
Individual resting‐state frontocingular functional connectivity predicts the intermittent theta burst stimulation response to stress in healthy female volunteers
Author(s) -
Wandel Linde,
Pulopulos Matias M.,
Labanauskas Vytautas,
Witte Sara,
Vanderhasselt MarieAnne,
Baeken Chris
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
human brain mapping
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.005
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0193
pISSN - 1065-9471
DOI - 10.1002/hbm.25193
Subject(s) - resting state fmri , anterior cingulate cortex , psychology , stimulation , dorsolateral prefrontal cortex , trier social stress test , neuroscience , prefrontal cortex , depression (economics) , functional connectivity , audiology , medicine , fight or flight response , cognition , chemistry , biochemistry , gene , macroeconomics , economics
Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) delivered to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been investigated as a promising treatment for stress and stress‐related mental disorders such as major depression, yet large individual differences in responsiveness demand further exploration and optimization of its effectiveness. Clinical research suggests that resting‐state functional connectivity (rsFC) between the DLPFC and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) can predict iTBS treatment response in depression. The present study aimed to investigate whether rsFC between the left DLPFC and ACC subregions could predict the degree to which the stress system is affected by iTBS. After assessment of baseline resting‐state fMRI data, 34 healthy female participants performed the Trier Social Stress Test on two separate days, each followed by active or sham iTBS over the left DLPFC. To evaluate iTBS effects on the stress‐system, salivary cortisol was measured throughout the procedure. Our results showed that a stronger negative correlation between the left DLPFC and the caudal ACC was linked to a larger attenuation of stress‐system sensitivity during active, but not during sham iTBS. In conclusion, based on individual rsFC between left DLPFC and caudal ACC, iTBS could be optimized to more effectively attenuate deregulation of the stress system.