Relation between mental stress-induced prefrontal cortex activity and skin conditions: A near-infrared spectroscopy study

• Published in: Brain research 2007-12, Vol.1184, p.210-216
• Main Authors: Tanida, Masahiro, Katsuyama, Masako, Sakatani, Kaoru
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acne vulgaris; Adult; Anatomical correlates of behavior; Autonomic nervous system; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Functional Laterality; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heart Rate - physiology; Hemerythrin - metabolism; Humans; Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal system; Mental Processes - physiology; Mental stress; Neurology; NIRS; Oxyhemoglobins - metabolism; Peripheral nervous system. Autonomic nervous system. Neuromuscular transmission. Ganglionic transmission. Electric organ; Prefrontal cortex; Prefrontal Cortex - physiopathology; Propionibacterium acnes; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Skin Physiological Phenomena; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; Stress, Psychological - pathology; Stress, Psychological - physiopathology; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2007.09.058

Abstract Although psychological stress affects skin condition, the neurophysiological mechanism involved is unclear. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between skin condition and left/right asymmetry in prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity during mental stress tasks since recent studies have suggested that the right PFC dominates the regulation of the stress response system, including the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. Using near-infrared spectroscopy, we measured hemoglobin concentration changes in the bilateral PFC during a mental arithmetic task in normal adults and evaluated the laterality scores (i.e., [(right − left) / (right + left)]) of oxyhemoglobin concentration changes. Elicitation of stress was verified by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and heart rate. The sebum levels and Propionibacterium acnes populations in the facial skin were measured before the task. The task significantly increased the STAI-II scores ( p = 0.00079) and heart rate ( p = 0.0000049). The oxyhemoglobin concentration increased in the bilateral PFC during the task, associated with a decrease in deoxyhemoglobin concentration. The laterality scores of oxyhemoglobin concentration changes were positively correlated with sebum levels ( r = + 0.50, p = 0.026) and P. acnes populations ( r = + 0.49, p = 0.029) in the facial skin before the task. There was a significant positive correlation between heart rate changes and the laterality scores of oxyhemoglobin concentration changes ( r = + 0.54, p = 0.015). These results demonstrate that the subjects with higher sebum levels and higher P. acnes populations in the facial skin have a right dominant PFC activity during a mental stress task and suggest that such subjects are sensitive to mental stress associated with hyperactivity of the stress response system, including the HPA axis system.