Resources
Authors & Affiliations
Zsofia Kovacs-Balint, Trina Jonesteller, Kelly Bailey, Aaron C Gray, Jose Acevedo, Adway Gopakumar, Khadeeja Shabbir, Andrew Wang, Rachel Kim, Roza Vlasova, Martin Styner, Eric Feczko, Eric Earl, Damien Fair, Jessica Raper, Jocelyne Bachevalier, Maria Alvarado, Mar Sanchez
Abstract
This study examined the long-term effects of low social status on adult prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (HIPPO) structure, functional connectivity and cognitive function using a translational rhesus monkey model.Twenty seven female rhesus monkeys (13 dominant -DOM-, 14 subordinate -SUB-) received structural- and resting-state functional MRI scans to examine the volume of and functional connectivity (FC) between HIPPO and PFC subregions important for executive function, working memory and reward monitoring (dorsolateral PFC(dlPFC) -Area 46-; orbitofrontal cortex(OFC) -Area 13-; medial PFC(mPFC) -Areas 14,25).Our findings show region-specific effects of social status, with bigger HIPPO (F(1,24)=4.824, p=0.038), right OFC (F(1,23)=5.905, p=0.023) and mPFC Area25 in SUB than DOM animals (F(1,24)=4.964, p=0.036). FC between left HIPPO-OFC was also more negatively coupled in SUB than DOM macaques (F(1,10)=3.712, p=0.08). These subjects were also assessed for executive function and cognitive flexibility using an Intra-/Extra-Dimensional (ID/ED) task. Monkeys learned in order: a simple discrimination, three reversal stages, compound stimulus discrimination, intradimensional (ID) shift and extradimensional (ED) shift. Preliminary findings show a positive correlation between OFC volume and Errors during the second reversal (Spearman’s rho=0.727, p=0.011), between the right HIPPO-OFC FC and Errors in the ID-shift (rho=0.810, p=0.015), and a negative correlation between the left HIPPO-mPFC (Area25) FC and Errors in the ID-shift (rho=-0.786, p=0.021).Overall, these findings suggest long-term effects of social status on adult prefrontal and hippocampal structure and connectivity and related cognitive function, suggesting the possibility of long-term neurostructural adaptations in primates with low social status to increase survival in challenging social environments.