Cortisol Responders Engage Amygdala-Based Affective Sensitivity for Enhanced Performance in Math
Poster No:
592
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Chan-Tat Ng1, Shuo-Fu Chen2,3, Chih-Chang Chao3,4, Ting-Ting Chang1,4
Institutions:
1Department of Psychology, National Chengchi University, Taipei City, Taiwan, 2Department of Psychology, Asia University, Taichung City, Taiwan, 3Institute of Neuroscience, National Chengchi University, Taipei City, Taiwan, 4Research Center for Mind, Brain, and Learning, National Chengchi University, Taipei City, Taiwan
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Shuo-Fu Chen
Department of Psychology, Asia University|Institute of Neuroscience, National Chengchi University
Taichung City, Taiwan|Taipei City, Taiwan
Department of Psychology, Asia University|Institute of Neuroscience, National Chengchi University
Taichung City, Taiwan|Taipei City, Taiwan
Chih-Chang Chao
Institute of Neuroscience, National Chengchi University|Research Center for Mind, Brain, and Learning, National Chengchi University
Taipei City, Taiwan|Taipei City, Taiwan
Institute of Neuroscience, National Chengchi University|Research Center for Mind, Brain, and Learning, National Chengchi University
Taipei City, Taiwan|Taipei City, Taiwan
Ting-Ting Chang
Department of Psychology, National Chengchi University|Research Center for Mind, Brain, and Learning, National Chengchi University
Taipei City, Taiwan|Taipei City, Taiwan
Department of Psychology, National Chengchi University|Research Center for Mind, Brain, and Learning, National Chengchi University
Taipei City, Taiwan|Taipei City, Taiwan
Introduction:
Mathematical problem solving can evoke cognitive stress (Mattarella-Micke, 2011), and the interplay of hormonal and neural responses is critical for understanding stress coping and cognitive efficiency (Kukolja, 2008). However, most neuroimaging studies on stress have focused on psychosocial or aversive stressors (Berretz, 2021), leaving the effects of purely cognitive challenges underexplored. In this study, we investigated whether and how a challenging math task influences cortisol reactivity, behavioral outcomes, and neural responses, providing novel insights into the biological mechanisms that enable effective coping with cognitive stressors.
Methods:
Forty adults (24F, 16M; mean age=22.54 years, SD=2.15) completed online surveys before MRI, assessing math confidence, math anxiety, and general anxiety. Salivary cortisol, a biomarker of stress, was collected pre- and post-scan (mean interval=66.26 min, SD=6.13) using cotton rolls stored in Salivette tubes (Sarstedt) and analyzed with Cortisol ELISA Kits (Salimetrics). Participants underwent a four-run arithmetic judgment task adapted from Lyons (2012), featuring complex and simple problems. Following each problem, they rated negative affect and perceived difficulty on a 4-point Likert scale. After scanning, they completed a timed arithmetic fluency test (four operations) and a general IQ assessment (WAIS-IV). Based on pre-post cortisol changes, participants were categorized as responders (cortisol increased post-scan, n=15) or nonresponders (cortisol decreased post-scan, n=25).
Behavioral data were analyzed with generalized linear mixed models. fMRI data were preprocessed and analyzed with SPM12, with individual-level contrasts (complex vs. simple problems) submitted to group-level whole-brain comparisons. Region-of-interest (ROI) analyses focused on the bilateral amygdala (Neurosynth-defined) and bilateral anterior insula (from Berretz et al., 2021). Associations between ROI activity and negative affect ratings were examined. Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analyses further assessed how amygdala- and insula-based connectivity patterns differed between complex and simple problems. Whole-brain significance was set at p<.01 (voxel-wise) and p<.05 (cluster-level).
Behavioral data were analyzed with generalized linear mixed models. fMRI data were preprocessed and analyzed with SPM12, with individual-level contrasts (complex vs. simple problems) submitted to group-level whole-brain comparisons. Region-of-interest (ROI) analyses focused on the bilateral amygdala (Neurosynth-defined) and bilateral anterior insula (from Berretz et al., 2021). Associations between ROI activity and negative affect ratings were examined. Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analyses further assessed how amygdala- and insula-based connectivity patterns differed between complex and simple problems. Whole-brain significance was set at p<.01 (voxel-wise) and p<.05 (cluster-level).
Results:
Groups did not differ in math confidence, anxiety, arithmetic fluency, or IQ (ps≥.332). During the task, responders made fewer errors (p=.047) and reported less negative affect (p=.014); across complexity, responders exhibited more stable response times (p=.009) and greater affect differences (p<.001). Whole-brain analysis revealed a group-by-complexity interaction: during complex vs. simple problems, responders exhibited stronger activation in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, temporal pole, amygdala, posterior insula, and parahippocampal gyrus relative to nonresponders. ROI analyses confirmed group differences in complexity effects in the left (p=.013) and right amygdala (p<.001), while the anterior insula showed no group interaction (ps≥.740). Only responders displayed a strong association between negative affect and right amygdala activity (β=.559, p=.031; nonresponders β=.087, p=.681), indicating enhanced affective sensitivity. PPI analyses revealed greater amygdala connectivity in responders with the intraparietal sulcus and inferior occipital gyrus during complex problems, and with the angular gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus during simple problems. Anterior insula-seeded connectivity did not differ between groups.
Conclusions:
Cortisol reactivity identified individuals who achieved enhanced performance under cognitive stress, exhibiting heightened amygdala activity, stronger amygdala-affect associations, and dynamic amygdala-based connectivity supporting efficient processing of complex and simple arithmetic. These findings highlight how physiological stress markers align with emotional and cognitive processes, offering insights into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying resilience in challenging cognitive contexts.
Emotion, Motivation and Social Neuroscience:
Emotion and Motivation Other 1
Higher Cognitive Functions:
Reasoning and Problem Solving 2
Modeling and Analysis Methods:
Activation (eg. BOLD task-fMRI)
Connectivity (eg. functional, effective, structural)
Keywords:
ADULTS
Anxiety
Cognition
Emotions
FUNCTIONAL MRI
Saliva
Other - Stress; Cortisol
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
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Were any human subjects research approved by the relevant Institutional Review Board or ethics panel? NOTE: Any human subjects studies without IRB approval will be automatically rejected.
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Provide references using APA citation style.
Kukolja, J. (2008). Increased cortisol levels in cognitively challenging situations are beneficial in young but not older subjects. Psychopharmacology, 201, 293–304.
Lyons, I. M. (2012). Mathematics anxiety: Separating the math from the anxiety. Cerebral Cortex, 22(9), 2102–2110.
Mattarella-Micke, A. (2011). Choke or thrive? The relation between salivary cortisol and math performance depends on individual differences in working memory and math-anxiety. Emotion, 11(4), 1000–1005.