study investigated the functional relationship between the PAG and amygdala in two different settings, fear conditioning and naturalistic foraging, in rats. In fear conditioning, electrical stimulation of the dorsal PAG (dPAG) produced unconditional responses (URs) composed of brief activity bursts followed by freezing and 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalization. In contrast, stimulation of ventral PAG and the basolateral amygdalar complex (BLA) evoked freezing and/or ultrasonic vocalization. Whereas dPAG stimulation served as an effective unconditional stimulus for fear conditioning to tone and context conditional stimuli, neither ventral PAG nor BLA stimulation supported fear conditioning. The conditioning effect of dPAG, however, was abolished by inactivation of the BLA. In a foraging task, dPAG and BLA stimulation evoked only fleeing toward the nest. Amygdalar lesion/inactivation blocked the UR of dPAG stimulation, but dPAG lesions did not block the UR of BLA stimulation. Furthermore, in vivo recordings demonstrated that electrical priming of the dPAG can modulate plasticity of subiculum-BLA synapses, providing additional evidence that the amygdala is downstream of the dPAG. These results suggest that the dPAG conveys unconditional stimulus information to the BLA, which directs both innate and learned fear responses, and that brain stimulation-evoked behaviors are modulated by context.
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