Ariane Orosz1,
Leila Maria Soravia1, Andrea Federspiel1, Roland Wiest2,
Thomas Dierks1, Kay Jann1
1Dept.
of Psychiatric Neurophysiology, University Hospital of Psychiatry / University
of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; 2Institut of Diagnostic and
Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Bern / Inselspital, Bern,
Switzerland
The effect of the stress-hormone cortisol on cerebral blood flow (CBF) within functionally connected networks (FCN) was investigated using arterial spin labeling (ASL). The cortisol level fluctuates in a diurnal rhythm and might alter network connectivity and metabolism in FCNs representing higher cognitive functions or emotional processing. Three groups with different cortisol levels (high, medium, low) were measured. The FCNs displaying the spatial pattern of the medial-temporal network and the default mode network were identified by independent component analysis. Network CBF quantification revealed different average CBF in distinct FCNs, but no particular impact of cortisol at resting state.