An fMRI study of cytokine-induced depressed mood and social pain: the role of sex differences.

TitleAn fMRI study of cytokine-induced depressed mood and social pain: the role of sex differences.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2009
AuthorsEisenberger NI, Inagaki TK, Rameson LT, Mashal NM, Irwin MR
JournalNeuroimage
Volume47
Issue3
Pagination881-90
Date Published2009 Sep
ISSN1095-9572
KeywordsAdolescent, Adult, Brain Mapping, Cytokines, Depression, Endotoxins, Estradiol, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Interleukin-6, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Progesterone, Sex Characteristics, Social Isolation, Young Adult
Abstract

Although research has demonstrated a relationship between proinflammatory cytokine activity and depressive symptoms, the neurocognitive processes underlying this relationship have remained largely unexplored. Here, we examined the effect of proinflammatory cytokine activation on the neural correlates of socially painful experience and associated depressed mood. Participants received either low-dose endotoxin or placebo through intravenous injection. Levels of the proinflammatory cytokine, IL-6, were repeatedly assessed through hourly blood draws; self-reported depressed mood was assessed hourly as well. Two hours post-injection, participants completed a neuroimaging session in which they were socially excluded during an online ball-tossing game. Replicating previous research, individuals exposed to endotoxin, compared to placebo, showed increases in IL-6 levels and depressed mood. Although there were no meaningful differences between the endotoxin and control groups in neural responses to social exclusion, there were sex differences in the relationships between IL-6 increases and neural responses to exclusion among subjects exposed to endotoxin. Among females, but not males, exposed to endotoxin, increases in IL-6 were associated with increases in social pain-related neural activity (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula) that mediated the relationship between IL-6 increases and depressed mood increases. Implications of these sex differences in the neural correlates of cytokine-associated depressed mood and social pain are discussed.

DOI10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.04.040
Alternate JournalNeuroimage
PubMed ID19376240
PubMed Central IDPMC2733873
Grant ListAG-026364 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
CA-10014152 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
CA-116778 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
HL-079955 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
M01 RR000865-358129 / RR / NCRR NIH HHS / United States
M01-RR00865 / RR / NCRR NIH HHS / United States
P30 AG028748 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P30-AG028748 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
T32-MH19925 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States