Stress-Related Noradrenergic Activity Prompts Large-Scale Neural Network Reconfiguration

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 334; no. 6059; pp. 1151 - 1153
• Main Authors: Hermans, Erno J., van Marle, Hein J. F., Ossewaarde, Lindsey, Henckens, Marloes J. A. G., Qin, Shaozheng, van Kesteren, Marlieke T. R., Schoots, Vincent C., Cousijn, Helena, Rijpkema, Mark, Oostenveld, Robert, Fernández, Guillén
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 25.11.2011; The American Association for the Advancement of Science; American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• Subjects: Activation; Adolescent; Adrenergic beta-Antagonists - pharmacology; Adrenergic Neurons - physiology; Adult; Affect; alpha-Amylases - metabolism; Amygdala; Attention; Autonomic Nervous System - physiology; Behavioral neuroscience; beta adrenergic receptors; Biological and medical sciences; Blocking; Brain; Brain - physiology; Brain Mapping; Business administration; Cognition & reasoning; Connectivity; cortisol; defense mechanisms; Drug effects; Economics and Finance; Female; Functional Neuroimaging; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heart Rate; Human; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Hydrocortisone - analysis; hypothalamus; Locus Coeruleus - physiology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Metyrapone - pharmacology; Nerve Net - physiology; Networks; Neural networks; Neurochemistry; Neurons; neurophysiology; Neurosecretory Systems - physiology; Neurotransmitter Agents - physiology; neurotransmitters; Norepinephrine - physiology; Placebos; Receptors; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta - physiology; Reconfiguration; Saliva - chemistry; Stress; Stress response; Stress, Psychological - physiopathology; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Stresses; Thalamus; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Young Adult; Human; Amygdala; Acute; Central nervous system; Midbrain; Basal ganglion; Hypothalamus; Neural network; Hydrocortisone; Glucocorticoid; Stress; Encephalon; β-Adrenergic receptor; Fear; Neuromodulator; Adrenal hormone; Thalamus; cognitive neuroscience; stress
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1209603

Acute stress shifts the brain into a state that fosters rapid defense mechanisms. Stress-related neuromodulators are thought to trigger this change by altering properties of large-scale neural populations throughout the brain. We investigated this brain-state shift in humans. During exposure to a fear-related acute stressor, responsiveness and interconnectivity within a network including cortical (frontoinsular, dorsal anterior cingulate, inferotemporal, and temporoparietal) and subcortical (amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus, and midbrain) regions increased as a function of stress response magnitudes, β-adrenergic receptor blockade, but not cortisol synthesis inhibition, diminished this increase. Thus, our findings reveal that noradrenergic activation during acute stress results in prolonged coupling within a distributed network that integrates information exchange between regions involved in autonomic-neuroendocrine control and vigilant attentional reorienting.