Functional Brain Connectivity During Stress Induction and Recovery: Normal Subjects

This study aimed to compare the changes in brain functional connectivity between states of stress induction and recovery in mentally stable, healthy individuals to investigate the effects of stress on brain networks. We selected a stable group comprising 20 healthy adults with Perceived Stress Scale scores of 0–13 points and a mean age of 24.4 ± 4.3 years. We used the Montreal Imaging Stress Task to induce stress and captured images of the brain using a 3T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. We analyzed the region of interest (ROI)-to-ROI connectivity and compared the differences in functional connectivity between the stress and recovery phases. In the stress state, we observed increased connectivity between the dorsal attention and sensorimotor networks and between the visual and default mode networks. In the recovery state, the default mode network became reactivated, and connectivity supporting self-referential thinking and stability was observed. The connectivities observed only in the recovery phase were Language.pSTG (R)—DefaultMode.LP (R) and DefaultMode.LP (R)—Visual.Lateral (R). Our findings provide important basic data for the development of stress management and recovery strategies. By assessing healthy individuals, our findings provide new perspectives on stress resilience in the brain.