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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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2
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Barroso J, Branco P, Pinto-Ramos J, Vigotsky AD, Reis AM, Schnitzer TJ, Galhardo V, Apkarian AV. Subcortical brain anatomy as a potential biomarker of persistent pain after total knee replacement in osteoarthritis. Pain 2023; 164:2306-2315. [PMID: 37463229 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The neural mechanisms for the persistence of pain after a technically successful arthroplasty in osteoarthritis (OA) remain minimally studied, and direct evidence of the brain as a predisposing factor for pain chronicity in this setting has not been investigated. We undertook this study as a first effort to identify presurgical brain and clinical markers of postarthroplasty pain in knee OA. Patients with knee OA (n = 81) awaiting total arthroplasty underwent clinical and psychological assessment and brain magnetic resonance imagining. Postoperative pain scores were measured at 6 months after surgery. Brain subcortical anatomic properties (volume and shape) and clinical indices were studied as determinants of postoperative pain. We show that presurgical subcortical volumes (bilateral amygdala, thalamus, and left hippocampus), together with shape deformations of the right anterior hippocampus and right amygdala, associate with pain persistence 6 months after surgery in OA. Longer pain duration, higher levels of presurgical anxiety, and the neuropathic character of pain were also prognostic of postsurgical pain outcome. Brain and clinical indices accounted for unique influences on postoperative pain. Our study demonstrates the presence of presurgical subcortical brain factors that relate to postsurgical persistence of OA pain. These preliminary results challenge the current dominant view that mechanisms of OA pain predominantly underlie local joint mechanisms, implying novel clinical management and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Barroso
- Departamento de Biomedicina, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-i3S, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and
- Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Center of Excellence for Chronic Pain and Drug Abuse Research, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Paulo Branco
- Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Center of Excellence for Chronic Pain and Drug Abuse Research, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | | | - Andrew D Vigotsky
- Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Center of Excellence for Chronic Pain and Drug Abuse Research, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Statistics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | | | - Thomas J Schnitzer
- Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Center of Excellence for Chronic Pain and Drug Abuse Research, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Departments of Rheumatology and
- Anesthesiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Vasco Galhardo
- Departamento de Biomedicina, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-i3S, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - A Vania Apkarian
- Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and
- Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Center of Excellence for Chronic Pain and Drug Abuse Research, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Anesthesiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
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Lin H, Bruchmann M, Straube T. Altered Putamen Activation for Social Comparison-Related Feedback in Social Anxiety Disorder: A Pilot Study. Neuropsychobiology 2023; 82:359-372. [PMID: 37717563 DOI: 10.1159/000531762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by abnormal processing of performance-related social stimuli. Previous studies have shown altered emotional experiences and activations of different sub-regions of the striatum during processing of social stimuli in patients with SAD. However, whether and to what extent social comparisons affect behavioural and neural responses to feedback stimuli in patients with SAD is unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS To address this issue, emotional ratings and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) responses were assessed while patients suffering from SAD and healthy controls (HC) were required to perform a choice task and received performance feedback (correct, incorrect, non-informative) that varied in relation to the performance of fictitious other participants (a few, half, or most of others had the same outcome). RESULTS Across all performance feedback conditions, fMRI analyses revealed reduced activations in bilateral putamen when feedback was assumed to be received by only a few compared to half of the other participants in patients with SAD. Nevertheless, analysis of rating data showed a similar modulation of valence and arousal ratings in patients with SAD and HC depending on social comparison-related feedback. CONCLUSIONS This suggests altered neural processing of performance feedback depending on social comparisons in patients with SAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyan Lin
- Laboratory for Behavioral and Regional Finance, Guangdong University of Finance, Guangzhou, China
- Institute of Applied Psychology, Guangdong University of Finance, Guangzhou, China
| | - Maximilian Bruchmann
- 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
| | - 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
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4
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Goodyear BG, Heidari F, Ingram RJM, Cortese F, Sharifi N, Kaplan GG, Ma C, Panaccione R, Sharkey KA, Swain MG. Multimodal Brain MRI of Deep Gray Matter Changes Associated With Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2023; 29:405-416. [PMID: 35590449 PMCID: PMC9977255 DOI: 10.1093/ibd/izac089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Behavioral symptoms, including mood disorders, substantially impact the quality of life of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), even when clinical remission is achieved. Here, we used multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine if IBD is associated with changes in the structure and function of deep gray matter brain regions that regulate and integrate emotional, cognitive, and stress responses. METHODS Thirty-five patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD) and 32 healthy controls underwent 3 Tesla MRIs to assess volume, neural activity, functional connection strength (connectivity), inflammation, and neurodegeneration of key deep gray matter brain regions (thalamus, caudate, pallidum, putamen, amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus) involved in emotional, cognitive and stress processing. Associations with sex, presence of pain, disease activity, and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration were examined. RESULTS Significantly increased activity and functional connectivity were observed in cognitive and emotional processing brain regions, including parts of the limbic system, basal ganglia, and hypothalamus of IBD patients compared with healthy controls. Inflammatory bowel disease patients exhibited significantly increased volumes of the amygdala and hypothalamus, as well as evidence of neurodegeneration in the putamen and pallidum. Hippocampal neural activity was increased in IBD patients with active disease. The volume of the thalamus was positively correlated with CRP concentration and was increased in females experiencing pain. CONCLUSIONS Patients with IBD exhibit functional and structural changes in the limbic and striatal systems. These changes may be targets for assessing or predicting the response to therapeutic interventions aimed at improving comorbid emotional and cognitive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley G Goodyear
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,The Seaman Family MR Research Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,The Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Faranak Heidari
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,The Seaman Family MR Research Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Richard J M Ingram
- Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Filomeno Cortese
- The Seaman Family MR Research Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nastaran Sharifi
- The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Gilaad G Kaplan
- Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Christopher Ma
- Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Remo Panaccione
- Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Keith A Sharkey
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,The Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,The Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mark G Swain
- Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,The Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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5
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A Voxel-Based Morphometric Study of Gray Matter in Specific Phobia. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 13:life13010119. [PMID: 36676068 PMCID: PMC9864817 DOI: 10.3390/life13010119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to analyze the neurostructural abnormalities of brain areas responsible for the acquisition and maintenance of fear in small animal phobia by comparing gray matter volume (GMV) in individuals with phobia and non-fearful controls. Structural magnetic resonance imaging was obtained from 62 adults (79% female) assigned to one of two groups: 31 were diagnosed with small animal phobia and 31 were non-fearful controls. To investigate structural alterations, a whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysis was conducted to compare the GMV of the brain areas involved in fear between both groups. The results indicated that individuals with a small animal specific phobia showed smaller GMV in cortical regions, such as the orbitofrontal (OFC) and medial frontal cortex, and greater GMV in the putamen than non-fearful controls. These brain areas are responsible for avoidant behavior (putamen) and emotional regulation processes or inhibitory control (prefrontal cortex (PFC)), which might suggest a greater vulnerability of phobic individuals to acquiring non-adaptive conditioned responses and emotional dysregulation. The findings provide preliminary support for the involvement of structural deficits in OFC and medial frontal cortex in phobia, contributing to clarify the neurobiological substrates for phobias.
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Toledo F, Carson F. Neurobiological Features of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Their Role in Understanding Adaptive Behavior and Stress Resilience. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10258. [PMID: 36011896 PMCID: PMC9407950 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191610258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been impacting the functioning of a large number of people in military activities and victims of violence for many generations. However, investments in research aiming to understand the neurobiological aspects of the disorder started relatively late, around the last third of the 20th century. The development of neuroimaging methods has greatly supported further understanding of the structural and functional changes in the re-organization processes of brains with PTSD. This helps to better explain the severity and evolution of behavioral symptoms, and opens the possibilities for identifying individual preexisting structural characteristics that could increase symptom severity and the risk of development. Here, we review the advances in neuroanatomical research on these adaptations in PTSD and discuss how those modifications in prefrontal and anterior cingulate circuitry impact the severity and development of the disorder, detaching the research from an amygdalocentric perspective. In addition, we investigate existing and contradictory evidence regarding the preexisting neurobiological features found mostly in twin studies and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) reports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felippe Toledo
- LUNEX International University of Health, Exercise and Sports, 50 Avenue du Parc des Sports, L-4671 Differdange, Luxembourg
- Luxembourg Health and Sport Sciences Research Institute ASBL, 50 Avenue du Parc des Sports, L-4671 Differdange, Luxembourg
| | - Fraser Carson
- LUNEX International University of Health, Exercise and Sports, 50 Avenue du Parc des Sports, L-4671 Differdange, Luxembourg
- Luxembourg Health and Sport Sciences Research Institute ASBL, 50 Avenue du Parc des Sports, L-4671 Differdange, Luxembourg
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7
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Ferraro S, Medina JP, Nigri A, Giani L, Demichelis G, Pinardi C, Bruzzone MG, Cecchini Proietti A, Becker B, Chiapparini L, Leone M. Mesocorticolimbic system abnormalities in chronic cluster headache patients: A neural signature? Cephalalgia 2022; 42:1039-1049. [PMID: 35615806 DOI: 10.1177/03331024221092416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Converging evidence suggests that anatomical and functional mesocorticolimbic abnormalities support the chronicization of pain disorders. METHODS We mapped structural and functional alterations of the mesocorticolimbic system in a sample of chronic cluster headache patients (n = 28) in comparison to age and sex-matched healthy individuals (n = 28) employing structural MRI and resting-state functional MRI. RESULTS Univariate logistic regression models showed that several of the examined structures/areas (i.e., the bilateral nucleus accumbens, ventral diencephalon, hippocampus, and frontal pole, and the right amygdala) differentiated chronic cluster headache patients from healthy individuals (p < 0.05, uncorrected). Specifically, all the significant structures/areas had increased volumes in chronic cluster headache patients compared to healthy individuals. The examination of the groups suffering from left and right-sided cranial attacks showed a lateralization effect: ipsilateral to the pain ventral diencephalic regions and contralateral to the pain nucleus accumbens discriminated chronic cluster headache patients from healthy individuals. The resting-state functional MRI data analyses showed that chronic cluster headache patients compared to CTRL individuals present robust reduced functional connectivity in the right frontal pole-right amygdala pathway (p < 0.05, FDR-corrected). CONCLUSION Our results showed that chronic cluster headache patients present anatomical and functional maladaptation of the mesocorticolimbic system, with functional data indicating a possible prefrontal areas' failure to modulate the mesolimbic structures. These results were opposite to what we hypothesized based on the previous literature on chronic pain conditions.Future studies should assess whether the observed mesocorticolimbic abnormalities are due to the neuroprotective effects of the assumed medications, or to the frequent comorbidity of CH with neuropsychiatric disorders or if they are a genuine neural signature of CH and/or chronic cluster headache condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Ferraro
- School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jean Paul Medina
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico 'Carlo Besta', Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Nigri
- Department of Neurology and Headache Centre, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico 'Carlo Besta', Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Giani
- Department of Neurology and Headache Centre, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico 'Carlo Besta', Milan, Italy
| | - Greta Demichelis
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico 'Carlo Besta', Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Pinardi
- Medical Physics Unit, ASST Nord Milano, Sesto San Giovanni, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Bruzzone
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico 'Carlo Besta', Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Cecchini Proietti
- Department of Neurology and Headache Centre, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico 'Carlo Besta', Milan, Italy
| | - Benjamin Becker
- School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Luisa Chiapparini
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico 'Carlo Besta', Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Leone
- Department of Neurology and Headache Centre, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico 'Carlo Besta', Milan, Italy
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Thalamic and striato-pallidal volumes in schizophrenia patients and individuals at risk for psychosis: A multi-atlas segmentation study. Schizophr Res 2022; 243:268-275. [PMID: 32448678 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite previous neuroimaging studies demonstrating morphological abnormalities of the thalamus and other subcortical structures in patients with schizophrenia, the potential role of the thalamus and its subdivisions in the pathophysiology of this illness remains elusive. It is also unclear whether similar changes of these structures occur in individuals at high risk for psychosis. In this study, magnetic resonance imaging was employed with the Multiple Automatically Generated Templates (MAGeT) brain segmentation algorithm to determine volumes of the thalamic subdivisions, the striatum (caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens), and the globus pallidus in 62 patients with schizophrenia, 38 individuals with an at-risk mental state (ARMS) [4 of whom (10.5%) subsequently developed schizophrenia], and 61 healthy subjects. Cognitive function of the patients was assessed by using the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) and the Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS). Thalamic volume (particularly the medial dorsal and ventral lateral nuclei) was smaller in the schizophrenia group than the ARMS and control groups, while there were no differences for the striatum and globus pallidus. In the schizophrenia group, the reduction of thalamic ventral lateral nucleus volume was significantly associated with lower BACS score. The pallidal volume was positively correlated with the dose of antipsychotic treatment in the schizophrenia group. These results suggest that patients with schizophrenia, but not those with ARMS, exhibit volume reduction in specific thalamic subdivisions, which may underlie core clinical features of this illness.
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Pöhlchen D, Fietz J, Czisch M, Sämann PG, Spoormaker VI, Binder E, Brückl T, Erhardt A, Grandi N, Lucae S, von Muecke-Heim I, Ziebula J. Startle Latency as a Potential Marker for Amygdala-Mediated Hyperarousal. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 8:406-416. [PMID: 35577304 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fear-related disorders are characterized by hyperexcitability in reflexive circuits and maladaptive associative learning mechanisms. The startle reflex is suited to investigate both processes, either by probing it under baseline conditions or by deriving it in fear conditioning studies. In anxiety research, the amplitude of the fear-potentiated startle has been shown to be influenced by amygdalar circuits and has typically been the readout of interest. In schizophrenia research, prolonged startle peak latency under neutral conditions is an established readout, thought to reflect impaired processing speed. We therefore explored whether startle latency is an informative readout for human anxiety research. METHODS We investigated potential similarities and differences of startle peak latency and amplitude derived from a classical fear conditioning task in a sample of 206 participants with varying severity levels of anxiety disorders and healthy control subjects. We first reduced startle response to stable components and regressed individual amygdala gray matter volumes onto the resulting startle measures. We then probed time, stimulus, and group effects of startle latency. RESULTS We showed that startle latency and startle amplitude were 2 largely uncorrelated measures; startle latency, but not amplitude, showed a sex-specific association with gray matter volume of the amygdala; startle latencies showed a fear-dependent task modulation; and patients with fear-related disorders displayed shorter startle latencies throughout the fear learning task. CONCLUSIONS These data provide support for the notion that probing startle latencies under threat may engage amygdala-modulated threat processing, making them a complementary marker for human anxiety research.
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Li HX, Hu X. Dialectical Thinking Is Linked With Smaller Left Nucleus Accumbens and Right Amygdala. Front Psychol 2022; 13:760489. [PMID: 35222178 PMCID: PMC8866571 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.760489] [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: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Our current work examined the interface between thinking style and emotional experience at both the behavioral and neuropsychological levels. Thirty-nine Chinese participants completed the triad task, and we calculated the rate of individually selected relationship pairings to overall selections to represent their holistic thinking tendencies. In addition, participants in the top one-third of the ratio score were classified into the high holistic thinking group, while those in the bottom one-third of the ratio score were classified into the low holistic thinking group. We used the sensitivity to punishment and sensitivity to reward questionnaire (SPSRQ) to examine how people elicit positive and negative affective behaviors. Additionally, we examined the volume of the amygdala and nucleus accumbens and their functional connectivity in the resting-state. We found that high holistic thinkers were much less sensitive to rewards than low holistic thinkers. In other words, individuals with high holistic thinking are less likely to pursue behaviors that have positive emotional outcomes. Furthermore, their bilateral nucleus accumbens and right amygdala volumes were smaller than those of low holistic thinkers. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that holistic thinking tendency can negatively predict the volume of the left nucleus accumbens and right amygdala. Finally, resting-state functional connectivity results showed increased functional connectivity FC between left nucleus accumbens and bilateral amygdala in high holistic thinkers. These findings provide emotion-related manifestations of thinking styles at the behavioral and neural levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Xian Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaomeng Hu
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
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11
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Günther V, Kropidlowski A, Schmidt FM, Koelkebeck K, Kersting A, Suslow T. Attentional processes during emotional face perception in social anxiety disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of eye-tracking findings. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 111:110353. [PMID: 34000291 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Background In recent years, a growing body of eye-tracking research has investigated gaze behavior in individuals with social anxiety during the visual perception of emotional stimuli. The aim of this article was to review and synthesize studies examining attention orientation in patients with clinical social anxiety by means of eye-tracking methodology. Methods Through a systematic search, 30 articles were identified, including 11 studies in which single emotional faces were used as stimuli and seven eligible studies in which threatening faces were paired with neutral stimuli. Meta-analyses were conducted to compare prolonged eye-contact behavior and early attentional biases to threats in individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and healthy controls. Results Moderate group differences were revealed for single face viewing studies, with SAD patients showing significantly reduced eye contact with negative (Hedges' g = -0.67) and positive emotional faces (g = -0.49) compared to that of healthy participants. Type of task and duration of stimulus presentation were (marginally) significant moderators of between-study variance in effect size. Small but significant group differences were found for early attentional biases toward angry faces versus neutral stimuli (g = 0.21) but not toward happy faces versus neutral stimuli (g = 0.05). Preliminary evidence for a hyperscanning strategy in SAD patients relative to healthy controls emerged (g = 0.42). Limitations The number of included studies with face pairings was low, and two studies were excluded due to unavailable data. Conclusions Our results suggest that eye contact avoidance with emotional faces is a prominent feature in SAD patients. Patients might benefit from guidance to learn to make adequate eye contact during therapeutic interventions, such as exposure therapy. SAD patients demonstrated slightly heightened attention allocation toward angry faces relative to that of healthy participants during early processing stages. Threat biases can be potential targets for attention modification training as an adjuvant to other treatments. Future research on early attentional processes may benefit from improved arrangements of paired stimuli to increase the psychometric properties of initial attention indices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivien Günther
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Adam Kropidlowski
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Frank Martin Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Katja Koelkebeck
- LVR-Hospital Essen, Institute and Hospital of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Essen, Germany
| | - Anette Kersting
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Suslow
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany.
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12
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Wang S, Zhao Y, Wang X, Yang X, Cheng B, Pan N, Suo X, Gong Q. Emotional intelligence mediates the association between middle temporal gyrus gray matter volume and social anxiety in late adolescence. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2021; 30:1857-1869. [PMID: 33011842 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-020-01651-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
As a common mental health problem, social anxiety refers to the fear and avoidance of interacting in social or performance situations, which plays a crucial role in many health and social problems. Although a growing body of studies has explored the neuroanatomical alterations related to social anxiety in clinical patients, far fewer have examined the association between social anxiety and brain morphology in the general population, which may help us understand the neural underpinnings of social anxiety more comprehensively. Here, utilizing a voxel-based morphometry approach via structural magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated brain gray matter correlates of social anxiety in 231 recent graduates of the same high school grade. We found that social anxiety was positively associated with gray matter volume in the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG), which is a core brain area for cognitive processing of emotions and feelings. Critically, emotional intelligence mediated the impact of right MTG volume on social anxiety. Notably, our results persisted even when controlling for the effects of general anxiety and depression. Altogether, our research reveals right MTG gray matter volume as a neurostructural correlate of social anxiety in a general sample of adolescents and suggests a potential indirect effect of emotional intelligence on the association between gray matter volume and social anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Wang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.,Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yajun Zhao
- School of Education and Psychology, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiuli Wang
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xun Yang
- School of Public Affairs, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bochao Cheng
- Department of Radiology, West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Nanfang Pan
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Xueling Suo
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. .,Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China. .,Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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13
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Liu C, Xu L, Li J, Zhou F, Yang X, Zheng X, Fu M, Li K, Sindermann C, Montag C, Ma Y, Scheele D, Ebstein RP, Yao S, Kendrick KM, Becker B. Serotonin and early life stress interact to shape brain architecture and anxious avoidant behavior - a TPH2 imaging genetics approach. Psychol Med 2021; 51:2476-2484. [PMID: 32981537 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291720002809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early life stress has been associated with emotional dysregulations and altered architecture of limbic-prefrontal brain systems engaged in emotional processing. Serotonin regulates both, developmental and experience-dependent neuroplasticity in these circuits. Central serotonergic biosynthesis rates are regulated by Tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) and transgenic animal models suggest that TPH2-gene associated differences in serotonergic signaling mediate the impact of aversive early life experiences on a phenotype characterized by anxious avoidance. METHODS The present study employed an imaging genetics approach that capitalized on individual differences in a TPH2 polymorphism (703G/T; rs4570625) to determine whether differences in serotonergic signaling modulate the effects of early life stress on brain structure and function and punishment sensitivity in humans (n = 252). RESULTS Higher maltreatment exposure before the age of 16 was associated with increased gray matter volumes in a circuitry spanning thalamic-limbic-prefrontal regions and decreased intrinsic communication in limbic-prefrontal circuits selectively in TT carriers. In an independent replication sample, associations between higher early life stress and increased frontal volumes in TT carriers were confirmed. On the phenotype level, the genotype moderated the association between higher early life stress exposure and higher punishment sensitivity. In TT carriers, the association between higher early life stress exposure and punishment sensitivity was critically mediated by increased thalamic-limbic-prefrontal volumes. CONCLUSIONS The present findings suggest that early life stress shapes the neural organization of the limbic-prefrontal circuits in interaction with individual variations in the TPH2 gene to promote a phenotype characterized by facilitated threat avoidance, thus promoting early adaptation to an adverse environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congcong Liu
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 611731Chengdu, China
| | - Lei Xu
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 611731Chengdu, China
| | - Jialin Li
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 611731Chengdu, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 611731Chengdu, China
| | - Xi Yang
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 611731Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Zheng
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 611731Chengdu, China
| | - Meina Fu
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 611731Chengdu, China
| | - Keshuang Li
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 611731Chengdu, China
| | - Cornelia Sindermann
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, 89081Ulm, Germany
| | - Christian Montag
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 611731Chengdu, China
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, 89081Ulm, Germany
| | - Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute of Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, 100875Beijing, China
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, 53105Bonn, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, 26129Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Richard P Ebstein
- School of Management, Zhejiang University of Technology, 310023Hangzhou, China
- China Center for Behavior Economics and Finance, South Western University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE), 611130, Chengdu, China
| | - Shuxia Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 611731Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 611731Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 611731Chengdu, China
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14
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Nellessen N, Onur OA, Richter N, Jacobs HIL, Dillen KNH, Reutern BV, Langen KJ, Fink GR, Kukolja J. Differential neural structures, intrinsic functional connectivity, and episodic memory in subjective cognitive decline and healthy controls. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 105:159-173. [PMID: 34090179 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.04.016] [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: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The neural correlates of subjective cognitive decline (SCD; i.e., without objectifiable deficit) remain to be elucidated. Possible causes of SCD include early neurodegeneration related to Alzheimer's disease or functional and structural changes related to sub-clinical depression. We investigated the relationship between episodic memory performance or memory complaints and structural or functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures in participants with SCD (n=18) but without psychiatric disorders and healthy controls (n=31). In SCD, memory complaints were not associated with memory performance but with sub-clinical depression and executive functions. SCD-associated memory complaints correlated with higher amygdala and parahippocampal gyrus (specifically subiculum) gray matter density. In controls, but not in SCD, mesiotemporal gray matter density and superior frontal gyrus functional connectivity predicted memory performance. In contrast, in SCD, only a trend toward a correlation between memory performance and gray matter density in the parietooccipital lobes was observed. In our memory-clinic sample of SCD, we did not observe incipient neurodegeneration (limited to structural and functional MRI) but rather sub-clinical depression underlying subjective cognitive complaints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Nellessen
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department of Neurology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Helios University Hospital Wuppertal, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany; Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Oezguer A Onur
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department of Neurology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Nils Richter
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department of Neurology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Heidi I L Jacobs
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg; Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands; Department of Radiology, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kim N H Dillen
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Boris von Reutern
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department of Neurology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Karl J Langen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Gereon R Fink
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department of Neurology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Juraj Kukolja
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Helios University Hospital Wuppertal, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany; Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
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15
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Acosta H, Jansen A, Kircher T. Larger bilateral amygdalar volumes are associated with affective loss experiences. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:1763-1779. [PMID: 33789356 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Affective loss (AL) (i.e., bereavement, relationship breakup) is a stressful life event leading to a heightened risk of developing a psychiatric disorder, for example, depression and anxiety disorder. These disorders have been associated with altered subcortical brain volumes. Little is known though, how AL in healthy subjects is linked to subcortical volumes. In a study with 196 healthy young adults, we probed the association between AL across the individual entire life span, assessed via the List of Threatening Experiences Questionnaire, and magnetic resonance imaging brain gray matter volumes (a priori selected: bilateral amygdalae, hippocampi, thalami; exploratory analyses: nuclei accumbens, caudate, putamina), segmented by use of volBrain. AL was defined as death of a first-degree relative/spouse, close relative/friend, and breakup of a marriage or steady relationship. AL was associated with larger bilateral amygdalar volumes and, after taking into account the total number of ALs, with smaller right hippocampal volumes, both irrespective of sex. Exploratory analyses of striatal volumes yielded an association of AL with larger right nucleus accumbens volumes in men, and increased caudate volumes after the loss of a first-degree relative irrespective of sex. Our data suggest that AL engenders alterations in limbic structures that likely involve processes of chronic stress and amygdala- and hippocampus-dependent fear conditioning, and resemble those observed in general anxiety disorder, childhood maltreatment, and major depressive disorder. Our exploratory findings of striatal volume alterations hint at a modulation of reward processing by AL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henriette Acosta
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,The FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Andreas Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Core-Unit Brainimaging, Faculty of Medicine, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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16
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Subcortical gray matter volumes in asthma: associations with asthma duration, control, and anxiety. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 14:2341-2350. [PMID: 31501976 PMCID: PMC8116327 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00188-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Asthma as a chronic inflammatory disease can be expected to affect central nervous system structures but little is known about subcortical structures in asthma and their potential association with illness-specific outcomes and anxiety. A total of 40 young adults (20 with asthma and 20 gender- and age-matched controls) underwent high-resolution T1-weighted MRI scan, viewed short distressing film clips, and filled in questionnaires about anxious and depressed mood, as well as asthma history, control, and catastrophizing thoughts about asthma, for those with asthma. The structural scans were processed in FSL's FIRST program to delineate subcortical structures of interest: amygdala, hippocampus, putamen, pallidum, caudate nucleus, nucleus accumbens, and thalamus. Findings showed no general reduction in subcortical gray matter volumes in asthma compared to controls. Asthma duration, asthma control, and catastrophizing of asthma and asthma attacks were negatively associated with volumes of putamen and pallidum, and to a weaker extent thalamus and amygdala, while controlling for gender, age, and corticosteroid inhaler use. In addition, stronger anxiety in response to distressing films was associated with lower volume of the pallidum, whereas general anxious and depressed mood was unrelated to subcortical structures. Thus, although there are no subcortical structural differences between young adults with asthma and healthy controls, longer asthma history, suboptimal management, and illness-related anxiety are reflected in lower gray matter volumes of subcortical structures, further emphasizing the importance of maintaining optimal asthma control.
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17
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Deep brain stimulation response in obsessive-compulsive disorder is associated with preoperative nucleus accumbens volume. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 30:102640. [PMID: 33799272 PMCID: PMC8044711 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Preoperative MRI was associated with 12-months DBS treatment outcome in OCD patients. Larger nucleus accumbens volume was associated with larger clinical improvement. Machine learning analysis was not successful in predicting clinical improvement.
Background Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a new treatment option for patients with therapy-resistant obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Approximately 60% of patients benefit from DBS, which might be improved if a biomarker could identify patients who are likely to respond. Therefore, we evaluated the use of preoperative structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in predicting treatment outcome for OCD patients on the group- and individual-level. Methods In this retrospective study, we analyzed preoperative MRI data of a large cohort of patients who received DBS for OCD (n = 57). We used voxel-based morphometry to investigate whether grey matter (GM) or white matter (WM) volume surrounding the DBS electrode (nucleus accumbens (NAc), anterior thalamic radiation), and whole-brain GM/WM volume were associated with OCD severity and response status at 12-month follow-up. In addition, we performed machine learning analyses to predict treatment outcome at an individual-level and evaluated its performance using cross-validation. Results Larger preoperative left NAc volume was associated with lower OCD severity at 12-month follow-up (pFWE < 0.05). None of the individual-level regression/classification analyses exceeded chance-level performance. Conclusions These results provide evidence that patients with larger NAc volumes show a better response to DBS, indicating that DBS success is partly determined by individual differences in brain anatomy. However, the results also indicate that structural MRI data alone does not provide sufficient information to guide clinical decision making at an individual level yet.
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18
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Wang X, Cheng B, Wang S, Lu F, Luo Y, Long X, Kong D. Distinct grey matter volume alterations in adult patients with panic disorder and social anxiety disorder: A systematic review and voxel-based morphometry meta-analysis. J Affect Disord 2021; 281:805-823. [PMID: 33243552 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.11.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The paradox of similar diagnostic criteria but potentially different neuropathologies in panic disorder (PD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) needs to be clarified. METHODS We performed a qualitative systematic review and a quantitative whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) meta-analysis with an anisotropic effect-size version of seed-based D mapping (AES-SDM) to explore whether the alterations of grey matter volume (GMV) in PD are similar to or different from those in SAD, together with potential confounding factors. RESULTS A total of thirty-one studies were eligible for inclusion, eighteen of which were included in the meta-analysis. Compared to the respective healthy controls (HC), qualitative and quantitative analyses revealed smaller cortical-subcortical GMVs in PD patients in brain areas including the prefrontal and temporal-parietal cortices, striatum, thalamus and brainstem, predominantly right-lateralized regions, and larger GMVs in the prefrontal and temporal-parietal-occipital cortices, and smaller striatum and thalamus in SAD patients. Quantitatively, the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) deficit was specifically implicated in PD patients, whereas left striatum-thalamus deficits were specific to SAD patients, without shared GMV alterations in both disorders. Sex, the severity of clinical symptoms, psychiatric comorbidity, and concomitant medication use were negatively correlated with smaller regional GMV alterations in PD patients. CONCLUSION PD and SAD may represent different anxiety sub-entities at the neuroanatomical phenotypes level, with different specific neurostructural deficits in the right IFG of PD patients, and the left striatum and thalamus of SAD patients. This combination of differences and specificities can potentially be used to guide the development of diagnostic biomarkers for these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuli Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, the Fourth People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu 610036, China.
| | - Bochao Cheng
- Department of Radiology, West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Song Wang
- Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Fengmei Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, the Fourth People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu 610036, China
| | - Ya Luo
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xipeng Long
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Di Kong
- Department of Psychiatry, the Fourth People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu 610036, China
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19
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Parsing differences in amygdala volume among individuals with and without social and generalized anxiety disorders across the lifespan. J Psychiatr Res 2020; 128:83-89. [PMID: 32544774 PMCID: PMC7483375 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Structural differences in the amygdala (AMG) are implicated in anxiety and observed among individuals with generalized (GAD) and social anxiety (SAD) disorders. Findings have been mixed, perhaps because studies rarely examine differences between GAD and SAD, test comorbidity, or examine age-related differences. We tested AMG volume differences among a sample of adults and youth with/without SAD and GAD. Participants (N = 242; ages 7-60 years) completed an MRI scan, diagnostic interviews, and anxiety symptom measures. Groups were formed from diagnostic interviews: 1) Typically developing (TD; n = 91); 2) GAD (n = 53); 3) SAD (n = 35); and 4) comorbid SAD/GAD (n = 63). We used analysis of covariance with a bonferroni correction to examine group differences in AMG volume. The SAD and comorbid SAD/GAD groups exhibited increased bilateral AMG volume compared to the TD group. GAD and TD groups did not differ from each other in AMG size. The SAD, but not the comorbid SAD/GAD group, displayed greater right AMG size relative to the GAD group. SAD and comorbid SAD/GAD groups did not differ from the GAD group in left AMG volume. SAD and SAD/GAD groups did not exhibit different bilateral AMG size. Linear regression analyses demonstrated that greater social anxiety but not generalized anxiety symptom severity was associated with enlarged AMG volume. Age was not associated with AMG volume and nor did age moderate any group or symptom effects. Future longitudinal studies should examine whether larger AMG volume is a unique biomarker for SAD across the lifespan.
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20
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Bas-Hoogendam JM, Westenberg PM. Imaging the socially-anxious brain: recent advances and future prospects. F1000Res 2020; 9:F1000 Faculty Rev-230. [PMID: 32269760 PMCID: PMC7122428 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.21214.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is serious psychiatric condition with a genetic background. Insight into the neurobiological alterations underlying the disorder is essential to develop effective interventions that could relieve SAD-related suffering. In this expert review, we consider recent neuroimaging work on SAD. First, we focus on new results from magnetic resonance imaging studies dedicated to outlining biomarkers of SAD, including encouraging findings with respect to structural and functional brain alterations associated with the disorder. Furthermore, we highlight innovative studies in the field of neuroprediction and studies that established the effects of treatment on brain characteristics. Next, we describe novel work aimed to delineate endophenotypes of SAD, providing insight into the genetic susceptibility to develop the disorder. Finally, we outline outstanding questions and point out directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam
- Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, c/o LUMC, postzone C2-S, P.O.Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - P. Michiel Westenberg
- Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, c/o LUMC, postzone C2-S, P.O.Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
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21
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Burkhouse KL, Jagan Jimmy, Defelice N, Klumpp H, Ajilore O, Hosseini B, Fitzgerald KD, Monk CS, Phan KL. Nucleus accumbens volume as a predictor of anxiety symptom improvement following CBT and SSRI treatment in two independent samples. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:561-569. [PMID: 31756730 PMCID: PMC6969163 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0575-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Structural variations of neural regions implicated in fear responses have been well documented in the pathophysiology of anxiety and may play an important role in treatment response. We examined whether gray matter volume of three neural regions supporting fear and avoidance responses [bilateral amygdala, nucleus accumbens (NAcc), and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (PFC)] predicted cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment outcome in two independent samples of patients with anxiety disorders. Study 1 consisted of 81 adults with anxiety disorders and Study 2 included 55 children and adolescents with anxiety disorders. In both studies, patients completed baseline structural MRI scans and received either CBT or SSRI treatment. Clinician-rated interviews of anxiety symptoms were assessed at baseline and posttreatment. Among the adult sample, greater pre-treatment bilateral NAcc volume was associated with a greater reduction in clinician-rated anxiety symptoms pre-to-post CBT and SSRI treatment. Greater left NAcc volume also predicted greater decreases in clinician-rated anxiety symptoms pre-to-post CBT and SSRI treatment among youth with current anxiety. Across studies, results were similar across treatments, and findings were maintained when adjusting for patient's age, sex, and total intracranial brain volume. We found no evidence for baseline amygdala or ventromedial PFC volume serving as treatment predictors across the two samples. Together, these findings provide promising support for the role of NAcc volume as an objective marker of anxiety treatment improvement that spans across development. Future studies should clarify the specific mechanisms through which NAcc volume exerts its therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie L Burkhouse
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Jagan Jimmy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nicholas Defelice
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Heide Klumpp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Olusola Ajilore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Bobby Hosseini
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kate D Fitzgerald
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Christopher S Monk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - K Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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22
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Jayakar R, Tone EB, Crosson B, Turner JA, Anderson PL, Phan KL, Klumpp H. Amygdala volume and social anxiety symptom severity: Does segmentation technique matter? Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2020; 295:111006. [PMID: 31760338 PMCID: PMC6982531 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2019.111006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala factors prominently in neurobiological models of social anxiety (SA), yet amygdala volume findings regarding SA have been inconsistent and largely focused on case-control characterization. One source of discrepant findings could be variability in volumetric techniques. Therefore, we compared amygdala volumes derived via an automated technique (Freesurfer) against a manually corrected approach, also involving Freesurfer. Additionally, we tested whether the relationship between volume and SA symptom severity would differ across volumetric techniques. We pooled participants (n = 76) from archival studies. SA severity was assessed with the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale; scores ranged from non-clinical to clinical levels. Freesurfer produced significantly larger amygdalar volumes for participants with poor image quality. Even after excluding such participants, paired sample t-tests showed Freesurfer's boundaries produced significantly larger amygdalar volumes than manually corrected ones, bilaterally. Yet, intra-class correlation coefficients between the two methods were high, which suggests that Freesurfer's over-estimation of amygdala volume was systemic. Regardless of segmentation technique, volumes were not associated with SA symptom severity. Potentially, amygdala sub-regions may yield clearer patterns regarding SA symptoms. Further, our study underscores the importance of image quality for segmentation of the amygdala, and image quality may be particularly valuable when examining anatomical data for subtle inter-individual differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reema Jayakar
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
| | - Erin B Tone
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
| | - Bruce Crosson
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA; Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA 30033, USA; Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Jessica A Turner
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
| | - Page L Anderson
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
| | - K Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Heide Klumpp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Bas-Hoogendam JM. Commentary: Gray Matter Structural Alterations in Social Anxiety Disorder: A Voxel-Based Meta-Analysis. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:1. [PMID: 30723425 PMCID: PMC6349716 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, Netherlands
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24
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Bas-Hoogendam JM, van Steenbergen H, Tissier RLM, Houwing-Duistermaat JJ, Westenberg PM, van der Wee NJA. Subcortical brain volumes, cortical thickness and cortical surface area in families genetically enriched for social anxiety disorder - A multiplex multigenerational neuroimaging study. EBioMedicine 2018; 36:410-428. [PMID: 30266294 PMCID: PMC6197574 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.08.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a disabling psychiatric condition with a genetic background. Brain alterations in gray matter (GM) related to SAD have been previously reported, but it remains to be elucidated whether GM measures are candidate endophenotypes of SAD. Endophenotypes are measurable characteristics on the causal pathway from genotype to phenotype, providing insight in genetically-based disease mechanisms. Based on a review of existing evidence, we examined whether GM characteristics meet two endophenotype criteria, using data from a unique sample of SAD-patients and their family-members of two generations. First, we investigated whether GM characteristics co-segregate with social anxiety within families genetically enriched for SAD. Secondly, heritability of the GM characteristics was estimated. METHODS Families with a genetic predisposition for SAD participated in the Leiden Family Lab study on SAD; T1-weighted MRI brain scans were acquired (n = 110, 8 families). Subcortical volumes, cortical thickness and cortical surface area were determined for a-priori determined regions of interest (ROIs). Next, associations with social anxiety and heritabilities were estimated. FINDINGS Several subcortical and cortical GM characteristics, derived from frontal, parietal and temporal ROIs, co-segregated with social anxiety within families (uncorrected p-level) and showed moderate to high heritability. INTERPRETATION These findings provide preliminary evidence that GM characteristics of multiple ROIs, which are distributed over the brain, are candidate endophenotypes of SAD. Thereby, they shed light on the genetic vulnerability for SAD. Future research is needed to confirm these results and to link them to functional brain alterations and to genetic variations underlying these GM changes. FUND: Leiden University Research Profile 'Health, Prevention and the Human Life Cycle'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Henk van Steenbergen
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Renaud L M Tissier
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | | | - P Michiel Westenberg
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Nic J A van der Wee
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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