Cortisol in Emotional Processing

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Cortisol has long been suspected to play a critical role in affective disorders, such as depression. However, the effects of cortisol on brain activity associated with emotional processes have not yet been investigated in humans. Therefore, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), this series of experiments will aim to characterize the effects of elevated cortisol levels on brain activity associated with emotional processes. These studies will address 1) Effects of acutely elevated circulating cortisol levels 2) Length of exposure effects of elevated cortisol levels and, 3) Gender differences in the effects of cortisol on brain activity associated with emotional processes. The functional circuitry underlying the processing of several different types of affect will be studied using fMRI. The emotion induction paradigms used in these studies will incorporate specific affective processes which are dysfunctional in the depressed state (happiness and sadness). It is hypothesized that during emotional processing elevations in cortisol will result in dose dependant decreases in prefrontal cortex activity and increased amygdala activity.