Effects of psychological stress on the cerebral processing of visceral stimuli in healthy women

Abstract  The aim of the study was to analyse effects of psychological stress on the neural processing of visceral stimuli in healthy women. The brain functional magnetic resonance imaging blood oxygen level-dependent response to non-painful and painful rectal distensions was recorded from 14 healthy women during acute psychological stress and a control condition. Acute stress was induced with a modified public speaking stress paradigm. State anxiety was assessed with the State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory; chronic stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Questionnaire. During non-painful distensions, activation was observed in the right posterior insular cortex (IC) and right S1. Painful stimuli revealed activation of the bilateral anterior IC, right S1, and right pregenual anterior cingulate cortex. Chronic stress score was correlated with activation of the bilateral amygdala, right posterior IC (post-IC), left periaqueductal grey (PAG), and right dorsal posterior cingulate gyrus (dPCC) during non-painful stimulation, and with activation of the right post-IC, right PAG, left thalamus (THA), and right dPCC during painful distensions. During acute stress, state anxiety was significantly higher and the acute stress – control contrast revealed activation of the right dPCC, left THA and right S1 during painful stimulation. This is the first study to demonstrate effects of acute stress on cerebral activation patterns during visceral pain in healthy women. Together with our finding that chronic stress was correlated wit the neural response to visceral stimuli, these results provide a framework for further studies addressing the role of chronic stress and emotional disturbances in the pathophysiology of visceral hyperalgesia.