Higher hypothalamic and hippocampal neural activity in type A than type B women

The type A behavior characterized by hostility, competitiveness and time urgency, as compared to its type B counterpart, is associated with increased responsiveness in peripheral measures of the pituitary adrenal and cortical responses as well as in the autonomic nervous system. The aim of the present report was to study central neural activity in type A and B women. Positron emission tomography and [15O]-butanol was used to measure regional cerebral blood (rCBF) during a neutral videotaped park scene. Absolute rCBF was higher among type A than type B women bilaterally in the hypothalamus, and the hippocampus. Absolute rCBF was similar in the putamen, the caudate nucleus, the anterior cingulate gyrus, the secondary visual cortex, the prefrontal, the orbitofrontal and the temporopolar cortex. This supports the view that differences in subcortical neural activity between type A and B individuals may underlie differences in autonomic nervous system regulation and contribute to the increased risk for cardiovascular disease associated with type A behavior.