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Lukow PB, Lowther M, Pike AC, Yamamori Y, Chavanne AV, Gormley S, Aylward J, McCloud T, Goble T, Rodriguez-Sanchez J, Tuominen EW, Buehler SK, Kirk P, Robinson OJ. Amygdala activity after subchronic escitalopram administration in healthy volunteers: A pharmaco-functional magnetic resonance imaging study. J Psychopharmacol 2024:2698811241286773. [PMID: 39364684 DOI: 10.1177/02698811241286773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used for the treatment of several conditions including anxiety disorders, but the basic neurobiology of serotonin function remains unclear. The amygdala and prefrontal cortex are strongly innervated by serotonergic projections and have been suggested to play an important role in anxiety expression. However, serotonergic function in behaviour and SSRI-mediated neurobiological changes remain incompletely understood. AIMS To investigate the neural correlates of subchronic antidepressant administration. METHODS We investigated whether the 2- to 3-week administration of a highly selective SSRI (escitalopram) would alter brain activation on a task robustly shown to recruit the bilateral amygdala and frontal cortices in a large healthy volunteer sample. Participants performed the task during a functional magnetic resonance imaging acquisition before (n = 96) and after subchronic escitalopram (n = 46, days of administration mean (SD) = 15.7 (2.70)) or placebo (n = 40 days of administration mean (SD) = 16.2 (2.90)) self-administration. RESULTS Compared to placebo, we found an elevation in right amygdala activation to the task after escitalopram administration without significant changes in mood. This effect was not seen in the left amygdala, the dorsomedial region of interest, the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex or the right fusiform area. There were no significant changes in connectivity between the dorsomedial cortex and amygdala or the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex after escitalopram administration. CONCLUSIONS To date, this most highly powered study of subchronic SSRI administration indicates that, contrary to effects often seen in patients with anxiety disorders, subchronic SSRI treatment may increase amygdala activation in healthy controls. This finding highlights important gaps in our understanding of the functional role of serotonin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina B Lukow
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Millie Lowther
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alexandra C Pike
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology & York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, UK
| | - Yumeya Yamamori
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alice V Chavanne
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Université Paris-Saclay, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U1299 "Trajectoires Développementales Psychiatrie," Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 9010, Centre Borelli, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Siobhan Gormley
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jessica Aylward
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tayla McCloud
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- UCL Division of Psychiatry, Maple House, London, UK
| | - Talya Goble
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Julia Rodriguez-Sanchez
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ella W Tuominen
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah K Buehler
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Peter Kirk
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Oliver J Robinson
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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Langhammer T, Hilbert K, Adolph D, Arolt V, Bischoff S, Böhnlein J, Cwik JC, Dannlowski U, Deckert J, Domschke K, Evens R, Fydrich T, Gathmann B, Hamm AO, Heinig I, Herrmann MJ, Hollandt M, Junghoefer M, Kircher T, Koelkebeck K, Leehr EJ, Lotze M, Margraf J, Mumm JLM, Pittig A, Plag J, Richter J, Roesmann K, Ridderbusch IC, Schneider S, Schwarzmeier H, Seeger F, Siminski N, Straube T, Ströhle A, Szeska C, Wittchen HU, Wroblewski A, Yang Y, Straube B, Lueken U. Resting-state functional connectivity in anxiety disorders: a multicenter fMRI study. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02768-2. [PMID: 39367057 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02768-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2024] [Accepted: 09/25/2024] [Indexed: 10/06/2024]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders (AD) are associated with altered connectivity in large-scale intrinsic brain networks. It remains uncertain how much these signatures overlap across different phenotypes due to a lack of well-powered cross-disorder comparisons. We used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) to investigate differences in functional connectivity (FC) in a cross-disorder sample of AD patients and healthy controls (HC). Before treatment, 439 patients from two German multicenter clinical trials at eight different sites fulfilling a primary diagnosis of panic disorder and/or agoraphobia (PD/AG, N = 154), social anxiety disorder (SAD, N = 95), or specific phobia (SP, N = 190) and 105 HC underwent an 8 min rsfMRI assessment. We performed categorical and dimensional regions of interest (ROI)-to-ROI analyses focusing on connectivity between regions of the defensive system and prefrontal regulation areas. AD patients showed increased connectivity between the insula and the thalamus compared to controls. This was mainly driven by PD/AG patients who showed increased (insula/hippocampus/amygdala-thalamus) and decreased (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex/periaqueductal gray-anterior cingulate cortex) positive connectivity between subcortical and cortical areas. In contrast, SAD patients showed decreased negative connectivity exclusively in cortical areas (insula-orbitofrontal cortex), whereas no differences were found in SP patients. State anxiety associated with the scanner environment did not explain the FC between these regions. Only PD/AG patients showed pronounced connectivity changes along a widespread subcortical-cortical network, including the midbrain. Dimensional analyses yielded no significant results. The results highlighting categorical differences between ADs at a systems neuroscience level are discussed within the context of personalized neuroscience-informed treatments. PROTECT-AD's registration at NIMH Protocol Registration System: 01EE1402A and German Register of Clinical Studies: DRKS00008743. SpiderVR's registration at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03208400.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till Langhammer
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Kevin Hilbert
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, HMU Health and Medical University Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany
| | - Dirk Adolph
- Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Volker Arolt
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Sophie Bischoff
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Joscha Böhnlein
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jan C Cwik
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jürgen Deckert
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Ricarda Evens
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Fydrich
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bettina Gathmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Alfons O Hamm
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Ingmar Heinig
- Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin J Herrmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Maike Hollandt
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Markus Junghoefer
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katja Koelkebeck
- LVR-University Hospital Essen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
| | - Elisabeth J Leehr
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Martin Lotze
- Functional Imaging Unit, Diagnostic Radiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jürgen Margraf
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jennifer L M Mumm
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andre Pittig
- Translational Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jens Plag
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Mental Health and Behavioral Medicine, HMU Health and Medical University, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Jan Richter
- Department of Experimental Psychopathology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
| | - Kati Roesmann
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Institute for Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy in Childhood and Adolescence, University of Osnabrueck, Osnabruck, Germany
| | - Isabelle C Ridderbusch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Silvia Schneider
- Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Hanna Schwarzmeier
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Fabian Seeger
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Niklas Siminski
- Center for Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Straube
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Andreas Ströhle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Szeska
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Department of Biological Psychology and Affective Science, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Hans-Ulrich Wittchen
- Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Muenchen, Munich, Germany
| | - Adrian Wroblewski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Yunbo Yang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Experimental Psychopathology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
| | - Benjamin Straube
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Lueken
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Berlin/Potsdam, Berlin, Germany
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Azriel O, Arad G, Tik N, Weiser M, Bloch M, Garber E, Lazarov A, Pine DS, Tavor I, Bar-Haim Y. Neural activation changes following attention bias modification treatment or a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for social anxiety disorder. Psychol Med 2024:1-13. [PMID: 39252484 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291724001521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Delineation of changes in neural function associated with novel and established treatments for social anxiety disorder (SAD) can advance treatment development. We examined such changes following selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and attention bias modification (ABM) variant - gaze-contingent music reward therapy (GC-MRT), a first-line and an emerging treatments for SAD. METHODS Eighty-one patients with SAD were allocated to 12-week treatments of either SSRI or GC-MRT, or waitlist (ns = 22, 29, and 30, respectively). Baseline and post-treatment functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were collected during a social-threat processing task, in which attention was directed toward and away from threat/neutral faces. RESULTS Patients who received GC-MRT or SSRI showed greater clinical improvement relative to patients in waitlist. Compared to waitlist patients, treated patients showed greater activation increase in the right inferior frontal gyrus and anterior cingulate cortex when instructed to attend toward social threats and away from neutral stimuli. An additional anterior cingulate cortex cluster differentiated between the two active groups. Activation in this region increased in ABM and decreased in SSRI. In the ABM group, symptom change was positively correlated with neural activation change in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS Brain function measures show both shared and treatment-specific changes following ABM and SSRI treatments for SAD, highlighting the multiple pathways through which the two treatments might work. Treatment-specific neural responses suggest that patients with SAD who do not fully benefit from SSRI or ABM may potentially benefit from the alternative treatment, or from a combination of the two. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT03346239. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03346239.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Azriel
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Gal Arad
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Niv Tik
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Mark Weiser
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Miki Bloch
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Psychiatric Department, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Eddie Garber
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Psychiatric Department, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amit Lazarov
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Daniel S Pine
- Section on Developmental Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ido Tavor
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yair Bar-Haim
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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4
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Roberts AC, Mulvihill KG. Multiple faces of anxiety: a frontal lobe perspective. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:708-721. [PMID: 39127569 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Marked dysregulation of the human prefrontal cortex (PFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) characterises a variety of anxiety disorders, and its amelioration is a key feature of treatment success. Overall treatment response, however, is highly variable, and about a third of patients are resistant to treatment. In this review we hypothesise that a major contributor to this variation in treatment response are the multiple faces of anxiety induced by distinct forms of frontal cortex dysregulation. Comparison of findings from humans and non-human primates reveals marked similarity in the functional organisation of threat regulation across the frontal lobes. This organisation is discussed in relation to the 'predatory imminence continuum' model of threat and the differential engagement of executive functions at the core of both emotion generation and regulation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela C Roberts
- Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Kevin G Mulvihill
- Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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5
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Nagano T, Kurita K, Yoshida T, Matsumoto K, Ota J, Chhatkuli RB, Shimizu E, Hirano Y. Comparison of Resting-State Functional Connectivity Between Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder: Differences in the Nucleus Accumbens and Thalamus Network. Brain Connect 2024. [PMID: 39135472 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2024.0034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) are distinguished by whether anxiety is limited to social situations. However, reports on the differences in brain functional networks between GAD and SAD are few. Our objective is to understand the pathogenesis of GAD and SAD by examining the differences in resting brain function between patients with GAD and SAD and healthy controls (HCs). Methods: This study included 21 patients with SAD, 17 patients with GAD, and 30 HCs. Participants underwent psychological assessments and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Whole-brain analyses were performed to compare resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) among the groups. In addition, logistic regression analysis was conducted on the rsFC to identify significant differences between GAD and SAD. Results: Patients with SAD and GAD had significantly higher rsFC between the bilateral postcentral gyri and bilateral amygdalae/thalami than HCs. Compared with patients with SAD, those with GAD had significantly higher rsFC between the right nucleus accumbens and bilateral thalami and between the left nucleus accumbens and right thalamus. rsFC between the left nucleus accumbens and right thalamus positively correlated with state anxiety in patients with SAD and GAD, respectively. In addition, logistic regression analysis revealed that the right nucleus accumbens and the right thalamus connectivity could distinguish SAD from GAD. Conclusions: GAD and SAD were distinguished by the right nucleus accumbens and the right thalamus connectivity. Our findings offer insights into the disease-specific neural basis of SAD and GAD. Clinical Trial Registration Number: M10545. Impact Statement This study is the first to identify a resting state functional connectivity that distinguishes social anxiety disorder (SAD) from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and to clarify a common connectivity in both disorders. We found that the connectivity between the right nucleus accumbens and the right thalamus differentiated SAD from GAD. Furthermore, these rsFC differences suggest an underlying basis for fear overgeneralization. Our findings shed light on the pathophysiology of these conditions and could be used as a basis for further studies to improve outcomes for such patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Nagano
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Kohei Kurita
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Tokiko Yoshida
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Koji Matsumoto
- Department of Radiology, Chiba University Hospital, Chiba, Japan
| | - Junko Ota
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Institute for Quantum Medical Science, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ritu Bhusal Chhatkuli
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Institute for Quantum Medical Science, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Eiji Shimizu
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Institute for Quantum Medical Science, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
- Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Hirano
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Institute for Quantum Medical Science, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
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Hornstein E, Lazar L, Eisenberger N. Loneliness and the persistence of fear: Perceived social isolation reduces evaluative fear extinction. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303895. [PMID: 39159214 PMCID: PMC11333009 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Loneliness has been linked to a host of harmful physical and mental health outcomes, detrimental effects that may stem from increases in threat-responding caused by altered fear learning in lonely individuals. In particular, the heightened threat-vigilance that is a hallmark of loneliness may augment the processes by which fear learning occurs, ultimately resulting in a greater number of perceived threatening cues in the environment. However, almost no research has examined how loneliness alters fear learning processes in humans. Here, we investigated the effect of loneliness on fear learning during an evaluative learning procedure in which participants (n = 782) were taught to associate fearful, positive, or neutral control stimuli with neutral images. Results showed that reduced extinction of evaluative fear associations occurred in high (vs. low) lonely individuals, but there was no difference in extinction of evaluative appetitive (also known as positive or reward) associations, suggesting this effect is specific to fear learning. In addition to shedding light on the link between loneliness and poor health, these results represent an important step forward in the growing understanding of the powerful impact of social bonds on fear learning processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Hornstein
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Lee Lazar
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Naomi Eisenberger
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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7
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Zhang X, Wu B, Yang X, Kemp GJ, Wang S, Gong Q. Abnormal large-scale brain functional network dynamics in social anxiety disorder. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14904. [PMID: 39107947 PMCID: PMC11303268 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
AIMS Although static abnormalities of functional brain networks have been observed in patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD), the brain connectome dynamics at the macroscale network level remain obscure. We therefore used a multivariate data-driven method to search for dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) alterations in SAD. METHODS We conducted spatial independent component analysis, and used a sliding-window approach with a k-means clustering algorithm, to characterize the recurring states of brain resting-state networks; then state transition metrics and FNC strength in the different states were compared between SAD patients and healthy controls (HC), and the relationship to SAD clinical characteristics was explored. RESULTS Four distinct recurring states were identified. Compared with HC, SAD patients demonstrated higher fractional windows and mean dwelling time in the highest-frequency State 3, representing "widely weaker" FNC, but lower in States 2 and 4, representing "locally stronger" and "widely stronger" FNC, respectively. In State 1, representing "widely moderate" FNC, SAD patients showed decreased FNC mainly between the default mode network and the attention and perceptual networks. Some aberrant dFNC signatures correlated with illness duration. CONCLUSION These aberrant patterns of brain functional synchronization dynamics among large-scale resting-state networks may provide new insights into the neuro-functional underpinnings of SAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Research Unit of PsychoradiologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesChengduChina
| | - Baolin Wu
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Xun Yang
- School of Public AffairsChongqing UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Graham J. Kemp
- Liverpool Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre (LiMRIC) and Institute of Life Course and Medical SciencesUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Song Wang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Research Unit of PsychoradiologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesChengduChina
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Research Unit of PsychoradiologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesChengduChina
- Department of RadiologyWest China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan UniversityXiamenChina
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8
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Hong Y, Hu J, Zhang S, Liu J, Yan F, Yang H, Hu H. Integrative analysis identifies region- and sex-specific gene networks and Mef2c as a mediator of anxiety-like behavior. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114455. [PMID: 38990717 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms underlying multi-brain region origins and sexual dimorphism of anxiety remain unclear. Here, we leverage large-scale transcriptomics from seven brain regions in mouse models of anxiety and extensive experiments to dissect brain-region- and sex-specific gene networks. We identify 4,840 genes with sex-specific expression alterations across seven brain regions, organized into ten network modules with sex-biased expression patterns. Modular analysis prioritizes 86 sex-specific mediators of anxiety susceptibility, including myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2c (Mef2c) in the CA3 region of male mice. Mef2c expression is decreased in the pyramidal neurons (PyNs) of susceptible male mice. Up-regulating Mef2c in CA3 PyNs significantly alleviates anxiety-like behavior, whereas down-regulating Mef2c induces anxiety-like behavior in male mice. The anxiolytic effect of Mef2c up-regulation is associated with enhanced neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission. In summary, this study uncovers brain-region- and sex-specific networks and identifies Mef2c in CA3 PyNs as a critical mediator of anxiety in male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhou Hong
- Research Center of Biostatistics and Computational Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China; State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiameng Hu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Chongqing Innovation Institute of China Pharmaceutical University, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shiya Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China; College of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiaxin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China; College of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fangrong Yan
- Research Center of Biostatistics and Computational Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hua Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Haiyang Hu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Chongqing Innovation Institute of China Pharmaceutical University, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China; Central Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Mizumoto T, Ikei H, Hagiwara K, Matsubara T, Higuchi F, Kobayashi M, Yamashina T, Sasaki J, Yamada N, Higuchi N, Haraga K, Kirihara F, Okabe E, Asai K, Hirotsu M, Chen C, Miyazaki Y, Nakagawa S. Mood and physiological effects of visual stimulation with images of the natural environment in individuals with depressive and anxiety disorders. J Affect Disord 2024; 356:257-266. [PMID: 38588725 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nature therapies are gaining attention as non-pharmacological treatments for depressive and anxiety disorders, but research on their effectiveness in patients is limited. This study investigates the mood-improving effects of visual stimulation with natural environmental images in patients with depressive and anxiety disorders. METHODS We conducted a randomized crossover comparison trial involving 60 right-handed adult participants with depressive or anxiety disorders and receiving outpatient treatment. Visual stimuli of natural environments consisted of green-themed nature images, while the control stimuli featured urban scenes dominated by buildings. The stimulation lasted for 3 min, during which orbital prefrontal brain activity was measured using a 2-channel Near-infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) system, and heart rate variability was assessed using fingertip accelerated plethysmography. RESULTS Mood enhancement effects were observed in both the depressive and anxiety disorder groups following visual stimulation with nature images. In the depression group, orbital prefrontal oxygenated hemoglobin concentration significantly increased after visual stimulation with nature images, while there were no significant changes in the anxiety group. However, in the anxiety group, a correlation was found between reduced orbital prefrontal oxygenated hemoglobin in response to nature images and increased mood-enhancement. Furthermore, the severity of depressive symptoms did not significantly affect the intervention effects, whereas heightened anxiety symptoms was associated with a smaller mood enhancement effect. DISCUSSION Our study demonstrates the benefits of nature image stimulation for patients with depressive and anxiety disorders. Differential orbital prefrontal brain activity impacts notwithstanding, both conditions exhibited mood enhancement, affirming the value of nature image stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Mizumoto
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
| | - Harumi Ikei
- Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kosuke Hagiwara
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
| | - Toshio Matsubara
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
| | - Fumihiro Higuchi
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
| | - Masaaki Kobayashi
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
| | - Takahiro Yamashina
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
| | - Jun Sasaki
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan; Koryo Hospital, Ube, Japan
| | - Norihiro Yamada
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
| | - Naoko Higuchi
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
| | - Kenichi Haraga
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Kirihara
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
| | - Emi Okabe
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
| | - Kumi Asai
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
| | - Masako Hirotsu
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
| | - Chong Chen
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan.
| | - Yoshifumi Miyazaki
- Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shin Nakagawa
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
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Fuchshuber J, Andres D, Prandstätter T, Roithmeier L, Schmautz B, Schwerdtfeger A, Unterrainer HF. Influence of anxious attachment on the relationship between primary emotions and substance-related addictive behaviors. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1380539. [PMID: 38952738 PMCID: PMC11215174 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1380539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives To date there is no universally accepted model that describes the development of substance related addictive behavior. In order to address this gap, the study sought to examine whether the association between primary emotions and the inclination toward addictive behavior is mediated by an anxious attachment style. Methods The total sample consisted of 900 German speaking non-clinical adults (age: M = 27; SD = 9.60; 71.6% female). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to examine the connection between the primary emotions (SADNESS and ANGER), and the latent variables attachment anxiety and symptoms of addictive behavior. Results Substance use symptomatology was correlated with higher attachment anxiety (r = 0.15), SADNESS (r = 0.15), and ANGER (r = 0.11). The effect of SADNESS on addictive behavior is mediated by attachment anxiety (p < 0.01) whereas ANGER had a direct effect on addictive behavior (p < 0.01). The final SEM explains 4% of the variance of addictive behaviors and 22% of attachment anxiety. Conclusion Our findings suggest that both SADNESS and ANGER, along with attachment anxiety, are dispositions that contribute to the risk of engaging in addictive behavior. However, while ANGER directly influences addictive behavior, SADNESS acts through its impact on attachment anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Fuchshuber
- Center for Integrative Addiction Research (CIAR), Grüner Kreis Society, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Deborah Andres
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Lisa Roithmeier
- Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Beate Schmautz
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Human-Friedrich Unterrainer
- Center for Integrative Addiction Research (CIAR), Grüner Kreis Society, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
- Department of Religious Studies, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Faculty of Psychotherapy Science, Sigmund Freud University, Vienna, Austria
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Lozano-Ortiz K, Felix-Ortiz AC, Terrell JM, Ramos AR, Rodriguez-Romaguera J, Burgos-Robles A. The prelimbic prefrontal cortex mediates the development of lasting social phobia as a consequence of social threat conditioning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.04.597446. [PMID: 38895224 PMCID: PMC11185685 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.04.597446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Social phobia is highly detrimental for social behavior, mental health, and productivity. Despite much previous research, the behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms associated with the development of social phobia remain elusive. To investigate these issues, the present study implemented a mouse model of social threat conditioning in which mice received electric shock punishment upon interactions with unfamiliar conspecifics. This resulted in immediate reductions in social behavior and robust increases in defensive mechanisms such as avoidance, freezing, darting, and ambivalent stretched posture. Furthermore, social deficits lasted for prolonged periods and were independent of contextual settings, sex variables, or particular identity of the social stimuli. Shedding new light into the neurobiological factors contributing to this phenomenon, we found that optogenetic silencing of the prelimbic (PL), but not the infralimbic (IL), subregion of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during training led to subsequent forgetting and development of lasting social phobia. Similarly, pharmacological inhibition of NMDARs in PL also impaired the development of social phobia. These findings are consistent with the notion that social-related trauma is a prominent risk factor for the development of social phobia, and that this phenomenon engages learning-related mechanisms within the prelimbic prefrontal cortex to promote prolonged representations of social threat. Abstract Figure
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12
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Lee D, Jung YH, Kim S, Lee YI, Ku J, Yoon U, Choi SH. Alterations in cortical thickness of frontoparietal regions in patients with social anxiety disorder. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2024; 340:111804. [PMID: 38460394 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2024.111804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Although functional changes of the frontal and (para)limbic area for emotional hyper-reactivity and emotional dysregulation are well documented in social anxiety disorder (SAD), prior studies on structural changes have shown mixed results. This study aimed to identify differences in cortical thickness between SAD and healthy controls (CON). Thirty-five patients with SAD and forty-two matched CON underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging. A vertex-based whole brain and regional analyses were conducted for between-group comparison. The whole-brain analysis revealed increased cortical thickness in the left insula, left superior parietal lobule, left superior temporal gyrus, and left frontopolar cortex in patients with SAD compared to CON, as well as decreased thickness in the left superior/middle frontal gyrus and left fusiform gyrus in patients (after multiple-correction). The results from the ROI analysis did not align with these findings at the statistically significant level after multiple corrections. Changes in cortical thickness were not correlated with social anxiety symptoms. While consistent results were not obtained from different analysis methods, the results from the whole-brain analysis suggest that patients with SAD exhibit distinct neural deficits in areas involved in salience, attention, and socioemotional processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dasom Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, SNU-MRC, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ye-Ha Jung
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Suhyun Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonji Irene Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeonghun Ku
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Keimyung University, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Uicheul Yoon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea.
| | - Soo-Hee Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, SNU-MRC, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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13
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Gong M, Pan C, Pan R, Wang X, Wang J, Xu H, Hu Y, Wang J, Jia K, Chen Q. Distinct patterns of monocular advantage for facial emotions in social anxiety. J Anxiety Disord 2024; 104:102871. [PMID: 38723406 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2024.102871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Individuals with social anxiety often exhibit atypical processing of facial expressions. Previous research in social anxiety has primarily emphasized cognitive bias associated with face processing and the corresponding abnormalities in cortico-limbic circuitry, yet whether social anxiety influences early perceptual processing of emotional faces remains largely unknown. We used a psychophysical method to investigate the monocular advantage for face perception (i.e., face stimuli are better recognized when presented to the same eye compared to different eyes), an effect that is indicative of early, subcortical processing of face stimuli. We compared the monocular advantage for different emotional expressions (neutral, angry and sad) in three groups (N = 24 per group): individuals clinically diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (SAD), individuals with high social anxiety in subclinical populations (SSA), and a healthy control (HC) group of individuals matched for age and gender. Compared to SSA and HC groups, we found that individuals with SAD exhibited a greater monocular advantage when processing neutral and sad faces. While the magnitudes of monocular advantages were similar across three groups when processing angry faces, individuals with SAD performed better in this condition when the faces were presented to different eye. The former findings suggest that social anxiety leads to an enhanced role of subcortical structures in processing nonthreatening expressions. The latter findings, on the other hand, likely reflect an enhanced cortical processing of threatening expressions in SAD group. These distinct patterns of monocular advantage indicate that social anxiety altered representation of emotional faces at various stages of information processing, starting at an early stage of the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyuan Gong
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chaoya Pan
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ruibo Pan
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaohua Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiafeng Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Han Xu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Psychiatry of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuzheng Hu
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Psychiatry of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ke Jia
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Qiaozhen Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.
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Hur J, Tillman RM, Kim HC, Didier P, Anderson AS, Islam S, Stockbridge MD, De Los Reyes A, DeYoung KA, Smith JF, Shackman AJ. Adolescent social anxiety is associated with diminished discrimination of anticipated threat and safety in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.30.564701. [PMID: 38853920 PMCID: PMC11160578 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.30.564701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Social anxiety-which typically emerges in adolescence-lies on a continuum and, when extreme, can be devastating. Socially anxious individuals are prone to heightened fear, anxiety, and the avoidance of contexts associated with potential social scrutiny. Yet most neuroimaging research has focused on acute social threat. Much less attention has been devoted to understanding the neural systems recruited during the uncertain anticipation of potential encounters with social threat. Here we used a novel fMRI paradigm to probe the neural circuitry engaged during the anticipation and acute presentation of threatening faces and voices in a racially diverse sample of 66 adolescents selectively recruited to encompass a range of social anxiety and enriched for clinically significant levels of distress and impairment. Results demonstrated that adolescents with more severe social anxiety symptoms experience heightened distress when anticipating encounters with social threat, and reduced discrimination of uncertain social threat and safety in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), a key division of the central extended amygdala (EAc). Although the EAc-including the BST and central nucleus of the amygdala-was robustly engaged by the acute presentation of threatening faces and voices, the degree of EAc engagement was unrelated to the severity of social anxiety. Together, these observations provide a neurobiologically grounded framework for conceptualizing adolescent social anxiety and set the stage for the kinds of prospective-longitudinal and mechanistic research that will be necessary to determine causation and, ultimately, to develop improved interventions for this often-debilitating illness.
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15
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Gomaa YS, Awad MI, Emara T, Elbokl A, Al-Yahya E, ElMeligie MM. Role of virtual reality in examining the effect of fear of falling (FOF) on postural stability in individuals without and with Parkinson's disease in Egypt: a mixed-methods feasibility study protocol. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e080592. [PMID: 38692713 PMCID: PMC11086402 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-080592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Falls are common in older people and individuals with neurological conditions. Parkinson's disease (PD) is known for postural instability causing mobility disabilities, falls and reduced quality of life. The fear of falling (FOF), a natural response to unstable balance, can worsen postural control problems. Evaluating FOF relies largely on affected persons' subjective accounts due to limited objective assessment methods available. The aim of this mixed-methods feasibility study is to develop an assessment method for FOF while in motion and walking within virtual environments. This study will assess a range of FOF-related responses, including cognitive factors, neuromuscular response and postural stability. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This feasibility study will consist of four phases: the first two phases will include people without PD, while the other two will include people diagnosed with PD. Participants will be assessed for direct and indirect responses to real life, as well as virtual environment walking scenarios that may induce FOF. Data from questionnaires, different neurophysiological assessments, movement and gait parameters, alongside evaluations of usability and acceptability, will be collected. Semistructured interviews involving both participants and research assistants shall take place to elicit their experiences throughout different phases of the assessments undertaken. Demographic data, the scores of assessment scales, as well as feasibility, usability and acceptability of the measurement methods, will be illustrated via descriptive statistics. Movement and gait outcomes, together with neurophysiological data, will be extracted and calculated. Exploring relationships between different factors in the study will be achieved using a regression model. Thematic analysis will be the approach used to manage qualitative data. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This feasibility study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Physical Therapy, Kafr El Sheikh University, Egypt (number: P.T/NEUR/3/2023/46). The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT05931692).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine S Gomaa
- Department of Physical Therapy for Neuromuscular Disorders, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Kafr Elsheikh University, Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt
- Department of Physical Therapy for Neuromuscular Disorders, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Ahram Canadian University, 6th of October, Egypt
| | - Mohammed I Awad
- Department of Mechatronics, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
- Human Mechatronics Lab, Ain Shams Virtual Hospital, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Tamer Emara
- Human Mechatronics Lab, Ain Shams Virtual Hospital, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
- Department of Neurology, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Elbokl
- Human Mechatronics Lab, Ain Shams Virtual Hospital, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
- Department of Neurology, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Emad Al-Yahya
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
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Camacho MC, Balser DH, Furtado EJ, Rogers CE, Schwarzlose RF, Sylvester CM, Barch DM. Higher Intersubject Variability in Neural Response to Narrative Social Stimuli Among Youth With Higher Social Anxiety. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 63:549-560. [PMID: 38070872 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Social anxiety is associated with alterations in socioemotional processing, but the pathophysiology remains poorly understood. Movies present an opportunity to examine more naturalistic socioemotional processing by providing narrative and sensory context to emotion cues. This study aimed to characterize associations between neural response to contextualized social cues and social anxiety symptoms in children. METHOD Data from the Healthy Brain Network (final N = 740; age range 5-15 years) were split into discovery and replication samples to maximize generalizability of findings. Associations of parent- and self-reported social anxiety (Screen for Child Anxiety-related Emotional Disorders) with mean differences and person-to-person variability in functional magnetic resonance imaging-measured activation to 2 emotionally dynamic movies were characterized. RESULTS Though no evidence was found to indicate social anxiety symptoms were associated with mean differences in neural activity to emotional content (fit Spearman rs < 0.09), children with high social anxiety symptoms had higher intersubject activation variability in the posterior cingulate, supramarginal gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus (Bonferroni familywise error-corrected ps < .05)-regions associated with attention, alertness, and emotion cue processing. Identified regions varied by age group and informant. Across ages, these effects were enhanced for scenes containing greater sensory intensity (brighter, louder, more motion, more vibrance). CONCLUSION These results provide evidence that children with high social anxiety symptoms show high person-to-person variability in the neural processing of sensory aspects of emotional content. These data indicate that children with high social anxiety may require personalized interventions for sensory and emotional difficulties, as the underlying neurology differs from child to child. DIVERSITY & INCLUSION STATEMENT One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented sexual and/or gender groups in science. One or more of the authors of this paper received support from a program designed to increase minority representation in science. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. We actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our author group. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our reference list. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our reference list.
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Ma Y, Zou Y, Liu X, Chen T, Kemp GJ, Gong Q, Wang S. Social intelligence mediates the protective role of resting-state brain activity in the social cognition network against social anxiety. PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2024; 4:kkae009. [PMID: 38799033 PMCID: PMC11119848 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkae009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Background Social intelligence refers to an important psychosocial skill set encompassing an array of abilities, including effective self-expression, understanding of social contexts, and acting wisely in social interactions. While there is ample evidence of its importance in various mental health outcomes, particularly social anxiety, little is known on the brain correlates underlying social intelligence and how it can mitigate social anxiety. Objective This research aims to investigate the functional neural markers of social intelligence and their relations to social anxiety. Methods Data of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral measures were collected from 231 normal students aged 16 to 20 years (48% male). Whole-brain voxel-wise correlation analysis was conducted to detect the functional brain clusters related to social intelligence. Correlation and mediation analyses explored the potential role of social intelligence in the linkage of resting-state brain activities to social anxiety. Results Social intelligence was correlated with neural activities (assessed as the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations, fALFF) among two key brain clusters in the social cognition networks: negatively correlated in left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and positively correlated in right middle temporal gyrus. Further, the left SFG fALFF was positively correlated with social anxiety; brain-personality-symptom analysis revealed that this relationship was mediated by social intelligence. Conclusion These results indicate that resting-state activities in the social cognition networks might influence a person's social anxiety via social intelligence: lower left SFG activity → higher social intelligence → lower social anxiety. These may have implication for developing neurobehavioral interventions to mitigate social anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingqiao Ma
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuhan Zou
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
| | - Xiqin Liu
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Taolin Chen
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Graham J Kemp
- Liverpool Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre (LiMRIC) and Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, United Kingdom
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, China
| | - Song Wang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
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Bätz LR, Ye S, Lan X, Ziaei M. Increased functional integration of emotional control network in late adulthood. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.10.588823. [PMID: 38659752 PMCID: PMC11040603 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.10.588823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Across the adult lifespan, there are changes in how emotions are perceived and regulated. As individuals age, there is an observed improvement in emotion regulation and overall quicker recovery from negative emotions. While previous studies have shown differences in emotion processing in late adulthood, the corresponding differences in large-scale brain networks remain largely underexplored. By utilizing large-scale datasets such as the Human Connectome Project (HCP-Aging, N = 621 ) and Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN, N = 333 ), we were able to investigate how emotion regulation networks' functional topography differs across the entire adult lifespan. Based on previous meta-analytic work that identified four large-scale functional brain networks involved in emotion generation and regulation, we found an increase in the functional integration of the emotional control network among older adults. Additionally, confirming through the nonlinear model, individuals around the age of 70 showed a steadier decline in integration of a network mediating emotion generation and regulation via interoception. Furthermore, the analyses revealed a negative association between age and perceived stress and loneliness that could be attributed to differences in large-scale emotion regulation networks. Our study highlights the importance of identifying topological changes in the functional emotion network architecture across the lifespan, as it allows for a better understanding of emotional aging and psychological well-being in late adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leona Rahel Bätz
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Shuer Ye
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Xiaqing Lan
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Maryam Ziaei
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- K.G. Jebsen Centre for Alzheimer’s disease, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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Ginat-Frolich R, Gilboa-Schechtman E, Huppert JD, Aderka IM, Alden LE, Bar-Haim Y, Becker ES, Bernstein A, Geva R, Heimberg RG, Hofmann SG, Kashdan TB, Koster EHW, Lipsitz J, Maner JK, Moscovitch DA, Philippot P, Rapee RM, Roelofs K, Rodebaugh TL, Schneier FR, Schultheiss OC, Shahar B, Stangier U, Stein MB, Stopa L, Taylor CT, Weeks JW, Wieser MJ. Vulnerabilities in social anxiety: Integrating intra- and interpersonal perspectives. Clin Psychol Rev 2024; 109:102415. [PMID: 38493675 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
What are the major vulnerabilities in people with social anxiety? What are the most promising directions for translational research pertaining to this condition? The present paper provides an integrative summary of basic and applied translational research on social anxiety, emphasizing vulnerability factors. It is divided into two subsections: intrapersonal and interpersonal. The intrapersonal section synthesizes research relating to (a) self-representations and self-referential processes; (b) emotions and their regulation; and (c) cognitive biases: attention, interpretation and judgment, and memory. The interpersonal section summarizes findings regarding the systems of (a) approach and avoidance, (b) affiliation and social rank, and their implications for interpersonal impairments. Our review suggests that the science of social anxiety and, more generally, psychopathology may be advanced by examining processes and their underlying content within broad psychological systems. Increased interaction between basic and applied researchers to diversify and elaborate different perspectives on social anxiety is necessary for progress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Idan M Aderka
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Lynn E Alden
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yair Bar-Haim
- School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Eni S Becker
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Amit Bernstein
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Ronny Geva
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Israel
| | - Richard G Heimberg
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - Stefan G Hofmann
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, United States of America
| | - Todd B Kashdan
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Ernst H W Koster
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
| | | | - Jon K Maner
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Florida, United States of America
| | - David A Moscovitch
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Mental Health Research & Treatment, University of Waterloo, Canada
| | - Pierre Philippot
- Department of Psychology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
| | - Ronald M Rapee
- Centre for Emotional Health and School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands; Donders Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Thomas L Rodebaugh
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Franklin R Schneier
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Ben Shahar
- The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ulrich Stangier
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Murray B Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, United States of America
| | - Lusia Stopa
- Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Charles T Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry and School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, United States of America
| | - Justin W Weeks
- Department of Psychology, Nebraska Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Matthias J Wieser
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
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20
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Zhang N, Chen S, Jiang K, Ge W, Im H, Guan S, Li Z, Wei C, Wang P, Zhu Y, Zhao G, Liu L, Chen C, Chang H, Wang Q. Individualized prediction of anxiety and depressive symptoms using gray matter volume in a non-clinical population. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae121. [PMID: 38584086 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Machine learning is an emerging tool in clinical psychology and neuroscience for the individualized prediction of psychiatric symptoms. However, its application in non-clinical populations is still in its infancy. Given the widespread morphological changes observed in psychiatric disorders, our study applies five supervised machine learning regression algorithms-ridge regression, support vector regression, partial least squares regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, and Elastic-Net regression-to predict anxiety and depressive symptom scores. We base these predictions on the whole-brain gray matter volume in a large non-clinical sample (n = 425). Our results demonstrate that machine learning algorithms can effectively predict individual variability in anxiety and depressive symptoms, as measured by the Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire. The most discriminative features contributing to the prediction models were primarily located in the prefrontal-parietal, temporal, visual, and sub-cortical regions (e.g. amygdala, hippocampus, and putamen). These regions showed distinct patterns for anxious arousal and high positive affect in three of the five models (partial least squares regression, support vector regression, and ridge regression). Importantly, these predictions were consistent across genders and robust to demographic variability (e.g. age, parental education, etc.). Our findings offer critical insights into the distinct brain morphological patterns underlying specific components of anxiety and depressive symptoms, supporting the existing tripartite theory from a neuroimaging perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Zhang
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Shuning Chen
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Keying Jiang
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Wei Ge
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Hohjin Im
- Independent Researcher, United States
| | - Shunping Guan
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Zixi Li
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Chuqiao Wei
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Pinchun Wang
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Ye Zhu
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Guang Zhao
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Liqing Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Chunhui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Huibin Chang
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
- Key Laboratory of Philosophy and Social Science of Anhui Province on Adolescent Mental Health and Crisis Intelligence Intervention, Hefei Normal University, Hefei, 230061, China
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21
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Parsaei M, Hasehmi SM, Seyedmirzaei H, Cattarinussi G, Sambataro F, Brambilla P, Delvecchio G. Microstructural white matter alterations associated with social anxiety disorders: A systematic review. J Affect Disord 2024; 350:78-88. [PMID: 38220105 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by impaired social functioning that negatively impacts individuals' quality of life. Previous neuroimaging studies have revealed morphological and functional changes in various brain regions associated with SAD. Recent advances in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) have enabled the investigation of microstructural white matter (WM) alterations in SAD. This study aims to provide an overview of DTI/DWI studies exploring WM microstructure changes in SAD. METHODS A systematic search on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO was conducted for relevant records on July 8, 2023. An exploratory meta-analysis was also performed. RESULTS Eight studies were reviewed. Consistent findings indicated reduced fractional anisotropy and increased diffusivity measures in different WM tracts in SAD patients compared to healthy controls. These alterations were mostly observed within regions of the fronto-limbic network, like uncinate fasciculus (UF) and superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculi (SLF and ILF). Finally, our exploratory meta-analysis on four studies utilizing a voxel-wise analytic approach yielded no significant differences between SAD patients and controls. LIMITATIONS Limited number of studies, small sample sizes, and heterogeneity in analysis methods. CONCLUSIONS Patients with SAD exhibited altered WM integrity, particularly in the UF, SLF, and ILF, compared to healthy controls. However, due to the limited number of included studies, our meta-analysis yielded no significant differences between SAD patients and controls. Therefore, future research is crucial to unravel the link between altered WM structure and the involvement of other limbic and cortical structures in SAD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammadamin Parsaei
- Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Research Center, Family Health Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Homa Seyedmirzaei
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Research Program Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Giulia Cattarinussi
- Department of Neuroscience (DNS), Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padua, Italy; Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Fabio Sambataro
- Department of Neuroscience (DNS), Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padua, Italy; Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Delvecchio
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
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22
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Mizzi S, Pedersen M, Rossell SL, Rendell P, Terrett G, Heinrichs M, Labuschagne I. Resting-state amygdala subregion and precuneus connectivity provide evidence for a dimensional approach to studying social anxiety disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:147. [PMID: 38485930 PMCID: PMC10940725 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02844-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a prevalent and disabling mental health condition, characterized by excessive fear and anxiety in social situations. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigms have been increasingly used to understand the neurobiological underpinnings of SAD in the absence of threat-related stimuli. Previous studies have primarily focused on the role of the amygdala in SAD. However, the amygdala consists of functionally and structurally distinct subregions, and recent studies have highlighted the importance of investigating the role of these subregions independently. Using multiband fMRI, we analyzed resting-state data from 135 participants (42 SAD, 93 healthy controls). By employing voxel-wise permutation testing, we examined group differences of fMRI connectivity and associations between fMRI connectivity and social anxiety symptoms to further investigate the classification of SAD as a categorical or dimensional construct. Seed-to-whole brain functional connectivity analysis using multiple 'seeds' including the amygdala and its subregions and the precuneus, revealed no statistically significant group differences. However, social anxiety severity was significantly negatively correlated with functional connectivity of the precuneus - perigenual anterior cingulate cortex and positively correlated with functional connectivity of the amygdala (specifically the superficial subregion) - parietal/cerebellar areas. Our findings demonstrate clear links between symptomatology and brain connectivity in the absence of diagnostic differences, with evidence of amygdala subregion-specific alterations. The observed brain-symptom associations did not include disturbances in the brain's fear circuitry (i.e., disturbances in connectivity between amygdala - prefrontal regions) likely due to the absence of threat-related stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Mizzi
- School of Health and Biomedical Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Mangor Pedersen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia
- Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy, Australia
| | - Peter Rendell
- Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioral and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Australia
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Gill Terrett
- Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioral and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Australia
| | - Markus Heinrichs
- Department of Psychology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Izelle Labuschagne
- Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioral and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Australia.
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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23
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Leehr EJ, Seeger FR, Böhnlein J, Gathmann B, Straube T, Roesmann K, Junghöfer M, Schwarzmeier H, Siminski N, Herrmann MJ, Langhammer T, Goltermann J, Grotegerd D, Meinert S, Winter NR, Dannlowski U, Lueken U. Association between resting-state connectivity patterns in the defensive system network and treatment response in spider phobia-a replication approach. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:137. [PMID: 38453896 PMCID: PMC10920691 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02799-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Although highly effective on average, exposure-based treatments do not work equally well for all patients with anxiety disorders. The identification of pre-treatment response-predicting patient characteristics may enable patient stratification. Preliminary research highlights the relevance of inhibitory fronto-limbic networks as such. We aimed to identify pre-treatment neural signatures differing between exposure treatment responders and non-responders in spider phobia and to validate results through rigorous replication. Data of a bi-centric intervention study comprised clinical phenotyping and pre-treatment resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) data of n = 79 patients with spider phobia (discovery sample) and n = 69 patients (replication sample). RsFC data analyses were accomplished using the Matlab-based CONN-toolbox with harmonized analyses protocols at both sites. Treatment response was defined by a reduction of >30% symptom severity from pre- to post-treatment (Spider Phobia Questionnaire Score, primary outcome). Secondary outcome was defined by a reduction of >50% in a Behavioral Avoidance Test (BAT). Mean within-session fear reduction functioned as a process measure for exposure. Compared to non-responders and pre-treatment, results in the discovery sample seemed to indicate that responders exhibited stronger negative connectivity between frontal and limbic structures and were characterized by heightened connectivity between the amygdala and ventral visual pathway regions. Patients exhibiting high within-session fear reduction showed stronger excitatory connectivity within the prefrontal cortex than patients with low within-session fear reduction. Whereas these results could be replicated by another team using the same data (cross-team replication), cross-site replication of the discovery sample findings in the independent replication sample was unsuccessful. Results seem to support negative fronto-limbic connectivity as promising ingredient to enhance response rates in specific phobia but lack sufficient replication. Further research is needed to obtain a valid basis for clinical decision-making and the development of individually tailored treatment options. Notably, future studies should regularly include replication approaches in their protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth J Leehr
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
| | - Fabian R Seeger
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joscha Böhnlein
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Bettina Gathmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Straube
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Otto-Creutzfeld Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Kati Roesmann
- Otto-Creutzfeld Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Institute of Psychology, Unit of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy in Childhood and Adolescence, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Markus Junghöfer
- Otto-Creutzfeld Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Hanna Schwarzmeier
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Niklas Siminski
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Martin J Herrmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Till Langhammer
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Janik Goltermann
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Dominik Grotegerd
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Susanne Meinert
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nils R Winter
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Ulrike Lueken
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Berlin/Potsdam, Berlin, Germany
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24
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Sim S, Maldonado IL, Castelnau P, Barantin L, El-Hage W, Andersson F, Cottier JP. Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation and hypnosis on magnetic resonance imaging: similarities and differences. A scoping review. J Neuroradiol 2024; 51:131-144. [PMID: 37981196 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurad.2023.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mindfulness meditation (MM) and hypnosis practices are gaining interest in mental health, but their physiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study aimed to synthesize the functional, morphometric and metabolic changes associated with each practice using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to identify their similarities and differences. METHODS MRI studies investigating MM and hypnosis in mental health, specifically stress, anxiety, and depression, were systematically screened following PRISMA guidelines from four research databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO) between 2010 and 2022. RESULTS In total, 97 references met the inclusion criteria (84 for MM and 13 for hypnosis). This review showed common and divergent points regarding the regions involved and associated brain connectivity during MM practice and hypnosis. The primary commonality between mindfulness and hypnosis was decreased default mode network intrinsic activity and increased central executive network - salience network connectivity. Increased connectivity between the default mode network and the salience network was observed in meditative practice and mindfulness predisposition, but not in hypnosis. CONCLUSIONS While MRI studies provide a better understanding of the neural basis of hypnosis and meditation, this review underscores the need for more rigorous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sindy Sim
- CHRU de Tours, service de radiologie, Tours, France
| | | | - Pierre Castelnau
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France; Service de Neuropédiatrie et Handicaps, Hôpital Clocheville, CHRU, Tours, France; CUMIC, Collège Universitaire des Médecines Intégratives et Complémentaires, Nantes, France
| | | | - Wissam El-Hage
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France; CHRU de Tours, Clinique Psychiatrique Universitaire, Tours, France
| | | | - Jean-Philippe Cottier
- CHRU de Tours, service de radiologie, Tours, France; UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France; CUMIC, Collège Universitaire des Médecines Intégratives et Complémentaires, Nantes, France.
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25
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Yang Z, Zhao W, Hu M, Wu P, Zhang X, Wang T, Yao Q, Hua P, Gu H. Quality of life, sleep and anxiety status among patients with rosacea in the Yunnan plateau region: A 2-year retrospective study. Skin Res Technol 2024; 30:e13616. [PMID: 38424730 PMCID: PMC10904880 DOI: 10.1111/srt.13616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the life, sleep quality and anxiety of rosacea patients in Yunnan and the improvement of these aspects after treatment. METHODS A total of 141 patients with rosacea and 123 healthy controls were included in our study. The quality of life, sleep quality and anxiety of patients with rosacea and healthy controls were investigated by the Rosacea Severity Scores (RSSs), the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). The quality of life, sleep quality and anxiety of patients with rosacea were assessed again after treatment. RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, patients with rosacea had significantly lower physical component scores (PCS) and mental component scores (MCS) but higher PSQI and SAS scores. After treatment, rosacea patients showed significantly higher MCS but lower PSQI and SAS scores. Correlation analysis showed a significant correlation between PCS, MCS, PSQI, SAS and RSSs. CONCLUSIONS Patients with rosacea have a lower quality of life and sleep quality and tend to be more anxious than healthy controls. In addition, the mental quality of life, sleep quality and anxiety of rosacea patients can be significantly improved after treatment. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the psychological status of rosacea patients. Psychological counseling and intervention are necessary to better prevent and treat rosacea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenghui Yang
- Department of Dermatology and VenereologyFirst Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical UniversityYunnanChina
| | - Wei Zhao
- Department of Dermatology and VenereologyFirst Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical UniversityYunnanChina
| | - Min Hu
- Department of Dermatology and VenereologyFirst Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical UniversityYunnanChina
| | - Pan Wu
- Department of Dermatology and VenereologyFirst Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical UniversityYunnanChina
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Dermatology and VenereologyFirst Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical UniversityYunnanChina
| | - Tingyu Wang
- Department of Dermatology and VenereologyFirst Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical UniversityYunnanChina
| | - Qiuyan Yao
- Department of Dermatology and VenereologyFirst Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical UniversityYunnanChina
| | - Piyan Hua
- Department of Dermatology and VenereologyFirst Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical UniversityYunnanChina
| | - Hua Gu
- Department of Dermatology and VenereologyFirst Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical UniversityYunnanChina
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26
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Díaz DE, Tseng WL, Michalska KJ. Pre-scan state anxiety is associated with greater right amygdala-hippocampal response to fearful versus happy faces among trait-anxious Latina girls. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:1. [PMID: 38167015 PMCID: PMC10759434 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05403-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unfamiliarity with academic research may contribute to higher levels of anticipatory state anxiety about affective neuroimaging tasks. Children with high trait anxiety display differences in brain response to fearful facial affect compared to non-anxious youth, but little is known about the influence of state anxiety on this association. Because reduced engagement in scientific research and greater mistrust among minoritized groups may lead to systematic differences in pre-scan state anxiety, it is crucial to understand the neural correlates of state anxiety during emotion processing so as to disambiguate sources of individual differences. METHODS The present study probed the interactive effects of pre-scan state anxiety, trait anxiety, and emotional valence (fearful vs. happy faces) on neural activation during implicit emotion processing in a community sample of 46 preadolescent Latina girls (8-13 years). RESULTS Among girls with mean and high levels of trait anxiety, pre-scan state anxiety was associated with greater right amygdala-hippocampal and left inferior parietal lobe response to fearful faces relative to happy faces. CONCLUSIONS Anticipatory state anxiety in the scanning context may cause children with moderate and high trait anxiety to be hypervigilant to threats, further compounding the effects of trait anxiety. Neuroimaging researchers should control for state anxiety so that systematic differences in brain activation resulting from MRI apprehension are not misleadingly attributed to demographic or environmental characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana E Díaz
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Wan-Ling Tseng
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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27
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Liu J, Xie S, Hu Y, Ding Y, Zhang X, Liu W, Zhang L, Ma C, Kang Y, Jin S, Xia Y, Hu Z, Liu Z, Cheng W, Yang Z. Age-dependent alterations in the coordinated development of subcortical regions in adolescents with social anxiety disorder. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 33:51-64. [PMID: 36542201 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-022-02118-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Subcortical brain regions play essential roles in the pathology of social anxiety disorder (SAD). While adolescence is the peak period of SAD, the relationships between altered development of the subcortical regions during this period and SAD are still unclear. This study investigated the age-dependent alterations in structural co-variance among subcortical regions and between subcortical and cortical regions, aiming to reflect aberrant coordination during development in the adolescent with SAD. High-resolution T1-weighted images were obtained from 76 adolescents with SAD and 67 healthy controls (HC), ranging from 11 to 17.9 years. Symptom severity was evaluated with the Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC) and the Depression Self Rating Scale for Children (DSRS-C). Structural co-variance and sliding age-window analyses were used to detect age-dependent group differences in inter-regional coordination patterns among subcortical regions and between subcortical and cortical regions. The volume of the striatum significantly correlated with SAD symptom severity. The SAD group exhibited significantly enhanced structural co-variance among key regions of the striatum (putamen and caudate). While the co-variance decreased with age in healthy adolescents, the co-variance in SAD adolescents stayed high, leading to more apparent group differences in middle adolescence. Moreover, the striatum's mean structural co-variance with cortical regions decreased with age in HC but increased with age in SAD. Adolescents with SAD suffer aberrant developmental coordination among the key regions of the striatum and between the striatum and cortical regions. The degree of incoordination is age-dependent, which may represent a neurodevelopmental trait of SAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Liu
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Shuqi Xie
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Yang Hu
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Yue Ding
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Xiaochen Zhang
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Wenjing Liu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Changminghao Ma
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Yinzhi Kang
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Shuyu Jin
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Yufeng Xia
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Zhishan Hu
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Zhen Liu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China
| | - Wenhong Cheng
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China.
| | - Zhi Yang
- Laboratory of Psychological Health and Imaging, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200013, China.
- Institute of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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Li Q, Zhang X, Yang X, Pan N, He M, Suo X, Li X, Gong Q, Wang S. Pre-COVID resting-state brain activity in the fusiform gyrus prospectively predicts social anxiety alterations during the pandemic. J Affect Disord 2024; 344:380-388. [PMID: 37838273 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.10.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social anxiety (SA) has been linked to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but the neurobiopsychological mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the neurofunctional markers for COVID-induced SA development and the potential role of COVID-related posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in the brain-SA alterations link. METHODS Before the COVID-19 pandemic (T1), 100 general college students underwent resting-state magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral tests. During the period of community-level outbreaks (T2), these students were re-contacted to undergo follow-up behavioral assessments. RESULTS Whole-brain correlation and prediction analyses found that pre-pandemic spontaneous neural activity (measured by fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations) in the right fusiform gyrus (FG) was positively correlated to SA alterations (T2 - T1). Mediation analyses revealed that COVID-specific PTSS mediated the effects of right FG on SA alterations. LIMITATIONS The results should be interpreted carefully because only one-session neuroimaging data in a sample of normal adults were included. CONCLUSIONS The results provide evidence for neurofunctional markers of COVID-induced SA and may help develop targeted brain-based interventions that reduce SA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyuan Li
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China; Department of Interventional Therapy, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xun Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Xun Yang
- School of Public Affairs, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Nanfang Pan
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Min He
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Xueling Suo
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiao Li
- Department of Interventional Therapy, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China; Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, China.
| | - Song Wang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.
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Kim BH, Park SY, Park CI, Bang M, Kim HJ, Lee SH. Altered cortical thickness of the superior frontal gyrus and fusiform gyrus in individuals with subthreshold social anxiety. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21822. [PMID: 38071248 PMCID: PMC10710474 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49288-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Subthreshold social anxiety (SSA) is a condition in which individuals experience social anxiety that does not reach the threshold required for a clinical diagnosis of a social anxiety disorder (SAD). Although SSA may not impair lives as severely as SAD, it can affect social functioning. However, only a few studies focused on structural neural correlates of SSA. We recruited 65 individuals with SSA and used the Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale to assess their social and performance anxiety levels and other relevant measures of social anxiety. Voxel-wise whole-brain correlational analyses showed a positive association between the cortical thickness (CT) of the superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and social anxiety levels and a negative correlation between the CT of the fusiform gyrus (FG) and performance anxiety levels in individuals with SSA. Exploratory Pearson's correlation analyses showed significant positive correlations between the CT of the SFG and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 total scores and negative associations between the CT of the FG and Beck Anxiety Inventory total scores. Our study provides insight into the neural basis of SSA, particularly performance anxiety, by highlighting the association between CT in specific brain regions and SSA characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byoung-Ho Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, 59 Yatap-Ro, Bundang-Gu, Seongnam-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, 463-712, Republic of Korea
| | - So-Young Park
- CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Chun Il Park
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, 59 Yatap-Ro, Bundang-Gu, Seongnam-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, 463-712, Republic of Korea
| | - Minji Bang
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, 59 Yatap-Ro, Bundang-Gu, Seongnam-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, 463-712, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Ju Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, 59 Yatap-Ro, Bundang-Gu, Seongnam-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, 463-712, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sang-Hyuk Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, 59 Yatap-Ro, Bundang-Gu, Seongnam-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, 463-712, Republic of Korea.
- CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
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Chaudhary S, Hu S, Hu K, Dominguez JC, Chao HH, Li CSR. Sex differences in the effects of trait anxiety and age on resting-state functional connectivities of the amygdala. JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS REPORTS 2023; 14:100646. [PMID: 38105798 PMCID: PMC10723810 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2023.100646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Numerous studies characterized how resting-state functional connectivities (rsFCs) of the amygdala were disrupted in emotional disorders and varied with emotional traits, including anxiety. With trait anxiety known to diminish with age, a critical issue concerns disambiguating the effects of age and anxiety on amygdala rsFCs in studying the neural bases of individual differences in anxiety. Methods Two-hundred adults (83 women) 19-85 years of age underwent fMRI and assessment for trait anxiety. Amygdala rsFC correlates were identified using multiple regression with age and anxiety in the same model for all and separately in men and women. The rsFC correlates were examined for age-anxiety interaction. Results Anxiety was negatively correlated with amygdala-temporooccipital gyri rsFC in all and in men alone. In women, amgydala rsFC with the thalamus/pallidum, angular/supramarginal gyri, inferior temporal gyrus, and posterior insula correlated positively and rsFC with calcarine cortex and caudate correlated negatively with anxiety. We also observed sex differences in age correlation of amgydala-posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus and -insula/temporoparietal rsFCs, with stronger associations in women. In women alone, anxiety and age interacted to determine amygdala rsFC with the thalamus/pallidum, calcarine cortex, and caudate, with older age associated with stronger correlation between anxiety and the rsFCs. Limitations The findings need to be validated in an independent sample and further explored using task-based data. Conclusion Highlighting anxiety- and age- specific as well as interacting correlates of amygdala rsFCs and sex differences in the correlates, the findings may shed light on the neural markers of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shefali Chaudhary
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Sien Hu
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126, USA
| | - Kesong Hu
- Department of Psychology, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR 72204, USA
| | | | - Herta H. Chao
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Chiang-Shan R. Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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31
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Jamieson AJ, Harrison BJ, Delahoy R, Schmaal L, Felmingham KL, Phillips L, Davey CG. A brain model of altered self-appraisal in social anxiety disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:344. [PMID: 37951951 PMCID: PMC10640593 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02644-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain's default mode network has a central role in the processing of information concerning oneself. Dysfunction in this self-referential processing represents a key component of multiple mental health conditions, particularly social anxiety disorder (SAD). This case-control study aimed to clarify alterations to network dynamics present during self-appraisal in SAD participants. A total of 38 adolescents and young adults with SAD and 72 healthy control participants underwent a self-referential processing fMRI task. The task involved two primary conditions of interest: direct self-appraisal (thinking about oneself) and reflected self-appraisal (thinking about how others might think about oneself). Dynamic causal modeling and parametric empirical Bayes were then used to explore differences in the effective connectivity of the default mode network between groups. We observed connectivity differences between SAD and healthy control participants in the reflected self-appraisal but not the direct self-appraisal condition. Specifically, SAD participants exhibited greater excitatory connectivity from the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) to medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and greater inhibitory connectivity from the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) to MPFC. In contrast, SAD participants exhibited reduced intrinsic connectivity in the absence of task modulation. This was illustrated by reduced excitatory connectivity from the PCC to MPFC and reduced inhibitory connectivity from the IPL to MPFC. As such, participants with SAD showed changes to afferent connections to the MPFC which occurred during both reflected self-appraisal as well as intrinsically. The presence of connectivity differences in reflected and not direct self-appraisal is consistent with the characteristic fear of negative social evaluation that is experienced by people with SAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alec J Jamieson
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Ben J Harrison
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Rebekah Delahoy
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Lianne Schmaal
- Orygen, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kim L Felmingham
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Lisa Phillips
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Christopher G Davey
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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32
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Li Q, Zhang X, Yang X, Pan N, Li X, Kemp GJ, Wang S, Gong Q. Pre-COVID brain network topology prospectively predicts social anxiety alterations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 27:100578. [PMID: 37842018 PMCID: PMC10570707 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Social anxiety (SA) is a negative emotional response that can lead to mental health issues, which some have experienced during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Little attention has been given to the neurobiological mechanisms underlying inter-individual differences in SA alterations related to COVID-19. This study aims to identify neurofunctional markers of COVID-specific SA development. Methods 110 healthy participants underwent resting-state magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral tests before the pandemic (T1, October 2019 to January 2020) and completed follow-up behavioral measurements during the pandemic (T2, February to May 2020). We constructed individual functional networks and used graph theoretical analysis to estimate their global and nodal topological properties, then used Pearson correlation and partial least squares correlations examine their associations with COVID-specific SA alterations. Results In terms of global network parameters, SA alterations (T2-T1) were negatively related to pre-pandemic brain small-worldness and normalized clustering coefficient. In terms of nodal network parameters, SA alterations were positively linked to a pronounced degree centrality pattern, encompassing both the high-level cognitive networks (dorsal attention network, cingulo-opercular task control network, default mode network, memory retrieval network, fronto-parietal task control network, and subcortical network) and low-level perceptual networks (sensory/somatomotor network, auditory network, and visual network). These findings were robust after controlling for pre-pandemic general anxiety, other stressful life events, and family socioeconomic status, as well as by treating SA alterations as categorical variables. Conclusions The individual functional network associated with SA alterations showed a disrupted topological organization with a more random state, which may shed light on the neurobiological basis of COVID-related SA changes at the network level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyuan Li
- Department of Interventional Therapy, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xun Zhang
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xun Yang
- School of Public Affairs, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Nanfang Pan
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiao Li
- Department of Interventional Therapy, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Graham J. Kemp
- Liverpool Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre (LiMRIC) and Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK
| | - Song Wang
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, 361000, China
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Batista AX, Bazán PR, Martin MDGM, Conforto AB, Hoshino M, Simon SS, Hampstead B, Figueiredo EG, Amaro E, Miotto EC. Perilesional and contralesional brain activations related to associative encoding of unfamiliar face-names pairs in adults with left chronic stroke with or without ischemic infarct on left inferior frontal gyrus. Cortex 2023; 168:27-48. [PMID: 37639907 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The study of an Ischemic stroke infarction allows verifying how the lesion produces alterations in the neuronal networks resulting in cognitive deficits. It also allows the verification of adaptive and maladaptive cerebral reorganization related to the injury. In our previous fMRI study, we found that patients without ischemic vascular lesions in left inferior frontal gyrus showed an efficient compensation mechanism during the associative encoding of face name pairs, by the increased activation of ventrolateral and dorsolateral areas of contralesional hemisphere associated with better memory performance. While patients with ischemic vascular lesions on left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) demonstrated worse memory performance and no signs of compensation mechanism. The present study explores more of these findings by analyzing perilesional and contralesional activations related to unfamiliar face name associative encoding in adults with chronic ischemic stroke, with or without left IFG lesion, compared to healthy controls. The main results showed that stroke survivors without lesions in IFG demonstrated increased activation in perilesional and contralesional prefrontal regions associated with better associative memory recognition, which are indicative of adaptive compensatory mechanisms. However, they also showed a negative correlation between the activation of right anterior prefrontal and inferior parietal regions and the associative memory performance, which may indicate the presence of maladaptive interhemispheric disinhibition. On the other hand, stroke survivors with IFG lesions demonstrated negative correlations in activations of the ipsilesional inferior parietal cortex and positive correlations in activations of the left middle frontal gyrus and left precentral cortex, which demonstrate the simultaneous occurrence of adaptive and maladaptive brain reorganization mechanisms in this group. However, the increase in perilesional prefrontal regions, associated with bilateral activation of the hippocampus and amygdala, was not enough to compensate for the inefficiency of associative memory performance. Finally, the differences in activation observed in stroke survivors reflect their clinical heterogeneity and demonstrate that adaptive or maladaptive compensatory mechanisms can coexist in the same group of patients. Furthermore, they reinforce the importance of the left IFG in the associative encoding of unfamiliar face name pairs and may suggest a deficit in associative memory related to injury in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alana X Batista
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Neuroimagem Funcional (NIF) - Laboratory of Medical Investigations on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (LIM-44), Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Paulo R Bazán
- Neuroimagem Funcional (NIF) - Laboratory of Medical Investigations on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (LIM-44), Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria da Graça M Martin
- Neuroimagem Funcional (NIF) - Laboratory of Medical Investigations on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (LIM-44), Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Adriana B Conforto
- Neuroimagem Funcional (NIF) - Laboratory of Medical Investigations on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (LIM-44), Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maurício Hoshino
- Neuroimagem Funcional (NIF) - Laboratory of Medical Investigations on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (LIM-44), Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sharon S Simon
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin Hampstead
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Edson Amaro
- Neuroimagem Funcional (NIF) - Laboratory of Medical Investigations on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (LIM-44), Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eliane C Miotto
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Neuroimagem Funcional (NIF) - Laboratory of Medical Investigations on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (LIM-44), Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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34
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Zhang X, Yang X, Wu B, Pan N, He M, Wang S, Kemp GJ, Gong Q. Large-scale brain functional network abnormalities in social anxiety disorder. Psychol Med 2023; 53:6194-6204. [PMID: 36330833 PMCID: PMC10520603 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722003439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although aberrant brain regional responses are reported in social anxiety disorder (SAD), little is known about resting-state functional connectivity at the macroscale network level. This study aims to identify functional network abnormalities using a multivariate data-driven method in a relatively large and homogenous sample of SAD patients, and assess their potential diagnostic value. METHODS Forty-six SAD patients and 52 demographically-matched healthy controls (HC) were recruited to undergo clinical evaluation and resting-state functional MRI scanning. We used group independent component analysis to characterize the functional architecture of brain resting-state networks (RSNs) and investigate between-group differences in intra-/inter-network functional network connectivity (FNC). Furtherly, we explored the associations of FNC abnormalities with clinical characteristics, and assessed their ability to discriminate SAD from HC using support vector machine analyses. RESULTS SAD patients showed widespread intra-network FNC abnormalities in the default mode network, the subcortical network and the perceptual system (i.e. sensorimotor, auditory and visual networks), and large-scale inter-network FNC abnormalities among those high-order and primary RSNs. Some aberrant FNC signatures were correlated to disease severity and duration, suggesting pathophysiological relevance. Furthermore, intrinsic FNC anomalies allowed individual classification of SAD v. HC with significant accuracy, indicating potential diagnostic efficacy. CONCLUSIONS SAD patients show distinct patterns of functional synchronization abnormalities both within and across large-scale RSNs, reflecting or causing a network imbalance of bottom-up response and top-down regulation in cognitive, emotional and sensory domains. Therefore, this could offer insights into the neurofunctional substrates of SAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Zhang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Xun Yang
- School of Public Affairs, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Baolin Wu
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Nanfang Pan
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Min He
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Song Wang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Functional & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Graham J. Kemp
- Liverpool Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre (LiMRIC) and Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, Fujian 361000, China
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Zugman A, Jett L, Antonacci C, Winkler AM, Pine DS. A systematic review and meta-analysis of resting-state fMRI in anxiety disorders: Need for data sharing to move the field forward. J Anxiety Disord 2023; 99:102773. [PMID: 37741177 PMCID: PMC10753861 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. Neuroimaging findings remain uncertain, and resting state functional magnetic resonance (rs-fMRI) connectivity is of particular interest since it is a scalable functional imaging modality. Given heterogeneous past findings for rs-fMRI in anxious individuals, we characterize patterns across anxiety disorders by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. Studies were included if they contained at the time of scanning both a healthy group and a patient group. Due to insufficient study numbers, the quantitative meta-analysis only included seed-based studies. We performed an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) analysis that compared patients and healthy volunteers. All analyses were corrected for family-wise error with a cluster-level threshold of p < .05. Patients exhibited hypo-connectivity between the amygdala and the medial frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, and cingulate gyrus. This finding, however, was not robust to potential file-drawer effects. Though limited by strict inclusion criteria, our results highlight the heterogeneous nature of reported findings. This underscores the need for data sharing when attempting to detect reliable patterns of disruption in brain activity across anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Zugman
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience (SDAN), Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
| | - Laura Jett
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience (SDAN), Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; Child Emotion Lab, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI, United States.
| | - Chase Antonacci
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience (SDAN), Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
| | - Anderson M Winkler
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience (SDAN), Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; Division of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, Texas, United States.
| | - Daniel S Pine
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience (SDAN), Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
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Koban L, Andrews-Hanna JR, Ives L, Wager TD, Arch JJ. Brain mediators of biased social learning of self-perception in social anxiety disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:292. [PMID: 37660045 PMCID: PMC10475036 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02587-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by an excessive fear of social evaluation and a persistently negative view of the self. Here we test the hypothesis that negative biases in brain responses and in social learning of self-related information contribute to the negative self-image and low self-esteem characteristic of SAD. Adult participants diagnosed with social anxiety (N = 21) and matched controls (N = 23) rated their performance and received social feedback following a stressful public speaking task. We investigated how positive versus negative social feedback altered self-evaluation and state self-esteem and used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to characterize brain responses to positive versus negative feedback. Compared to controls, participants with SAD updated their self-evaluation and state self-esteem significantly more based on negative compared to positive social feedback. Responses in the frontoparietal network correlated with and mirrored these behavioral effects, with greater responses to positive than negative feedback in non-anxious controls but not in participants with SAD. Responses to social feedback in the anterior insula and other areas mediated the effects of negative versus positive feedback on changes in self-evaluation. In non-anxious participants, frontoparietal brain areas may contribute to a positive social learning bias. In SAD, frontoparietal areas are less recruited overall and less attuned to positive feedback, possibly reflecting differences in attention allocation and cognitive regulation. More negatively biased brain responses and social learning could contribute to maintaining a negative self-image in SAD and other internalizing disorders, thereby offering important new targets for interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Koban
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), CNRS, INSERM, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron, France.
| | | | - Lindsay Ives
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Tor D Wager
- Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Joanna J Arch
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
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37
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Pei G, Xiao Q, Pan Y, Li T, Jin J. Neural evidence of face processing in social anxiety disorder: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105283. [PMID: 37315657 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Numerous previous studies have used event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine facial processing deficits in individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD). However, researchers still need to determine whether the deficits are general or specific and what the dominant factors are behind different cognitive stages. Meta-analysis was performed to quantitatively identify face processing deficits in individuals with SAD. Ninety-seven results in 27 publications involving 1032 subjects were calculated using Hedges' g. The results suggest that the face itself elicits enlarged P1 amplitudes, threat-related facial expressions induce larger P2 amplitudes, and negative facial expressions lead to enhanced P3/LPP amplitudes in SAD individuals compared with controls. That is, there is face perception attentional bias in the early phase (P1), threat attentional bias in the mid-term phase (P2), and negative emotion attentional bias in the late phase (P3/LPP), which can be summarized into a three-phase SAD face processing deficit model. These findings provide an essential theoretical basis for cognitive behavioral therapy and have significant application value for the initial screening, intervention, and treatment of social anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanxiong Pei
- Research Center for Multi-Modal Intelligence, Research Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Zhejiang Lab, 1818# Wenyixi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Qin Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence for Information Behavior (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), 550# Dalian West Road, Shanghai 200083, China; School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, 550# Dalian West Road, Shanghai 200083, China
| | - Yu Pan
- Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence for Information Behavior (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), 550# Dalian West Road, Shanghai 200083, China; School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, 550# Dalian West Road, Shanghai 200083, China
| | - Taihao Li
- Research Center for Multi-Modal Intelligence, Research Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Zhejiang Lab, 1818# Wenyixi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China.
| | - Jia Jin
- Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence for Information Behavior (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), 550# Dalian West Road, Shanghai 200083, China; School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, 550# Dalian West Road, Shanghai 200083, China; Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Joint Lab of Finance and Business Intelligence, 2515# Huandao North Road, Zhuhai 519031, China.
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38
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Abend R. Understanding anxiety symptoms as aberrant defensive responding along the threat imminence continuum. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105305. [PMID: 37414377 PMCID: PMC10528507 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Threat-anticipatory defensive responses have evolved to promote survival in a dynamic world. While inherently adaptive, aberrant expression of defensive responses to potential threat could manifest as pathological anxiety, which is prevalent, impairing, and associated with adverse outcomes. Extensive translational neuroscience research indicates that normative defensive responses are organized by threat imminence, such that distinct response patterns are observed in each phase of threat encounter and orchestrated by partially conserved neural circuitry. Anxiety symptoms, such as excessive and pervasive worry, physiological arousal, and avoidance behavior, may reflect aberrant expression of otherwise normative defensive responses, and therefore follow the same imminence-based organization. Here, empirical evidence linking aberrant expression of specific, imminence-dependent defensive responding to distinct anxiety symptoms is reviewed, and plausible contributing neural circuitry is highlighted. Drawing from translational and clinical research, the proposed framework informs our understanding of pathological anxiety by grounding anxiety symptoms in conserved psychobiological mechanisms. Potential implications for research and treatment are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rany Abend
- School of Psychology, Reichman University, P.O. Box 167, Herzliya 4610101, Israel; Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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39
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Zhang X, Lai H, Li Q, Yang X, Pan N, He M, Kemp GJ, Wang S, Gong Q. Disrupted brain gray matter connectome in social anxiety disorder: a novel individualized structural covariance network analysis. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9627-9638. [PMID: 37381581 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotyping approaches grounded in structural network science can offer insights into the neurobiological substrates of psychiatric diseases, but this remains to be clarified at the individual level in social anxiety disorder (SAD). Using a recently developed approach combining probability density estimation and Kullback-Leibler divergence, we constructed single-subject structural covariance networks (SCNs) based on multivariate morphometry (cortical thickness, surface area, curvature, and volume) and quantified their global/nodal network properties using graph-theoretical analysis. We compared network metrics between SAD patients and healthy controls (HC) and analyzed the relationship to clinical characteristics. We also used support vector machine analysis to explore the ability of graph-theoretical metrics to discriminate SAD patients from HC. Globally, SAD patients showed higher global efficiency, shorter characteristic path length, and stronger small-worldness. Locally, SAD patients showed abnormal nodal centrality mainly involving left superior frontal gyrus, right superior parietal lobe, left amygdala, right paracentral gyrus, right lingual, and right pericalcarine cortex. Altered topological metrics were associated with the symptom severity and duration. Graph-based metrics allowed single-subject classification of SAD versus HC with total accuracy of 78.7%. This finding, that the topological organization of SCNs in SAD patients is altered toward more randomized configurations, adds to our understanding of network-level neuropathology in SAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Han Lai
- Department of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Qingyuan Li
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xun Yang
- School of Public Affairs, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Nanfang Pan
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Min He
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Graham J Kemp
- Liverpool Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre (LiMRIC) and Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, United Kingdom
| | - Song Wang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen 361000, China
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40
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Shany O, Dunsky N, Gilam G, Greental A, Gilboa-Schechtman E, Hendler T. Self-evaluation of social-rank in socially anxious individuals associates with enhanced striatal reward function. Psychol Med 2023; 53:4569-4579. [PMID: 35698849 PMCID: PMC10388315 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722001453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Negative self-views, especially in the domain of power (i.e. social-rank), characterize social anxiety (SA). Neuroimaging studies on self-evaluations in SA have mainly focused on subcortical threat processing systems. Yet, self-evaluation may concurrently invoke diverse affective processing, as motivational systems related to desired self-views may also be activated. To investigate the conflictual nature that may accompany self-evaluation of certain social domains in SA, we examined brain activity related to both threat and reward processing. METHODS Participants (N = 74) differing in self-reported SA-severity underwent fMRI while completing a self-evaluation task, wherein they judged the self-descriptiveness of high- v. low-intensity traits in the domains of power and affiliation (i.e. social connectedness). Participants also completed two auxiliary fMRI tasks designated to evoke reward- and threat-related activations in the ventral striatum (VS) and amygdala, respectively. We hypothesized that self-evaluations in SA, particularly in the domain of power, involve aberrant brain activity related to both threat and reward processing. RESULTS SA-severity was more negatively associated with power than with affiliation self-evaluations. During self-evaluative judgment of high-power (e.g. dominant), SA-severity associated with increased activity in the VS and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Moreover, SA-severity correlated with higher similarity between brain activity patterns activated by high-power traits and patterns activated by incentive salience (i.e. reward anticipation) in the VS during the reward task. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that self-evaluation of high-power in SA involves excessive striatal reward-related activation, and pinpoint the downregulation of VS-VMPFC activity within such self-evaluative context as a potential neural outcome for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofir Shany
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Netta Dunsky
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Gadi Gilam
- Faculty of Dental Medicine, The Institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ayam Greental
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Eva Gilboa-Schechtman
- Department of Psychology and the Gonda Brain Science Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Talma Hendler
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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41
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Guo M, Zhong Y, Xu J, Zhang G, Xu A, Kong J, Wang Q, Hang Y, Xie Y, Wu Z, Lang N, Tang Y, Zhang N, Wang C. Altered brain function in patients with acrophobia: A voxel-wise degree centrality analysis. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 164:59-65. [PMID: 37315355 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.05.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
AIM To explore the local spontaneous neural activity and whole-brain functional connectivity patterns in the resting brain of acrophobia patients. METHODS 50 patients with acrophobia and 47 healthy controls were selected for this study. All participants underwent resting-state MRI scans after enrollment. The imaging data were then analyzed using a voxel-based degree centrality (DC) method, and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between abnormal functional connectivity and clinical symptom scales in acrophobia. The severity of symptoms was evaluated using self-report and behavioral measures. RESULTS Compared to controls, acrophobia patients showed higher DC in the right cuneus and left middle occipital gyrus and significantly lower DC in the right cerebellum and left orbitofrontal cortex (p < 0.01, GRF corrected). Additionally, there were negative correlations between the acrophobia questionnaire avoidance (AQ- Avoidance) scores and right cerebellum-left perirhinal cortex FC (r = -0.317, p = 0.025) and between scores of the 7-item generalized anxiety disorder scale and left middle occipital gyrus-right cuneus FC (r = -0.379, p = 0.007). In the acrophobia group, there was a positive correlation between behavioral avoidance scale and right cerebellum-right cuneus FC (r = 0.377, p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS The findings indicated that there are local abnormalities in spontaneous neural activity and functional connectivity in the visual cortex, cerebellum, and orbitofrontal cortex in patients with acrophobia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meilin Guo
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Yuan Zhong
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Jingren Xu
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Guojia Zhang
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Aoran Xu
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Jingya Kong
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Qiuyu Wang
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Yaming Hang
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Ya Xie
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Zhou Wu
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Nan Lang
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Yibin Tang
- College of Internet of Things Engineering, Hohai University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China.
| | - Chun Wang
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China; School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Institute of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China.
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42
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Al-Ezzi A, Kamel N, Al-Shargabi AA, Al-Shargie F, Al-Shargabi A, Yahya N, Al-Hiyali MI. Machine learning for the detection of social anxiety disorder using effective connectivity and graph theory measures. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1155812. [PMID: 37255678 PMCID: PMC10226190 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1155812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The early diagnosis and classification of social anxiety disorder (SAD) are crucial clinical support tasks for medical practitioners in designing patient treatment programs to better supervise the progression and development of SAD. This paper proposes an effective method to classify the severity of SAD into different grading (severe, moderate, mild, and control) by using the patterns of brain information flow with their corresponding graphical networks. Methods We quantified the directed information flow using partial directed coherence (PDC) and the topological networks by graph theory measures at four frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, and beta). The PDC assesses the causal interactions between neuronal units of the brain network. Besides, the graph theory of the complex network identifies the topological structure of the network. Resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) data were recorded for 66 patients with different severities of SAD (22 severe, 22 moderate, and 22 mild) and 22 demographically matched healthy controls (HC). Results PDC results have found significant differences between SAD groups and HCs in theta and alpha frequency bands (p < 0.05). Severe and moderate SAD groups have shown greater enhanced information flow than mild and HC groups in all frequency bands. Furthermore, the PDC and graph theory features have been used to discriminate three classes of SAD from HCs using several machine learning classifiers. In comparison to the features obtained by PDC, graph theory network features combined with PDC have achieved maximum classification performance with accuracy (92.78%), sensitivity (95.25%), and specificity (94.12%) using Support Vector Machine (SVM). Discussion Based on the results, it can be concluded that the combination of graph theory features and PDC values may be considered an effective tool for SAD identification. Our outcomes may provide new insights into developing biomarkers for SAD diagnosis based on topological brain networks and machine learning algorithms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulhakim Al-Ezzi
- Centre for Intelligent Signal & Imaging Research (CISIR), Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Nidal Kamel
- College of Engineering and Computer Science, VinUniversity, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Amal A. Al-Shargabi
- Department of Information Technology, College of Computer, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fares Al-Shargie
- Faculty of Engineering, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Alaa Al-Shargabi
- Department of Information Technology, Universiti Teknlogi Malaysia, Skudai, Malaysia
| | - Norashikin Yahya
- Centre for Intelligent Signal & Imaging Research (CISIR), Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Mohammed Isam Al-Hiyali
- Centre for Intelligent Signal & Imaging Research (CISIR), Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia
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Zhang X, Li Q, Yang X, Pan N, Suo X, He M, Wang S, Kemp GJ, Gong Q. Pre-coronavirus disease 2019 brain structure might be associated with social anxiety alterations during the pandemic. Chin Med J (Engl) 2023:00029330-990000000-00573. [PMID: 37185369 DOI: 10.1097/cm9.0000000000002363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xun Zhang
- Huaxi Magnetic Resonance Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Qingyuan Li
- Huaxi Magnetic Resonance Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Department of Interventional Therapy, Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Xun Yang
- School of Public Affairs, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Nanfang Pan
- Huaxi Magnetic Resonance Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Xueling Suo
- Huaxi Magnetic Resonance Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Min He
- Huaxi Magnetic Resonance Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Song Wang
- Huaxi Magnetic Resonance Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Graham J Kemp
- Liverpool Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre (LiMRIC) and Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi Magnetic Resonance Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, Fujian 361000, China
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44
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Günther V, Strukova M, Pecher J, Webelhorst C, Engelmann S, Kersting A, Hoffmann KT, Egloff B, Okon-Singer H, Lobsien D, Suslow T. Cognitive Avoidance Is Associated with Decreased Brain Responsiveness to Threat Distractors under High Perceptual Load. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13040618. [PMID: 37190583 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13040618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive coping strategies to deal with anxiety-provoking events have an impact on mental and physical health. Dispositional vigilance is characterized by an increased analysis of the threatening environment, whereas cognitive avoidance comprises strategies to inhibit threat processing. To date, functional neuroimaging studies on the neural underpinnings of these coping styles are scarce and have revealed discrepant findings. In the present study, we examined automatic brain responsiveness as a function of coping styles using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We administered a perceptual load paradigm with contemptuous and fearful faces as distractor stimuli in a sample of N = 43 healthy participants. The Mainz Coping Inventory was used to assess cognitive avoidance and vigilance. An association of cognitive avoidance with reduced contempt and fear processing under high perceptual load was observed in a widespread network including the amygdala, thalamus, cingulate gyrus, insula, and frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital areas. Our findings indicate that the dispositional tendency to divert one's attention away from distressing stimuli is a valuable predictor of diminished automatic neural responses to threat in several cortical and subcortical areas. A reduced processing in brain regions involved in emotion perception and attention might indicate a potential threat resilience associated with cognitive avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivien Günther
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mariia Strukova
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jonas Pecher
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Carolin Webelhorst
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simone Engelmann
- Department of Neuroradiology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anette Kersting
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Karl-Titus Hoffmann
- Department of Neuroradiology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Boris Egloff
- Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, 55122 Mainz, Germany
| | - Hadas Okon-Singer
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3100000, Israel
| | - Donald Lobsien
- Department of Neuroradiology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Suslow
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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45
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Lucherini Angeletti L, Scalabrini A, Ricca V, Northoff G. Topography of the Anxious Self: Abnormal Rest-Task Modulation in Social Anxiety Disorder. Neuroscientist 2023; 29:221-244. [PMID: 34282680 DOI: 10.1177/10738584211030497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by social anxiety/fear, self-attention, and interoception. Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies demonstrate increased activity during symptom-sensitive tasks in regions of the default-mode network (DMN), amygdala (AMG), and salience network (SN). What is the source of this task-unspecific symptom-sensitive hyperactivity in DMN? We address this question by probing SAD resting state (rs) changes in DMN including their relation to other regions as possible source of task-unspecific hyperactivity in the same regions. Our findings show the following: (1) rs-hypoconnectivity within-DMN regions; (2) rs-hyperconnectivity between DMN and AMG/SN; (3) task-evoked hyperactivity in the abnormal rs-regions of DMN and AMG/SN during different symptom-sensitive tasks; (4) negative relationship of rest and task changes in especially anterior DMN regions as their rs-hypoconnectivity is accompanied by task-unspecific hyperactivity; (5) abnormal top-down/bottom-up modulation between anterior DMN regions and AMG during rest and task. Findings demonstrate that rs-hypoconnectivity among DMN regions is negatively related to task-unspecific hyperactivity in DMN and AMG/SN. We propose a model of "Topography of the Anxious Self" in SAD (TAS-SAD). Abnormal DMN-AMG/SN topography during rest, as trait feature of an "unstable social self", is abnormally aggravated during SAD-sensitive situations resulting in task-related hyperactivity in the same regions with an "anxious self" as state feature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Scalabrini
- Department of Psychological Health and Territorial Sciences (DiSPuTer), G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Valdo Ricca
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Georg Northoff
- Mental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.,The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research & University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Centre for Neural Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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46
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Wlad M, Frick A, Engman J, Hjorth O, Hoppe JM, Faria V, Wahlstedt K, Björkstrand J, Månsson KN, Hultberg S, Alaie I, Rosén J, Fredrikson M, Furmark T, Gingnell M. Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex activity during cognitive challenge in social anxiety disorder. Behav Brain Res 2023; 442:114304. [PMID: 36681164 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is associated with aberrant emotional information processing while little is known about non-emotional cognitive processing biases. The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) has been implicated in SAD neuropathology and is activated both by emotional and non-affective cognitive challenges like the Multisource Interference Task (MSIT). METHODS Here, we used fMRI to compare dACC activity and test performance during MSIT in 69 SAD patients and 38 healthy controls. In addition to patient-control comparisons, we examined whether neural activity in the dACC correlated with social anxiety, trait anxiety or depression levels. RESULTS The MSIT activated the dACC as expected but with no differences in task performance or neural reactivity between SAD patients and controls. There were no significant correlations between dACC activity and social or trait anxiety symptom severity. In patients, there was a significant negative correlation between dACC activity and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS In absence of affective challenge, we found no disorder-related cognitive profile in SAD patients since neither MSIT task performance nor dACC neural activity deviated in patients relative to controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Wlad
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Andreas Frick
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Jonas Engman
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Olof Hjorth
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Johanna M Hoppe
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Vanda Faria
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Brain and Eye Pain Imaging Lab, Pain and Affective Neuroscience Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Smell & Taste Clinic, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Kurt Wahlstedt
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | | | - Kristoffer Nt Månsson
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Sara Hultberg
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Iman Alaie
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Division of Insurance Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Jörgen Rosén
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Mats Fredrikson
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Tomas Furmark
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Malin Gingnell
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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47
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Milano BA, Moutoussis M, Convertino L. The neurobiology of functional neurological disorders characterised by impaired awareness. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1122865. [PMID: 37009094 PMCID: PMC10060839 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1122865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We review the neurobiology of Functional Neurological Disorders (FND), i.e., neurological disorders not explained by currently identifiable histopathological processes, in order to focus on those characterised by impaired awareness (functionally impaired awareness disorders, FIAD), and especially, on the paradigmatic case of Resignation Syndrome (RS). We thus provide an improved more integrated theory of FIAD, able to guide both research priorities and the diagnostic formulation of FIAD. We systematically address the diverse spectrum of clinical presentations of FND with impaired awareness, and offer a new framework for understanding FIAD. We find that unraveling the historical development of neurobiological theory of FIAD is of paramount importance for its current understanding. Then, we integrate contemporary clinical material in order to contextualise the neurobiology of FIAD within social, cultural, and psychological perspectives. We thus review neuro-computational insights in FND in general, to arrive at a more coherent account of FIAD. FIAD may be based on maladaptive predictive coding, shaped by stress, attention, uncertainty, and, ultimately, neurally encoded beliefs and their updates. We also critically appraise arguments in support of and against such Bayesian models. Finally, we discuss implications of our theoretical account and provide pointers towards an improved clinical diagnostic formulation of FIAD. We suggest directions for future research towards a more unified theory on which future interventions and management strategies could be based, as effective treatments and clinical trial evidence remain limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Annunziata Milano
- Institute of Life Sciences, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Michael Moutoussis
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery (UCLH), London, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Convertino
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery (UCLH), London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Laura Convertino,
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48
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Chen Y, Yang X, Zhang X, Cao H, Gong Q. Altered single-subject gray matter structural networks in social anxiety disorder. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:3311-3317. [PMID: 36562992 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous fMRI studies have reported more random brain functional graph configurations in social anxiety disorder (SAD). However, it is still unclear whether the same configurations would occur in gray matter (GM) graphs. Structural MRI was performed on 49 patients with SAD and on 51 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC). Single-subject GM networks were obtained based on the areal similarities of GM, and network topological properties were analyzed using graph theory. Group differences in each topological metric were compared, and the structure-function coupling was examined. These network measures were further correlated with the clinical characteristics in the SAD group. Compared with controls, the SAD patients demonstrated globally decreased clustering coefficient and characteristic path length. Altered topological properties were found in the fronto-limbic and sensory processing systems. Altered metrics were associated with the illness duration of SAD. Compared with the HC group, the SAD group exhibited significantly decreased structural-functional decoupling. Furthermore, structural-functional decoupling was negatively correlated with the symptom severity in SAD. These findings highlight less-optimized topological configuration of the brain structural networks in SAD, which may provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying the excessive fear and avoidance of social interactions in SAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Chen
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 640041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 640041, China
| | - Xun Yang
- School of Public Affairs, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Xun Zhang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 640041, China
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 640041, China
| | - Hengyi Cao
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, United States
- Division of Psychiatry Research, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, NY, United States
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 640041, China
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, Fujian 361000, China
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49
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Loh MK, Stickling C, Schrank S, Hanshaw M, Ritger AC, Dilosa N, Finlay J, Ferrara NC, Rosenkranz JA. Liposaccharide-induced sustained mild inflammation fragments social behavior and alters basolateral amygdala activity. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:647-671. [PMID: 36645464 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06308-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Conditions with sustained low-grade inflammation have high comorbidity with depression and anxiety and are associated with social withdrawal. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is critical for affective and social behaviors and is sensitive to inflammatory challenges. Large systemic doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) initiate peripheral inflammation, increase BLA neuronal activity, and disrupt social and affective measures in rodents. However, LPS doses commonly used in behavioral studies are high enough to evoke sickness syndrome, which can confound interpretation of amygdala-associated behaviors. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS The objectives of this study were to find a LPS dose that triggers mild peripheral inflammation but not observable sickness syndrome in adult male rats, to test the effects of sustained mild inflammation on BLA and social behaviors. To accomplish this, we administered single doses of LPS (0-100 μg/kg, intraperitoneally) and measured open field behavior, or repeated LPS (5 μg/kg, 3 consecutive days), and measured BLA neuronal firing, social interaction, and elevated plus maze behavior. RESULTS Repeated low-dose LPS decreased BLA neuron firing rate but increased the total number of active BLA neurons. Repeated low-dose LPS also caused early disengagement during social bouts and less anogenital investigation and an overall pattern of heightened social caution associated with reduced gain of social familiarity over the course of a social session. CONCLUSIONS These results provide evidence for parallel shifts in social interaction and amygdala activity caused by prolonged mild inflammation. This effect of inflammation may contribute to social symptoms associated with comorbid depression and chronic inflammatory conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxine K Loh
- Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, IL, 60064, North Chicago, USA.,Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Courtney Stickling
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sean Schrank
- Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, IL, 60064, North Chicago, USA.,Discipline of Neuroscience, Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, IL, North Chicago, USA
| | - Madison Hanshaw
- Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, IL, 60064, North Chicago, USA.,Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alexandra C Ritger
- Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, IL, 60064, North Chicago, USA.,Discipline of Neuroscience, Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, IL, North Chicago, USA
| | - Naijila Dilosa
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Joshua Finlay
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nicole C Ferrara
- Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, IL, 60064, North Chicago, USA.,Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - J Amiel Rosenkranz
- Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, IL, 60064, North Chicago, USA. .,Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA.
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50
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Groenewold NA, Bas-Hoogendam JM, Amod AR, Laansma MA, Van Velzen LS, Aghajani M, Hilbert K, Oh H, Salas R, Jackowski AP, Pan PM, Salum GA, Blair JR, Blair KS, Hirsch J, Pantazatos SP, Schneier FR, Talati A, Roelofs K, Volman I, Blanco-Hinojo L, Cardoner N, Pujol J, Beesdo-Baum K, Ching CRK, Thomopoulos SI, Jansen A, Kircher T, Krug A, Nenadić I, Stein F, Dannlowski U, Grotegerd D, Lemke H, Meinert S, Winter A, Erb M, Kreifelts B, Gong Q, Lui S, Zhu F, Mwangi B, Soares JC, Wu MJ, Bayram A, Canli M, Tükel R, Westenberg PM, Heeren A, Cremers HR, Hofmann D, Straube T, Doruyter AGG, Lochner C, Peterburs J, Van Tol MJ, Gur RE, Kaczkurkin AN, Larsen B, Satterthwaite TD, Filippi CA, Gold AL, Harrewijn A, Zugman A, Bülow R, Grabe HJ, Völzke H, Wittfeld K, Böhnlein J, Dohm K, Kugel H, Schrammen E, Zwanzger P, Leehr EJ, Sindermann L, Ball TM, Fonzo GA, Paulus MP, Simmons A, Stein MB, Klumpp H, Phan KL, Furmark T, Månsson KNT, Manzouri A, Avery SN, Blackford JU, Clauss JA, Feola B, Harper JC, Sylvester CM, Lueken U, Veltman DJ, Winkler AM, Jahanshad N, Pine DS, Thompson PM, Stein DJ, Van der Wee NJA. Volume of subcortical brain regions in social anxiety disorder: mega-analytic results from 37 samples in the ENIGMA-Anxiety Working Group. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1079-1089. [PMID: 36653677 PMCID: PMC10804423 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01933-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
There is limited convergence in neuroimaging investigations into volumes of subcortical brain regions in social anxiety disorder (SAD). The inconsistent findings may arise from variations in methodological approaches across studies, including sample selection based on age and clinical characteristics. The ENIGMA-Anxiety Working Group initiated a global mega-analysis to determine whether differences in subcortical volumes can be detected in adults and adolescents with SAD relative to healthy controls. Volumetric data from 37 international samples with 1115 SAD patients and 2775 controls were obtained from ENIGMA-standardized protocols for image segmentation and quality assurance. Linear mixed-effects analyses were adjusted for comparisons across seven subcortical regions in each hemisphere using family-wise error (FWE)-correction. Mixed-effects d effect sizes were calculated. In the full sample, SAD patients showed smaller bilateral putamen volume than controls (left: d = -0.077, pFWE = 0.037; right: d = -0.104, pFWE = 0.001), and a significant interaction between SAD and age was found for the left putamen (r = -0.034, pFWE = 0.045). Smaller bilateral putamen volumes (left: d = -0.141, pFWE < 0.001; right: d = -0.158, pFWE < 0.001) and larger bilateral pallidum volumes (left: d = 0.129, pFWE = 0.006; right: d = 0.099, pFWE = 0.046) were detected in adult SAD patients relative to controls, but no volumetric differences were apparent in adolescent SAD patients relative to controls. Comorbid anxiety disorders and age of SAD onset were additional determinants of SAD-related volumetric differences in subcortical regions. To conclude, subtle volumetric alterations in subcortical regions in SAD were detected. Heterogeneity in age and clinical characteristics may partly explain inconsistencies in previous findings. The association between alterations in subcortical volumes and SAD illness progression deserves further investigation, especially from adolescence into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nynke A Groenewold
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
- South African Medical Research Council (SA-MRC) Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Alyssa R Amod
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Max A Laansma
- Department of Anatomy & Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Laura S Van Velzen
- Orygen & Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Moji Aghajani
- Leiden University, Institute of Education & Child Studies, Section Forensic Family & Youth Care, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Kevin Hilbert
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hyuntaek Oh
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ramiro Salas
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andrea P Jackowski
- LiNC, Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Pedro M Pan
- LiNC, Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Giovanni A Salum
- Section on Negative Affect and Social Processes, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - James R Blair
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karina S Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Joy Hirsch
- Departments of Psychiatry & Neurobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Spiro P Pantazatos
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Franklin R Schneier
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ardesheer Talati
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Inge Volman
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging Neuroimaging (WIN), Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Laura Blanco-Hinojo
- MRI Research Unit, Department of Radiology, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM G21, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Narcís Cardoner
- Department of Mental Health, University Hospital Parc Taulí-I3PT, Barcelona, Spain, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesus Pujol
- MRI Research Unit, Department of Radiology, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM G21, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Katja Beesdo-Baum
- Behavioral Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Psycholog and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christopher R K Ching
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Sophia I Thomopoulos
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Andreas Jansen
- Core-Facility Brainimaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Axel Krug
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Igor Nenadić
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Frederike Stein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Dominik Grotegerd
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Hannah Lemke
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Susanne Meinert
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Alexandra Winter
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Michael Erb
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Kreifelts
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Su Lui
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Fei Zhu
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Benson Mwangi
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jair C Soares
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mon-Ju Wu
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ali Bayram
- Department of Neuroscience, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mesut Canli
- Department of Physiology, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Raşit Tükel
- Department of Psychiatry, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - P Michiel Westenberg
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Alexandre Heeren
- Psychological Science Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Henk R Cremers
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - David Hofmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Straube
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Christine Lochner
- SA-MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Jutta Peterburs
- Institute of Systems Medicine and Faculty of Human Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marie-José Van Tol
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Raquel E Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Bart Larsen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Courtney A Filippi
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Andrea L Gold
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Anita Harrewijn
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - André Zugman
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robin Bülow
- Institute for Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Hans J Grabe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Henry Völzke
- Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Katharina Wittfeld
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Joscha Böhnlein
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Dohm
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Harald Kugel
- University Clinic for Radiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Schrammen
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Peter Zwanzger
- KBO-Inn-Salzach-Klinikum, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabeth J Leehr
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Lisa Sindermann
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine & University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tali M Ball
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Gregory A Fonzo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | - Alan Simmons
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Murray B Stein
- Departments of Psychiatry & School of Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Heide Klumpp
- Departments of Psychology & Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - K Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Tomas Furmark
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | | | - Suzanne N Avery
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | | | - Brandee Feola
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Chad M Sylvester
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ulrike Lueken
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dick J Veltman
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC location VUMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anderson M Winkler
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Daniel S Pine
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Dan J Stein
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- SA-MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nic J A Van der Wee
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, Netherlands
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