Disinhibition of right inferior frontal gyrus underlies alpha asymmetry in women with low testosterone

Justin Riddle; David R Rubinow; Susan Girdler; Flavio Frohlich

doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108061

Disinhibition of right inferior frontal gyrus underlies alpha asymmetry in women with low testosterone

Biol Psychol. 2021 Apr:161:108061. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108061. Epub 2021 Mar 8.

Authors

Justin Riddle¹, David R Rubinow², Susan Girdler³, Flavio Frohlich⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 304 MacNider Hall, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Center for Women's Mood Disorders, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Neurosciences Hospital, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 6201 Mary Ellen Jones Building, 116 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA. Electronic address: justin_riddle@med.unc.edu.
² Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 304 MacNider Hall, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Center for Women's Mood Disorders, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Neurosciences Hospital, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA. Electronic address: david_rubinow@med.unc.edu.
³ Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 304 MacNider Hall, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Center for Women's Mood Disorders, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Neurosciences Hospital, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA. Electronic address: susan_girdler@med.unc.edu.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 304 MacNider Hall, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 6201 Mary Ellen Jones Building, 116 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 170 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 5200 Medical Biomolecular Research Building, 111 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 10010 Mary Ellen Jones, 116 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 116 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA. Electronic address: flavio_frohlich@med.unc.edu.

Abstract

Asymmetrical expression of alpha oscillations in the frontal cortex, increased left relative to right, is a phenotype associated with increased behavioral inhibition and mood-related psychiatric illnesses. However, investigations of frontal alpha asymmetry in mood-disorders have yielded inconsistent findings. A better understanding of factors that contribute to individual differences is required to establish a useful biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of mood and stress related disorders. A novel factor is hormone concentration, as steroid hormones play a prominent role in regulating mood and stress. To investigate this question, concentrations of testosterone and estradiol were sampled. Multiple linear regression revealed that low levels of testosterone correlated with greater frontal alpha asymmetry in women. Source localization found that frontal asymmetry was driven by decreased alpha power in right inferior frontal gyrus that correlated with increased behavioral inhibition in women. Together, these findings might explain inconsistencies in previous investigation on frontal alpha asymmetry.

Keywords: Alpha asymmetry; Behavioral inhibition; EEG; Estradiol; Source localization; Testosterone.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Alpha Rhythm*
Electroencephalography*
Female
Frontal Lobe / diagnostic imaging
Functional Laterality
Humans
Prefrontal Cortex
Testosterone

Substances

Testosterone

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding