Don't stress, it's under control: Neural correlates of stressor controllability in humans

Animal research has repeatedly shown that control is a key variable in the brain's stress response. Uncontrollable stress triggers a release of monoamines, impairing prefrontal functions while enhancing subcortical circuits. Conversely, control over an adverse event involves prefrontally mediat...

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Autores principales:	Laura E. Meine, Jana Meier, Benjamin Meyer, Michèle Wessa
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Elsevier 2021
Materias:	Learned helplessness FMRI Ventromedial prefrontal cortex Translational research Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry RC321-571
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/4e01d300da814d21bddfb0236d5dc494
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id	oai:doaj.org-article:4e01d300da814d21bddfb0236d5dc494
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:4e01d300da814d21bddfb0236d5dc4942021-11-28T04:28:57ZDon't stress, it's under control: Neural correlates of stressor controllability in humans1095-957210.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118701https://doaj.org/article/4e01d300da814d21bddfb0236d5dc4942021-12-01T00:00:00Zhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811921009745https://doaj.org/toc/1095-9572Animal research has repeatedly shown that control is a key variable in the brain's stress response. Uncontrollable stress triggers a release of monoamines, impairing prefrontal functions while enhancing subcortical circuits. Conversely, control over an adverse event involves prefrontally mediated downregulation of monoamine nuclei and is considered protective. However, it remains unclear to what extent these findings translate to humans. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, we subjected participants to controllable and uncontrollable aversive but non-painful electric stimuli, as well as to a control condition without aversive stimulation. In each trial, a symbol signalled whether participants could terminate the stressor through correct performance in a button-matching task or whether the stressor would be randomly terminated, i.e., uncontrollable. Along with neural responses, we assessed participants’ accuracy, reaction times, and heart rate. To relate neural activations and subjective experience, we asked participants to rate perceived control, helplessness, and stress. Results were largely in line with our hypotheses. The vmPFC was generally deactivated by aversive stimulation, but this effect was attenuated when participants could terminate the stressor compared to when their responses had no effect. Furthermore, activation in stress-responsive regions, including the bilateral insula, was reduced during controllable trials. Under uncontrollable aversive stimulation, greater vmPFC recruitment was linked to reduced feelings of helplessness. An investigation of condition-dependant differences in vmPFC connectivity yielded no significant results. Our findings further corroborate animal research and emphasise the role of the vmPFC in controllability-dependant regulation of stress responses. Based on the results, we discuss future directions in the context of resilience research and mental health promotion.Laura E. MeineJana MeierBenjamin MeyerMichèle WessaElsevierarticleLearned helplessnessFMRIVentromedial prefrontal cortexTranslational researchNeurosciences. Biological psychiatry. NeuropsychiatryRC321-571ENNeuroImage, Vol 245, Iss , Pp 118701- (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Learned helplessness FMRI Ventromedial prefrontal cortex Translational research Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry RC321-571
spellingShingle	Learned helplessness FMRI Ventromedial prefrontal cortex Translational research Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry RC321-571 Laura E. Meine Jana Meier Benjamin Meyer Michèle Wessa Don't stress, it's under control: Neural correlates of stressor controllability in humans
description	Animal research has repeatedly shown that control is a key variable in the brain's stress response. Uncontrollable stress triggers a release of monoamines, impairing prefrontal functions while enhancing subcortical circuits. Conversely, control over an adverse event involves prefrontally mediated downregulation of monoamine nuclei and is considered protective. However, it remains unclear to what extent these findings translate to humans. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, we subjected participants to controllable and uncontrollable aversive but non-painful electric stimuli, as well as to a control condition without aversive stimulation. In each trial, a symbol signalled whether participants could terminate the stressor through correct performance in a button-matching task or whether the stressor would be randomly terminated, i.e., uncontrollable. Along with neural responses, we assessed participants’ accuracy, reaction times, and heart rate. To relate neural activations and subjective experience, we asked participants to rate perceived control, helplessness, and stress. Results were largely in line with our hypotheses. The vmPFC was generally deactivated by aversive stimulation, but this effect was attenuated when participants could terminate the stressor compared to when their responses had no effect. Furthermore, activation in stress-responsive regions, including the bilateral insula, was reduced during controllable trials. Under uncontrollable aversive stimulation, greater vmPFC recruitment was linked to reduced feelings of helplessness. An investigation of condition-dependant differences in vmPFC connectivity yielded no significant results. Our findings further corroborate animal research and emphasise the role of the vmPFC in controllability-dependant regulation of stress responses. Based on the results, we discuss future directions in the context of resilience research and mental health promotion.
format	article
author	Laura E. Meine Jana Meier Benjamin Meyer Michèle Wessa
author_facet	Laura E. Meine Jana Meier Benjamin Meyer Michèle Wessa
author_sort	Laura E. Meine
title	Don't stress, it's under control: Neural correlates of stressor controllability in humans
title_short	Don't stress, it's under control: Neural correlates of stressor controllability in humans
title_full	Don't stress, it's under control: Neural correlates of stressor controllability in humans
title_fullStr	Don't stress, it's under control: Neural correlates of stressor controllability in humans
title_full_unstemmed	Don't stress, it's under control: Neural correlates of stressor controllability in humans
title_sort	don't stress, it's under control: neural correlates of stressor controllability in humans
publisher	Elsevier
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/4e01d300da814d21bddfb0236d5dc494
work_keys_str_mv	AT lauraemeine dontstressitsundercontrolneuralcorrelatesofstressorcontrollabilityinhumans AT janameier dontstressitsundercontrolneuralcorrelatesofstressorcontrollabilityinhumans AT benjaminmeyer dontstressitsundercontrolneuralcorrelatesofstressorcontrollabilityinhumans AT michelewessa dontstressitsundercontrolneuralcorrelatesofstressorcontrollabilityinhumans
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Don't stress, it's under control: Neural correlates of stressor controllability in humans

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