Cited by 128Stress Responses and CortisolNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesHeart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control

Medial prefrontal cortex damage affects physiological and psychological stress responses differently in men and women

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Buchanan, Tony W., Driscoll, David, Mowrer, Samantha M., Sollers, John J., Thayer, Julian F., Kirschbaum, Clemens, Tranel, Daniel·2010·Psychoneuroendocrinology

Abstract

The ability to produce appropriate physiological and psychological responses to stressful situations depends on accurate recognition and appraisal of such situations. Such ability is also important for proper emotion regulation. A number of studies have suggested that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a significant role in emotion regulation, as well as in the control of physiological endpoints of emotion regulation such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and autonomic nervous system (ANS). Further, recent work has suggested that men and women may differ in these mechanisms of neural control of emotion regulation. Here, we examined the role of the human mPFC in self-report, ANS, and HPA stress reactivity by testing a group of participants with damage to this region (9 women and 9 men), a brain damaged comparison group (6 women and 6 men), and healthy comparison participants (27 women and 27 men) on an orthostatic challenge and the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). The mPFC participants showed heightened self-reported stress in response to the TSST. In women, mPFC damage led to an increased cortisol response to the TSST. By contrast, in men, greater volume of mPFC damage was correlated with a decreased cortisol response. Finally, men with mPFC damage showed altered autonomic control of the heart (higher heart rate and lower high frequency heart rate variability) during an orthostatic challenge. These findings support the idea that the mPFC is involved in the regulation of physiological and psychological responses to stress and that this regulation may differ between men and women.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.09.006

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  • In another recent study, vmPFC damage increased perceived threat and negative affect and altered endocrine responses to social evaluative threat.

    “In another recent study, vmPFC damage increased perceived threat and negative affect and altered endocrine responses to this type of challenge [66].”

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Authors
Buchanan, T. W., Driscoll, D., Mowrer, S. M., Sollers, J. J., Thayer, J. F., Kirschbaum, C., & Tranel, D.
Affiliations
  • Saint Louis University (US)
  • University of Iowa (US)
  • The Ohio State University (US)
  • Heidelberg University (DE)
  • Technische Universität Dresden (DE)
Corresponding author
Buchanan, Tony W.
Venue
Psychoneuroendocrinology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2010-01
Volume
35
Issue
1
Pages
56-66
ISSN
0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2022575477
Cited by
128
References
74
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 6
FWCI
1.91
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Public Health Service (R01 022549, R03 076815, P01 19632)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R03MH076815)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA022549)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
Keywords
medial prefrontal cortex, emotion regulation, stress response, sex differences, cortisol, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, autonomic nervous system, heart rate variability, orthostatic challenge, Trier Social Stress Test, brain damage, self-reported stress
MeSH terms
Adult, Brain Diseases, Data Interpretation, Statistical, Exercise Test, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Functional Laterality, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Saliva, Sex Characteristics, Stress, Psychological, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Prefrontal Cortex

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