VERB MEMORY & EMOTION PERCEPTION IN FMRI FOR CUSHING'S DISEASE PATIENTS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Both memory problems and depression symptoms are highly prevalent in Cushing's Disease, a condition which results in high cortisol levels. Prior work by our group and that of others indicates that memory problems are prevalent in Cushing's disease. Furthermore, atrophy or shrinkage in the hippocampus in Cushing's disease has been linked to poor memory performance and high cortisol levels. Improvement in memory performance following successful treatment to reduce cortisol levels in Cushing's Disease results in increases in hippocampal volume, suggesting the cortisol levels may underlie hippocampal shrinkage in the Cushing's Disease patients. Previous studies in Cushing's patients have relied on structural MRI measures of the hippocampus and may not reflect the true and earliest effects of high cortisol levels on the brain. By using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, we hope to be able to "challenge" the hippocampus, relating changes in blood oxygenation directly to changes to performance on memory tasks. We also will use a facial emotion perception task to measures activation in the amygdala, a structure that is next to and closely linked to the hippocampus. The amygdala is more closely linked to emotion, while the hippocampus has been more closely linked to memory. There is reason to suspect that Cushing's disease adversely impacts amygdala functioning because of the high level of depression in Cushing's disease and the strong relationship between depression and amygdala functioning. Therefore, this proposal is an opportunity to extend our prior work on the interrelationship of cortisol, hippocampal size, and memory performance by adding both another brain structure of inquiry, the amygdala, and another domain of inquiry, functional MRI.