@article{6969e32ef9c6401d8db81f2f505427c6,
title = "Salivary cortisol and prefrontal cortical thickness in middle-aged men: A twin study",
abstract = "Although glucocorticoid receptors are highly expressed in the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus remains the predominant focus in the literature examining relationships between cortisol and brain. We examined phenotypic and genetic associations of cortisol levels with the thickness of prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex regions, and with hippocampal volume in a sample of 388 middle-aged male twins who were 51-59 years old. Small but significant negative phenotypic associations were found between cortisol levels and the thickness of left dorsolateral (superior frontal gyrus, left rostral middle frontal gyrus) and ventrolateral (pars opercularis, pars triangularis, pars orbitalis) prefrontal regions, and right dorsolateral (superior frontal gyrus) and medial orbital frontal cortex. Most of the associations remained significant after adjusting for general cognitive ability, cardiovascular risk factors, and depression. Bivariate genetic analyses suggested that some of the associations were primarily accounted for by shared genetic influences; that is, some of the genes that tend to result in increased cortisol levels also tend to result in reduced prefrontal cortical thickness. Aging has been associated with reduced efficiency of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function, frontal lobe shrinkage, and increases in health problems, but our present data do not allow us to determine the direction of effects. Moreover, the degree or the direction of the observed associations and the extent of their shared genetic underpinnings may well change as these individuals age. Longitudinal assessments are underway to elucidate the direction of the associations and the genetic underpinnings of longitudinal phenotypes for changes in cortisol and brain morphology.",
keywords = "Genetic correlation, HPA axis structure, Heritability, Hippocampus, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)",
author = "Kremen, {William S.} and O'Brien, {Robert C.} and Panizzon, {Matthew S.} and Elizabeth Prom-Wormley and Eaves, {Lindon J.} and Eisen, {Seth A.} and Eyler, {Lisa T.} and Hauger, {Richard L.} and Christine Fennema-Notestine and Bruce Fischl and Grant, {Michael D.} and Hellhammer, {Dirk H.} and Jak, {Amy J.} and Jacobson, {Kristen C.} and Jernigan, {Terry L.} and Lupien, {Sonia J.} and Lyons, {Michael J.} and Mendoza, {Sally P.} and Neale, {Michael C.} and Seidman, {Larry J.} and Thermenos, {Heidi W.} and Tsuang, {Ming T.} and Dale, {Anders M.} and Franz, {Carol E.}",
note = "Funding Information: Funded by National Institute on Aging ( AG022982 , AG022381 , AG018384 , AG018386 ); National Center for Research Resources ( P41-RR14075 ; NCRR BIRN Morphometric Project BIRN002); National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering ( R01EB006758 ); National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke ( R01 NS052585-01 ); Mental Illness and Neuroscience Discovery (MIND) Institute, part of the National Alliance for Medical Image Computing (NAMIC), funded by the National Institutes of Health through the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research, Grant U54 EB005149 . Additional support was provided by The Autism & Dyslexia Project funded by the Ellison Medical Foundation. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has provided financial support for the development and maintenance of the Vietnam Era Twin (VET) Registry. Numerous organizations have provided invaluable assistance in the conduct of this study, including: Department of Defense; National Personnel Records Center, National Archives and Records Administration; Internal Revenue Service; National Opinion Research Center; National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences; the Institute for Survey Research, Temple University. Most importantly, the authors gratefully acknowledge the continued cooperation and participation of the members of the VET Registry and their families. Without their contribution this research would not have been possible.",
year = "2010",
month = nov,
doi = "10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.02.026",
language = "English",
volume = "53",
pages = "1093--1102",
journal = "NeuroImage",
issn = "1053-8119",
number = "3",
}