Role of microstructural white matter changes of somatosensory cortex in stress among non-clinical population: a diffusion tensor imaging study

INTRODUCTION Stress is a common response to stressors or perceived threats, resulting in physical, affective, and cognitive changes. Emotional processing is closely linked to interpretations of physiological changes, which largely depend on the somatosensory cortex, including the postcentral gyrus. The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between stress and alterations in the microstructure of white matter in the somatosensory cortex among a healthy, non-clinical population. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 30 participants were recruited. Stress levels were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) questionnaire. All participants underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain scanning, with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) used to evaluate white matter integrity. The association between stress scores from DASS-21 and DTI parameters was analyzed. RESULTS A significant negative relationship was observed between stress scores and fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the left postcentral gyrus (r = -0.393, p = 0.032), suggesting that stress has an early detrimental effect on this region. However, no significant correlation was found in the right postcentral gyrus (r = -0.300, p = 0.107). CONCLUSION The findings indicate that stress may lead to early impairments in the microstructure of the somatosensory cortex, particularly in the left postcentral gyrus. These alterations were identified using the DTI technique. The presence of white matter microstructural changes before clinical onset suggests that these alterations may serve as a promising biomarker for early identification and treatment in the non-clinical population.