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Roesmann K, Leehr EJ, Böhnlein J, Gathmann B, Herrmann MJ, Junghöfer M, Schwarzmeier H, Seeger FR, Siminski N, Straube T, Dannlowski U, Lueken U. Mechanisms of action underlying virtual reality exposure treatment in spider phobia: Pivotal role of within-session fear reduction. J Anxiety Disord 2023; 100:102790. [PMID: 37879242 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102790] [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: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Although virtual-reality exposure treatment (VRET) for anxiety disorders is an efficient treatment option for specific phobia, mechanisms of action for immediate and sustained treatment response need to be elucidated. Towards this aim, core therapy process variables were assessed as predictors for short- and long-term VR treatment outcomes. In a bi-centric study, n = 186 patients with spider phobia completed a baseline-assessment, a one-session VRET, a post-therapy assessment, and a 6-month-follow-up assessment (ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT03208400). Short- and long-term outcomes regarding self-reported symptoms in the spider phobia questionnaire (SPQ) and final patient-spider distance in the behavioral avoidance test (BAT) were predicted via logistic regression models with the corresponding baseline score, age, initial fear activation, within-session fear reduction and fear expectancy violation as predictors. To predict long-term remission status at 6-month-follow-up, dimensional short-term changes in the SPQ and BAT were additionally included. Higher within-session fear reductions predicted better treatment outcomes (long-term SPQ; short- and long-term BAT). Lower initial fear activation tended to be associated with better long-term outcomes (SPQ), while fear expectancy violation was not associated with any outcome measure. Short-term change in the SPQ predicted remission status. Findings highlight that in VRET for spider phobia, the experience of fear reduction is central for short- and long-term treatment success and should be focused by therapists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kati Roesmann
- Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Siegen, Germany; Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Münster, Germany; Institute for Psychology, Unit for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy in Childhood and Adolescence, University of Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Elisabeth J Leehr
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Germany.
| | - Joscha Böhnlein
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Bettina Gathmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Martin J Herrmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, University Hospital of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Junghöfer
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Münster, Germany; Otto-Creutzfeld Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Hanna Schwarzmeier
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, University Hospital of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Fabian R Seeger
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, University Hospital of Würzburg, Germany; Department of General Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Niklas Siminski
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, University Hospital of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Straube
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Ulrike Lueken
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, University Hospital of Würzburg, Germany; Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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2
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Förstner BR, Böttger SJ, Moldavski A, Bajbouj M, Pfennig A, Manook A, Ising M, Pittig A, Heinig I, Heinz A, Mathiak K, Schulze TG, Schneider F, Kamp-Becker I, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Padberg F, Banaschewski T, Bauer M, Rupprecht R, Wittchen HU, Rapp MA, Tschorn M. The associations of Positive and Negative Valence Systems, Cognitive Systems and Social Processes on disease severity in anxiety and depressive disorders. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1161097. [PMID: 37398596 PMCID: PMC10313476 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1161097] [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: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Anxiety and depressive disorders share common features of mood dysfunctions. This has stimulated interest in transdiagnostic dimensional research as proposed by the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) aiming to improve the understanding of underlying disease mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the processing of RDoC domains in relation to disease severity in order to identify latent disorder-specific as well as transdiagnostic indicators of disease severity in patients with anxiety and depressive disorders. Methods Within the German research network for mental disorders, 895 participants (n = 476 female, n = 602 anxiety disorder, n = 257 depressive disorder) were recruited for the Phenotypic, Diagnostic and Clinical Domain Assessment Network Germany (PD-CAN) and included in this cross-sectional study. We performed incremental regression models to investigate the association of four RDoC domains on disease severity in patients with affective disorders: Positive (PVS) and Negative Valance System (NVS), Cognitive Systems (CS) and Social Processes (SP). Results The results confirmed a transdiagnostic relationship for all four domains, as we found significant main effects on disease severity within domain-specific models (PVS: β = -0.35; NVS: β = 0.39; CS: β = -0.12; SP: β = -0.32). We also found three significant interaction effects with main diagnosis showing a disease-specific association. Limitations The cross-sectional study design prevents causal conclusions. Further limitations include possible outliers and heteroskedasticity in all regression models which we appropriately controlled for. Conclusion Our key results show that symptom burden in anxiety and depressive disorders is associated with latent RDoC indicators in transdiagnostic and disease-specific ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd R. Förstner
- Social and Preventive Medicine, Department of Sports and Health Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Sarah Jane Böttger
- Social and Preventive Medicine, Department of Sports and Health Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Alexander Moldavski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Malek Bajbouj
- Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Psychiatry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrea Pfennig
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - André Manook
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Marcus Ising
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Andre Pittig
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ingmar Heinig
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus Mathiak
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- JARA-Brain, Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Thomas G. Schulze
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Norton College of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Frank Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical School, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Inge Kamp-Becker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Frank Padberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Michael Bauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Rainer Rupprecht
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Hans-Ulrich Wittchen
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael A. Rapp
- Social and Preventive Medicine, Department of Sports and Health Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Mira Tschorn
- Social and Preventive Medicine, Department of Sports and Health Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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Versace F, Sambuco N, Deweese MM, Cinciripini PM. Electrophysiological normative responses to emotional, neutral, and cigarette-related images. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14196. [PMID: 36316228 PMCID: PMC10166608 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14196] [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: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
To create reproducible emotional probes, affective scientists rely on sets of standardized pictures that are normed using subjective ratings of valence and emotional arousal. However, when emotional responses are investigated using neurophysiological measures, it might be more appropriate to select pictures integrating information from normative subjective reports and normative neurophysiological responses. Here, we provide electrophysiological normative responses for 323 emotional pictures (215 from the IAPS) covering a wide range of categories (erotica, romantic, appetizing foods, landscapes, people engaged in mundane activities, household objects, disgusting objects, accidents, sad people, violence, mutilations, and cigarette-related contents). Event-related potentials (ERPs) and subjective ratings of pleasure and emotional arousal were collected from 763 individuals (52% females, 41% white) aged between 18 and 65 (mean = 43). For each image, the mean amplitude of the late positive potential (LPP, an electrophysiological index of motivational relevance) and the mean subjective ratings of valence and arousal were calculated. We validated our procedure by showing that the subjective ratings of valence and arousal from this sample were highly correlated to the IAPS' published norms (Pearson r = .97 for pleasure and r = .82 for emotional arousal). LPP responses and subjective ratings of emotional arousal also were correlated (Pearson r = .61), but some categories reported being significantly more arousing than neutral (i.e., food, landscapes, and unpleasant objects) did not evoke LPPs significantly different from those evoked by neutral pictures. Researchers interested in probing the brain's affective systems can use these electrophysiological normative responses to create emotional probes that evoke reliable neuroaffective responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Versace
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Nicola Sambuco
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Menton M Deweese
- Department of Teaching and Learning, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Paul M Cinciripini
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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Bauer EA, Wilson KA, Phan KL, Shankman SA, MacNamara A. A Neurobiological Profile Underlying Comorbidity Load and Prospective Increases in Dysphoria in a Focal Fear Sample. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:352-361. [PMID: 36280453 PMCID: PMC10866641 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.08.009] [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: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge of the neural mechanisms underlying increased disease burden in anxiety disorders that is unaccounted for by individual categorical diagnoses could lead to improved clinical care. Here, we tested the utility of a joint functional magnetic resonance imaging-electroencephalography neurobiological profile characterized by overvaluation of negative stimuli (amygdala) in combination with blunted elaborated processing of these same stimuli (the late positive potential [LPP], an event-related potential) in predicting increased psychopathology across a 2-year period in people with anxiety disorders. METHODS One hundred ten participants (64 female, 45 male, 1 other) including 78 participants with phobias who varied in the extent of their internalizing comorbidity and 32 participants who were free from psychopathology viewed negative and neutral pictures during separate functional magnetic resonance imaging blood oxygen level-dependent and electroencephalogram recordings. Dysphoria was assessed at baseline and 2 years later. RESULTS Participants with both heightened amygdala activation and blunted LPPs to negative pictures showed the greatest increases in dysphoria 2 years later. Cross-sectionally, participants with higher comorbidity load (≥2 additional diagnoses, n = 34) showed increased amygdala activation to negative pictures compared with participants with lower comorbidity load (≤1 additional diagnosis, n = 44) and compared with participants free from psychopathology. In addition, high comorbid participants showed reduced LPPs to negative pictures compared with low comorbid participants. CONCLUSIONS Heightened amygdala in response to negative stimuli in combination with blunted LPPs could indicate overvaluation of threatening stimuli in the absence of elaborated processing that might otherwise help regulate threat responding. This brain profile could underlie the worsening and maintenance of internalizing psychopathology over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Bauer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
| | - Kayla A Wilson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - K Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Stewart A Shankman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Annmarie MacNamara
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
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5
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Luo Q, Chen J, Li Y, Wu Z, Lin X, Yao J, Yu H, Wu H, Peng H. Aberrant static and dynamic functional connectivity of amygdala subregions in patients with major depressive disorder and childhood maltreatment. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 36:103270. [PMID: 36451372 PMCID: PMC9668673 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) with childhood maltreatment is a heterogeneous clinical phenotype of depression with prominent features of brain disconnectivity in areas linked to maltreatment-related emotion processing (e.g., the amygdala). However, static and dynamic alterations of functional connectivity in amygdala subregions have not been investigated in MDD with childhood maltreatment. Here, we explored whether amygdala subregions (i.e., medial amygdala [MeA] and lateral amygdala [LA]) exhibited static functional connectivity (sFC) and dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) disruption, and whether these disruptions were related to childhood maltreatment. We compared sFC and dFC patterns in MDD with childhood maltreatment (n = 48), MDD without childhood maltreatment (n = 30), healthy controls with childhood maltreatment (n = 57), and healthy controls without childhood maltreatment (n = 46). The bilateral MeA and LA were selected as the seeds in the FC analysis. The results revealed a functional connectivity disruption pattern in maltreated MDD patients, characterized by sFC and dFC abnormalities involving the MeA, LA, and theory of mind-related brain areas including the middle occipital area, middle frontal gyrus, superior medial frontal gyrus, angular gyrus, supplementary motor areas, middle temporal gyrus, middle cingulate gyrus, and calcarine gyrus. Significant correlations were detected between impaired dFC patterns and childhood maltreatment. Furthermore, the dFC disruption pattern served as a moderator in the relationship between sexual abuse and depression severity. Our findings revealed neurobiological features of childhood maltreatment, providing new evidence regarding vulnerability to psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianyi Luo
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Juran Chen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Yuhong Li
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Zhiyao Wu
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Xinyi Lin
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Jiazheng Yao
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Huiwen Yu
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Huawang Wu
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China,Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou 510370, China,Corresponding authors at: Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China (H. Wu); Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China (H. Peng).
| | - Hongjun Peng
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China,Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou 510370, China,Corresponding authors at: Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China (H. Wu); Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China (H. Peng).
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Schindler S, Richter TS, Bruchmann M, Busch NA, Straube T. Effects of task load, spatial attention, and trait anxiety on neuronal responses to fearful and neutral faces. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14114. [PMID: 35652518 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14114] [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: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
There is an ongoing debate on how different components of the event-related potential (ERP) to threat-related facial expressions are modulated by attentional conditions and interindividual differences in trait anxiety. In the current study (N = 80), we examined ERPs to centrally presented, task-irrelevant fearful and neutral faces, while participants had to solve a face-unrelated visual task, which differed in difficulty and spatial position. Critically, we used a fixation-controlled experimental design and ensured the spatial attention manipulation by spectral analysis of the EEG. Besides the factors emotion, spatial attention, and perceptual load, we also investigated correlations between trait anxiety and ERPs. While P1 emotion effects were insignificant, the N170 was increased to fearful faces regardless of load and spatial attention conditions. During the EPN time window, a significantly increased negativity for fearful faces was observed only during low load and spatial attention to the face. We found no significant relationship between ERPs and trait anxiety, questioning the hypothesis of a general hypersensitivity toward fearful expressions in anxious individuals. These results show a high resistance of the N170 amplitude increase for fearful faces to spatial attention and task load manipulations. By contrast, the EPN modulation by fearful faces index a resource-dependent stage of the ERP, requiring both spatial attention at the location of faces and low load of the face-irrelevant task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Schindler
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Münster, Germany.,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Münster, Germany
| | - Theresa Sofie Richter
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Münster, Germany
| | - Maximilian Bruchmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Münster, Germany.,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Münster, Germany
| | - Niko A Busch
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Münster, Germany.,Institute of Psychology, University of Muenster, Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Straube
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Münster, Germany.,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Münster, Germany
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Sambuco N, Bradley MM, Lang PJ. Narrative imagery: Emotional modulation in the default mode network. Neuropsychologia 2022; 164:108087. [PMID: 34785150 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.108087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) is activated when constructing and imagining narrative events, with functional brain activity in the medial-prefrontal cortex hypothesized to be modulated during emotional processing by adding value (or pleasure) to the episodic representation. However, since enhanced reactivity during emotional, compared to neutral, content is a more frequent finding in both the brain and body in physiological, neural, and behavioral measures, the current study directly assesses the effects of pleasure and emotion during narrative imagery in the DMN by using a within-subject design to first identify the DMN during resting state and then assess activation during pleasant, neutral, or unpleasant imagery. Replicating previous findings, enhanced functional activity in the medial prefrontal cortex was found when imagining pleasant, compared to unpleasant, events. On the other hand, emotion-related activation was found when imagining either pleasant or unpleasant, compared to neutral, events in other nodes of the DMN including the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), angular gyrus, anterior hippocampus, lateral temporal cortex, temporal pole, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC). Pervasive emotional modulation in the DMN is consistent with the view that a primary function of event retrieval and construction is to remember, recreate, and imagine motivationally relevant events important for planning adaptive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Sambuco
- Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Margaret M Bradley
- Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Peter J Lang
- Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Bas‐Hoogendam JM, Groenewold NA, Aghajani M, Freitag GF, Harrewijn A, Hilbert K, Jahanshad N, Thomopoulos SI, Thompson PM, Veltman DJ, Winkler AM, Lueken U, Pine DS, van der Wee NJA, Stein DJ. ENIGMA-anxiety working group: Rationale for and organization of large-scale neuroimaging studies of anxiety disorders. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:83-112. [PMID: 32618421 PMCID: PMC8805695 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and disabling but seem particularly tractable to investigation with translational neuroscience methodologies. Neuroimaging has informed our understanding of the neurobiology of anxiety disorders, but research has been limited by small sample sizes and low statistical power, as well as heterogenous imaging methodology. The ENIGMA-Anxiety Working Group has brought together researchers from around the world, in a harmonized and coordinated effort to address these challenges and generate more robust and reproducible findings. This paper elaborates on the concepts and methods informing the work of the working group to date, and describes the initial approach of the four subgroups studying generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobia. At present, the ENIGMA-Anxiety database contains information about more than 100 unique samples, from 16 countries and 59 institutes. Future directions include examining additional imaging modalities, integrating imaging and genetic data, and collaborating with other ENIGMA working groups. The ENIGMA consortium creates synergy at the intersection of global mental health and clinical neuroscience, and the ENIGMA-Anxiety Working Group extends the promise of this approach to neuroimaging research on anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna Marie Bas‐Hoogendam
- Department of Developmental and Educational PsychologyLeiden University, Institute of PsychologyLeidenThe Netherlands
- Department of PsychiatryLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Nynke A. Groenewold
- Department of Psychiatry & Mental HealthUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Moji Aghajani
- Department of PsychiatryAmsterdam UMC / VUMCAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Department of Research & InnovationGGZ inGeestAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Gabrielle F. Freitag
- National Institute of Mental Health, Emotion and Development BranchBethesdaMarylandUSA
| | - Anita Harrewijn
- National Institute of Mental Health, Emotion and Development BranchBethesdaMarylandUSA
| | - Kevin Hilbert
- Department of PsychologyHumboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- University of Southern California Keck School of MedicineImaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics InstituteLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sophia I. Thomopoulos
- University of Southern California Keck School of MedicineImaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics InstituteLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Paul M. Thompson
- University of Southern California Keck School of MedicineImaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics InstituteLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Dick J. Veltman
- Department of PsychiatryAmsterdam UMC / VUMCAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Anderson M. Winkler
- National Institute of Mental Health, Emotion and Development BranchBethesdaMarylandUSA
| | - Ulrike Lueken
- Department of PsychologyHumboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Daniel S. Pine
- National Institute of Mental Health, Emotion and Development BranchBethesdaMarylandUSA
| | - Nic J. A. van der Wee
- Department of PsychiatryLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Dan J. Stein
- Department of Psychiatry & Mental HealthUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- University of Cape TownSouth African MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental DisordersCape TownSouth Africa
- University of Cape TownNeuroscience InstituteCape TownSouth Africa
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9
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Metzak PD, Addington J, Hassel S, Goldstein BI, MacIntosh BJ, Lebel C, Wang JL, Kennedy SH, MacQueen GM, Bray S. Functional imaging in youth at risk for transdiagnostic serious mental illness: Initial results from the PROCAN study. Early Interv Psychiatry 2021; 15:1276-1291. [PMID: 33295151 DOI: 10.1111/eip.13078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In their early stages, serious mental illnesses (SMIs) are often indistinguishable from one another, suggesting that studying alterations in brain activity in a transdiagnostic fashion could help to understand the neurophysiological origins of different SMI. The purpose of this study was to examine brain activity in youth at varying stages of risk for SMI using functional magnetic resonance imaging tasks (fMRI) that engage brain systems believed to be affected. METHODS Two hundred and forty three participants at different stages of risk for SMI were recruited to the Canadian Psychiatric Risk and Outcome (PROCAN) study, however only 179 were scanned. Stages included asymptomatic participants at no elevated risk, asymptomatic participants at elevated risk due to family history, participants with undifferentiated general symptoms of mental illness, and those experiencing attenuated versions of diagnosable psychiatric illnesses. The fMRI tasks included: (1) a monetary incentive delay task; (2) an emotional Go-NoGo and (3) an n-back working memory task. RESULTS Strong main effects with each of the tasks were found in brain regions previously described in the literature. However, there were no significant differences in brain activity between any of the stages of risk for SMI for any of the task contrasts, after accounting for site, sex and age. Furthermore, results indicated no significant differences even when participants were dichotomized as asymptomatic or symptomatic. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that univariate BOLD responses during typical fMRI tasks are not sensitive markers of SMI risk and that further study, particularly longitudinal designs, will be necessary to understand brain changes underlying the early stages of SMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Metzak
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jean Addington
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Stefanie Hassel
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Benjamin I Goldstein
- Center for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bradley J MacIntosh
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Catherine Lebel
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Child & Adolescent Imaging Research (CAIR) Program, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jian Li Wang
- Work & Mental Health Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sidney H Kennedy
- Department of Psychiatry, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Arthur Somner Rotenberg Chair in Suicide and Depression Studies, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Glenda M MacQueen
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Signe Bray
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Child & Adolescent Imaging Research (CAIR) Program, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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10
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Böhnlein J, Leehr EJ, Roesmann K, Sappelt T, Platte O, Grotegerd D, Sindermann L, Repple J, Opel N, Meinert S, Lemke H, Borgers T, Dohm K, Enneking V, Goltermann J, Waltemate L, Hülsmann C, Thiel K, Winter N, Bauer J, Lueken U, Straube T, Junghöfer M, Dannlowski U. Neural processing of emotional facial stimuli in specific phobia: An fMRI study. Depress Anxiety 2021; 38:846-859. [PMID: 34224655 DOI: 10.1002/da.23191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with specific phobia (SP) show altered brain activation when confronted with phobia-specific stimuli. It is unclear whether this pathogenic activation pattern generalizes to other emotional stimuli. This study addresses this question by employing a well-powered sample while implementing an established paradigm using nonspecific aversive facial stimuli. METHODS N = 111 patients with SP, spider subtype, and N = 111 healthy controls (HCs) performed a supraliminal emotional face-matching paradigm contrasting aversive faces versus shapes in a 3-T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. We performed region of interest (ROI) analyses for the amygdala, the insula, and the anterior cingulate cortex using univariate as well as machine-learning-based multivariate statistics based on this data. Additionally, we investigated functional connectivity by means of psychophysiological interaction (PPI). RESULTS Although the presentation of emotional faces showed significant activation in all three ROIs across both groups, no group differences emerged in all ROIs. Across both groups and in the HC > SP contrast, PPI analyses showed significant task-related connectivity of brain areas typically linked to higher-order emotion processing with the amygdala. The machine learning approach based on whole-brain activity patterns could significantly differentiate the groups with 73% balanced accuracy. CONCLUSIONS Patients suffering from SP are characterized by differences in the connectivity of the amygdala and areas typically linked to emotional processing in response to aversive facial stimuli (inferior parietal cortex, fusiform gyrus, middle cingulate, postcentral cortex, and insula). This might implicate a subtle difference in the processing of nonspecific emotional stimuli and warrants more research furthering our understanding of neurofunctional alteration in patients with SP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joscha Böhnlein
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Elisabeth J Leehr
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Kati Roesmann
- Institute for Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany.,Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Teresa Sappelt
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Ole Platte
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Dominik Grotegerd
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Lisa Sindermann
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jonathan Repple
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nils Opel
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Susanne Meinert
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Hannah Lemke
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Tiana Borgers
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Dohm
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Verena Enneking
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Janik Goltermann
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Lena Waltemate
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Carina Hülsmann
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Thiel
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nils Winter
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jochen Bauer
- Clinic for Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Ulrike Lueken
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Straube
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Markus Junghöfer
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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11
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Marquis LP, Julien SH, Daneault V, Blanchette-Carrière C, Paquette T, Carr M, Soucy JP, Montplaisir J, Nielsen T. Local Neuronal Synchronization in Frequent Nightmare Recallers and Healthy Controls: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:645255. [PMID: 33815047 PMCID: PMC8012764 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.645255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Nightmares are highly dysphoric dreams that are well-remembered upon awakening. Frequent nightmares have been associated with psychopathology and emotional dysregulation, yet their neural mechanisms remain largely unknown. Our neurocognitive model posits that nightmares reflect dysfunction in a limbic-prefrontal circuit comprising medial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, hippocampus, and amygdala. However, there is a paucity of studies that used brain imaging to directly test the neural correlates of nightmares. One such study compared the regional homogeneity (ReHo) of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging blood-oxygen level-dependent signals between frequent nightmare recallers and controls. The main results were greater regional homogeneity in the left anterior cingulate cortex and right inferior parietal lobule for the nightmare recallers than for the controls. In the present study, we aimed to document the ReHo correlates of frequent nightmares using several nightmare severity measures. We acquired resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 18 frequent nightmare recallers aged 18-35 (3 males and 15 females) and 18 age- and sex-matched controls, as well as retrospective and prospective disturbed dreaming frequency estimates and scores on the Nightmare Distress Questionnaire. While there were inconsistent results for our different analyses (group comparisons, correlational analyses for frequency estimates/Nightmare Distress scores), our results suggest that nightmares are associated with altered ReHo in frontal (medial prefrontal and inferior frontal), parietal, temporal and occipital regions, as well as some subcortical regions (thalamus). We also found a positive correlation between retrospective disturbed dreaming frequency estimates and ReHo values in the hippocampus. These findings are mostly in line with a recent SPECT study from our laboratory. Our results point to the possibility that a variety of regions, including but not limited to the limbic-prefrontal circuit of our neurocognitive model, contribute to nightmare formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis-Philippe Marquis
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM – Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sarah-Hélène Julien
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM – Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Véronique Daneault
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM – Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Cloé Blanchette-Carrière
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM – Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tyna Paquette
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM – Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Michelle Carr
- Department of Psychiatry, Sleep & Neurophysiology Research Laboratory, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
| | | | - Jacques Montplaisir
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM – Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tore Nielsen
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM – Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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12
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Yilmaz Balban M, Cafaro E, Saue-Fletcher L, Washington MJ, Bijanzadeh M, Lee AM, Chang EF, Huberman AD. Human Responses to Visually Evoked Threat. Curr Biol 2020; 31:601-612.e3. [PMID: 33242389 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.11.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Vision is the primary sense humans use to evaluate and respond to threats. Understanding the biological underpinnings of the human threat response has been hindered by lack of realistic in-lab threat paradigms. We established an immersive virtual reality (VR) platform to simultaneously measure behavior, physiological state, and neural activity from the human brain using chronically implanted electrodes. Subjects with high anxiety showed increased visual scanning in response to threats as compared to healthy controls. In both healthy and anxious subjects, the amount of scanning behavior correlated with the magnitude of physiological arousal, suggesting that visual scanning behavior is directly linked to internal state. Intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) recordings from three subjects suggested that high-frequency gamma activity in the insula positively correlates with physiological arousal induced by visual threats and that low-frequency theta activity in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) negatively correlates with physiological arousal induced by visual threats. These findings reveal a key role of eye movements and suggest that distinct insula and OFC activation dynamics may be important for detecting and adjusting human stress in response to visually perceived threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melis Yilmaz Balban
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Erin Cafaro
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Lauren Saue-Fletcher
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Marlon J Washington
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Maryam Bijanzadeh
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - A Moses Lee
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Edward F Chang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Andrew D Huberman
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; BioX, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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13
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Sambuco N, Costa VD, Lang PJ, Bradley MM. Assessing the role of the amygdala in fear of pain: Neural activation under threat of shock. J Affect Disord 2020; 276:1142-1148. [PMID: 32791350 PMCID: PMC7490761 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.07.110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The DSM-5 explicitly states that the neural system model of specific phobia is centered on the amygdala. However, this hypothesis is predominantly supported by human studies on animal phobia, whereas visual cuing of other specific phobias, such as dental fear, do not consistently show amygdala activation. Considering that fear of anticipated pain is one of the best predictors of dental phobia, the current study investigated neural and autonomic activity of pain anticipation in individuals varying in the degree of fear of dental pain. METHOD Functional brain activity (fMRI) was measured in women (n = 31) selected to vary in the degree of self-reported fear of dental pain when under the threat of shock, in which one color signaled the possibility of receiving a painful electric shock and another color signaled safety. RESULTS Enhanced functional activity during threat, compared to safety, was found in regions including anterior insula and anterior/mid cingulate cortex. Importantly, threat reactivity in the anterior insula increased as reported fear of pain increased and further predicted skin conductance changes during pain anticipation. LIMITATIONS The sample was comprised of women. CONCLUSIONS Individual differences in fear of pain vary with activation in the anterior insula, rather than with the amygdala, indicating that fear is not uniquely associated with amygdala activation. Whereas coping techniques such as emotion regulation have been found to vary with activation in a frontal-amygdala circuit when confronted with visual cues, precision psychiatry may need to target specific brain circuits to diagnose and treat different types of specific phobia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Sambuco
- Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
| | - Vincent D Costa
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University
| | - Peter J Lang
- Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Margaret M Bradley
- Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
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14
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Chen G, Wang X, Zhang S, Xu X, Liang J, Xu Y. In vivo investigation on bio-markers of perimenopausal panic disorder and catgut embedding acupoints mechanism. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99:e19909. [PMID: 32384434 PMCID: PMC7220090 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000019909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Panic disorder (PD), defined by repeated and unexpected panic attacks, severely affects patients' living quality and social function. Perimenopausal women are high-risk group of PD and suffer greatly from it. Modern medicine therapies for this disorder have many side reactions and poor effects, so nonpharmacological modality is an urgent need. Although acupoint catgut embedding is widely used in clinical practice, there is no persuasive evidence of its effect for perimenopausal PD. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness and safety of acupoint catgut embedding for perimenopausal PD and to elucidate the correlations among brain neural activation, bio-markers (amino acids) and clinical outcomes with radiographic evidence, thus to explore its neural mechanism. METHODS The parallel designed, exploratory randomized controlled trial will include 70 outpatients with perimenopausal PD recruited from two hospitals of Chinese Medicine. These subjects will be randomly allocated to an intervention group (Group Embedding) and a control group (Group Medication) in a 1:1 ratio. The subjects in the intervention group will receive acupoint catgut embedding treatment two weeks a time in the following predefined acupuncture points: Shenshu (BL23), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Guanyuan (RN4), Ganshu (BL18), Zusanli (ST36) and Pishu (BL20). The included women of the control group will take 0.4 mg Alprazolam tablet orally, 1 tablet a time, 3 times a day. There is a study period of 3 months and a follow-up period of 1 month for each group. The primary outcomes will be the following therapeutic indexes: the frequency of panic attack, Panic Disorder Severity Score (PDSS), and Panic-associated Symptoms Score (PASS) during the observation period and follow-up period. The changes in Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) Score and Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) Score will also be compared between these two groups. Additionally, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) scans will be done before and after the observation period to show cranial neuroimaging changes. DISCUSSION We present a study design and rationale to explore the effectiveness and neural mechanism of acupoint catgut embedding for perimenopausal PD. There are still several factors restrict our research such as no unified standard of diagnostic criteria and curative effect evaluation. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-INR-16009724, registered in November 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guizhen Chen
- The Bao’an District TCM Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen
| | - Xue Wang
- Clinical Medical College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuo Zhang
- Clinical Medical College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaokang Xu
- Clinical Medical College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junquan Liang
- Clinical Medical College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunxiang Xu
- Clinical Medical College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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15
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Gechter J, Liebscher C, Geiger MJ, Wittmann A, Schlagenhauf F, Lueken U, Wittchen HU, Pfleiderer B, Arolt V, Kircher T, Straube B, Deckert J, Weber H, Herrmann MJ, Reif A, Domschke K, Ströhle A. Association of NPSR1 gene variation and neural activity in patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia and healthy controls. Neuroimage Clin 2019; 24:102029. [PMID: 31734525 PMCID: PMC6854061 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.102029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The neurobiological mechanisms behind panic disorder with agoraphobia (PD/AG) are not completely explored. The functional A/T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs324981 in the neuropeptide S receptor gene (NPSR1) has repeatedly been associated with panic disorder and might partly drive function respectively dysfunction of the neural "fear network". We aimed to investigate whether the NPSR1 T risk allele was associated with malfunctioning in a fronto-limbic network during the anticipation and perception of agoraphobia-specific stimuli. METHOD 121 patients with PD/AG and 77 healthy controls (HC) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using the disorder specific "Westphal-Paradigm". It consists of neutral and agoraphobia-specific pictures, half of the pictures were cued to induce anticipatory anxiety. RESULTS Risk allele carriers showed significantly higher amygdala activation during the perception of agoraphobia-specific stimuli than A/A homozygotes. A linear group x genotype interaction during the perception of agoraphobia-specific stimuli showed a strong trend towards significance. Patients with the one or two T alleles displayed the highest and HC with the A/A genotype the lowest activation in the inferior orbitofrontal cortex (iOFC). DISCUSSION The study demonstrates an association of the NPSR1rs324981 genotype and the perception of agoraphobia-specific stimuli. These results support the assumption of a fronto-limbic dysfunction as an intermediate phenotype of PD/AG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Gechter
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Germany.
| | - Carolin Liebscher
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Germany
| | - Maximilian J Geiger
- Epilepsy Center, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - André Wittmann
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Germany
| | - Florian Schlagenhauf
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Germany
| | - Ulrike Lueken
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hans-Ulrich Wittchen
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Bettina Pfleiderer
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Medical Faculty - University of Muenster, and University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Volker Arolt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - MCMBB, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Straube
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - MCMBB, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Deckert
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Heike Weber
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Martin J Herrmann
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Katharina Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Ströhle
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Germany
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16
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Peters AT, Burkhouse KL, Kinney KL, Phan KL. The roles of early-life adversity and rumination in neural response to emotional faces amongst anxious and depressed adults. Psychol Med 2019; 49:2267-2278. [PMID: 30419983 PMCID: PMC6513724 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291718003203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early-life adversity (ELA) is a risk factor for internalizing psychopathology (IP). ELA is also linked to alterations in neural phenotypes of emotion processing and maladaptive emotion regulatory strategies, such as ruminative brooding, in adulthood. We therefore expected that ELA would predict cortical brain activation to emotional faces in transdiagnostic IP and in turn, mediate the extent of rumination amongst patients with IPs and ELA (IP + ELA). METHOD One hundred and thirty-two individuals, including 102 treatment-seeking adults with heterogeneous IPs and 30 healthy controls (HCs) performed an Emotional Face-Matching Task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Whole-brain analyses compared HC (n = 30), IP (n = 52), and IP + ELA (n = 50) neural responses to emotional (angry, fearful, happy, and sad) faces v. shapes, controlling for depression and anxiety symptoms. Parameter estimates of activation were extracted for significant between-group differences and tested as a mediator of ruminative brooding in IP + ELA. RESULTS IP + ELA demonstrated increased activation in the superior frontal gyrus and anterior cingulate cortex (fear), superior parietal lobule, precuneus, posterior cingulate, and inferior temporal gyrus (fear only), and cuneus (fear and angry). These regions were preferentially correlated with ruminative brooding in IP + ELA, many of which mediated the link between IP + ELA and ruminative brooding. CONCLUSIONS Results provide evidence that ELA history amongst IP patients augments engagement of brain regions involved in emotion processing, above and beyond what is accounted for by current symptoms. Though longitudinal designs are needed, alterations in the neural correlates of maladaptive processing of socio-emotional information may be a common pathway by which ELA poses risk for psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy T Peters
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katie L Burkhouse
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kerry L Kinney
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - K. Luan Phan
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL, USA
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17
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Fusar‐Poli P, Solmi M, Brondino N, Davies C, Chae C, Politi P, Borgwardt S, Lawrie SM, Parnas J, McGuire P. Transdiagnostic psychiatry: a systematic review. World Psychiatry 2019; 18:192-207. [PMID: 31059629 PMCID: PMC6502428 DOI: 10.1002/wps.20631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The usefulness of current psychiatric classification, which is based on ICD/DSM categorical diagnoses, remains questionable. A promising alternative has been put forward as the "transdiagnostic" approach. This is expected to cut across existing categorical diagnoses and go beyond them, to improve the way we classify and treat mental disorders. This systematic review explores whether self-defining transdiagnostic research meets such high expectations. A multi-step Web of Science literature search was performed according to an a priori protocol, to identify all studies that used the word "transdiagnostic" in their title, up to May 5, 2018. Empirical variables which indexed core characteristics were extracted, complemented by a bibliometric and conceptual analysis. A total of 111 studies were included. Most studies were investigating interventions, followed by cognition and psychological processes, and neuroscientific topics. Their samples ranged from 15 to 91,199 (median 148) participants, with a mean age from 10 to more than 60 (median 33) years. There were several methodological inconsistencies relating to the definition of the gold standard (DSM/ICD diagnoses), of the outcome measures and of the transdiagnostic approach. The quality of the studies was generally low and only a few findings were externally replicated. The majority of studies tested transdiagnostic features cutting across different diagnoses, and only a few tested new classification systems beyond the existing diagnoses. About one fifth of the studies were not transdiagnostic at all, because they investigated symptoms and not disorders, a single disorder, or because there was no diagnostic information. The bibliometric analysis revealed that transdiagnostic research largely restricted its focus to anxiety and depressive disorders. The conceptual analysis showed that transdiagnostic research is grounded more on rediscoveries than on true innovations, and that it is affected by some conceptual biases. To date, transdiagnostic approaches have not delivered a credible paradigm shift that can impact classification and clinical care. Practical "TRANSD"iagnostic recommendations are proposed here to guide future research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Fusar‐Poli
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical‐detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK,OASIS Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK,Department of Brain and Behavioral SciencesUniversity of PaviaPaviaItaly
| | - Marco Solmi
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical‐detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK,Neuroscience Department, Psychiatry UnitUniversity of PaduaPaduaItaly
| | - Natascia Brondino
- Department of Brain and Behavioral SciencesUniversity of PaviaPaviaItaly
| | - Cathy Davies
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical‐detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Chungil Chae
- Applied Cognitive Science Lab, Department of Information Science and TechnologyPennsylvania State University, University ParkPAUSA
| | - Pierluigi Politi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral SciencesUniversity of PaviaPaviaItaly
| | | | | | - Josef Parnas
- Center for Subjectivity ResearchUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Philip McGuire
- OASIS Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK,Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK,National Institute for Health Research Maudsley Biomedical Research CentreSouth London and Maudsley NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
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18
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Reliability of Fronto-Amygdala Coupling during Emotional Face Processing. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9040089. [PMID: 31010224 PMCID: PMC6523743 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9040089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most exciting translational prospects for brain imaging research is the potential use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) 'biomarkers' to predict an individual's risk of developing a neuropsychiatric disorder or the likelihood of responding to a particular intervention. This proposal depends critically on reliable measurements at the level of the individual. Several previous studies have reported relatively poor reliability of amygdala activation during emotional face processing, a key putative fMRI 'biomarker'. However, the reliability of amygdala connectivity measures is much less well understood. Here, we assessed the reliability of task-modulated coupling between three seed regions (left and right amygdala and the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex) and the dorsomedial frontal/cingulate cortex (DMFC), measured using a psychophysiological interaction analysis in 29 healthy individuals scanned approximately two weeks apart. We performed two runs on each day of three different emotional face-processing tasks: emotion identification, emotion matching, and gender classification. We tested both between-day reliability and within-day (between-run) reliability. We found good-to-excellent within-subject reliability of amygdala-DMFC coupling, both between days (in two tasks), and within day (in one task). This suggests that disorder-relevant regional coupling may be sufficiently reliable to be used as a predictor of treatment response or clinical risk in future clinical studies.
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19
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Herrmann MJ, Tesar AK, Beier J, Berg M, Warrings B. Grey matter alterations in obesity: A meta-analysis of whole-brain studies. Obes Rev 2019; 20:464-471. [PMID: 30537231 DOI: 10.1111/obr.12799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Obesity is a major problem in the modern world causing a higher risk for various cerebrovascular diseases causing a profound individual and societal burden. The neurobiological foundation bears potential to understand the complex interaction of individual differences in brain structure and function and ingestive behaviour. This systematic review was performed on the current evidence of structural abnormalities in grey matter volume (GMV) in patients with obesity based on studies published until December 2017, which were selected through search in PubMed, CENTER (Cochrane Library), PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Ovid MEDLINE. Ten studies were included; all of them included patients with obesity and provided a whole-brain analysis of grey matter (GM) distribution. Our findings confirmed the most consistent GM reductions in patients with obesity in the left, middle, and right inferior frontal gyrus (including the insula), the left middle temporal cortex, the left precentral gyrus, and the cerebellum. On the other hand, increased GMV in patients with obesity were found in the left cuneus, left middle frontal gyrus, left inferior occipital gyrus, and corpus callosum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Herrmann
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ann-Katrin Tesar
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jennifer Beier
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Max Berg
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Bodo Warrings
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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20
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Burkhardt A, Buff C, Brinkmann L, Feldker K, Gathmann B, Hofmann D, Straube T. Brain activation during disorder-related script-driven imagery in panic disorder: a pilot study. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2415. [PMID: 30787382 PMCID: PMC6382839 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38990-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite considerable effort, the neural correlates of altered threat-related processing in panic disorder (PD) remain inconclusive. Mental imagery of disorder-specific situations proved to be a powerful tool to investigate dysfunctional threat processing in anxiety disorders. The current functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study aimed at investigating brain activation in PD patients during disorder-related script-driven imagery. Seventeen PD patients and seventeen healthy controls (HC) were exposed to newly developed disorder-related and neutral narrative scripts while brain activation was measured with fMRI. Participants were encouraged to imagine the narrative scripts as vividly as possible and they rated their script-induced emotional states after the scanning session. PD patients rated disorder-related scripts as more arousing, unpleasant and anxiety-inducing as compared to HC. Patients relative to HC showed elevated activity in the right amygdala and the brainstem as well as decreased activity in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, and the medial and lateral prefrontal cortex to disorder-related vs. neutral scripts. The results suggest altered amygdala/ brainstem and prefrontal cortex engagement and point towards the recruitment of brain networks with opposed activation patterns in PD patients during script-driven imagery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Burkhardt
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Muenster, Germany.
| | - Christine Buff
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Leonie Brinkmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Katharina Feldker
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Bettina Gathmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - David Hofmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Thomas Straube
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Muenster, Germany
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21
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Klumpp H, Fitzgerald JM. Neuroimaging Predictors and Mechanisms of Treatment Response in Social Anxiety Disorder: an Overview of the Amygdala. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2018; 20:89. [PMID: 30155657 PMCID: PMC9278878 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-018-0948-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Aberrant amygdala activity is implicated in the neurobiology of social anxiety disorder (SAD) and is, therefore, a treatment target. However, the extent to which amygdala predicts clinical improvement or is impacted by treatment has not been critically examined. This review highlights recent neuroimaging findings from clinical trials and research that test links between amygdala and mechanisms of action. RECENT FINDINGS Neuropredictor studies largely comprised psychotherapy where improvement was foretold by amygdala activity and regions beyond amygdala such as frontal structures (e.g., anterior cingulate cortex, medial prefrontal cortex) and areas involved in visual processes (e.g., occipital regions, superior temporal gyrus). Pre-treatment functional connectivity between amygdala and frontal areas was also shown to predict improvement signifying circuits that support emotion processing and regulation interact with treatment. Pre-to-post studies revealed decreases in amygdala response and altered functional connectivity in amygdala pathways regardless of treatment modality. In analogue studies of fear exposure, greater reduction in anxiety was predicted by less amygdala response to a speech challenge and amygdala activity decreased following exposures. Yet, studies have also failed to detect amygdala effects reporting instead treatment-related changes in regions and functional systems that support sensory, emotion, and regulation processes. An array of regions in the corticolimbic subcircuits and extrastriate cortex appear to be viable sites of action. The amygdala and amygdala pathways predict treatment outcome and are altered following treatment. However, further study is needed to establish the role of the amygdala and other candidate regions and brain circuits as sites of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heide Klumpp
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 W. Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL, 60608, USA.
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22
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Abstract
Caretakers are often intimidated or alienated by patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), compounding the clinical challenges posed by the severe morbidity, high social costs and substantial prevalence of this disorder in many health-care settings. BPD is found in ∼1.7% of the general population but in 15-28% of patients in psychiatric clinics or hospitals and in a large proportion of individuals seeking help for psychological problems in general health facilities. BPD is characterized by extreme sensitivity to perceived interpersonal slights, an unstable sense of self, intense and volatile emotionality and impulsive behaviours that are often self-destructive. Most patients gradually enter symptomatic remission, and their rate of remission can be accelerated by evidence-based psychosocial treatments. Although self-harming behaviours and proneness to crisis can decrease over time, the natural course and otherwise effective treatments of BPD usually leave many patients with persistent and severe social disabilities related to depression or self-harming behaviours. Thus, clinicians need to actively enquire about the central issues of interpersonal relations and unstable identity. Failure to correctly diagnose patients with BPD leads to misleading pharmacological interventions that rarely succeed. Whether the definition of BPD should change is under debate that is linked to not fully knowing the nature of this disorder.
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23
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Yeung A, Goto TK, Leung WK. Brain responses to stimuli mimicking dental treatment among non-phobic individuals: A meta-analysis. Oral Dis 2018; 25:34-43. [PMID: 29250913 DOI: 10.1111/odi.12819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Revised: 11/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Numerous neuroimaging studies have attempted to identify how the brain responds to stimuli mimicking dental treatment in normal non-phobic individuals. However, results were sometimes inconsistent due to small sample sizes and methodological variations. This meta-analysis employs standardized procedures to summarize data from previous studies to identify brain regions that were consistently activated across studies, elicited by stimuli such as pictures, sounds, or audiovisual footage mimicking those encountered during dental treatments. A systematic literature search was carried out using PubMed and Scopus. The meta-analysis analyzed data from 120 healthy subjects from seven neuroimaging studies. We assessed the risk of bias among the included studies with the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Nonrandomized Studies. One study appeared to have a high risk of selection bias, whereas the others were considered to have a low risk of bias. Results revealed three clusters of activation with cluster sizes ranging from 768 mm3 to 1,424 mm3 . Stimuli mimicking dental treatment consistently activated the bilateral anterior insula; right dorsal anterior cingulate, putamen, and medial prefrontal cortex; and left claustrum. This study confirmed that audio and/or visual stimuli mimicking dental treatment consistently activated the fear-related brain regions among healthy subjects, mostly consistent with activations from general anxiety but without the involvement of the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awk Yeung
- Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Applied Oral Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - T K Goto
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Tokyo Dental College, Tokyo, Japan
| | - W K Leung
- Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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24
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Buff C, Schmidt C, Brinkmann L, Gathmann B, Tupak S, Straube T. Directed threat imagery in generalized anxiety disorder. Psychol Med 2018; 48:617-628. [PMID: 28735579 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291717001957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Worrying has been suggested to prevent emotional and elaborative processing of fears. In cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) patients are exposed to their fears during the method of directed threat imagery by inducing emotional reactivity. However, studies investigating neural correlates of directed threat imagery and emotional reactivity in GAD patients are lacking. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study aimed at delineating neural correlates of directed threat imagery in GAD patients. METHOD Nineteen GAD patients and 19 healthy controls (HC) were exposed to narrative scripts of either disorder-related or neutral content and were encouraged to imagine it as vividly as possible. RESULTS Rating results showed that GAD patients experienced disorder-related scripts as more anxiety inducing and arousing than HC. These results were also reflected in fMRI data: Disorder-related v. neutral scripts elicited elevated activity in the amygdala, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and the thalamus as well as reduced activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex/subgenual anterior cingulate cortex in GAD patients relative to HC. CONCLUSION The present study presents the first behavioral and neural evidence for emotional reactivity during directed threat imagery in GAD. The brain activity pattern suggests an involvement of a fear processing network as a neural correlate of initial exposure during directed imagery in CBT in GAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Buff
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience,University of Muenster,Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149 Muenster,Germany
| | - C Schmidt
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience,University of Muenster,Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149 Muenster,Germany
| | - L Brinkmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience,University of Muenster,Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149 Muenster,Germany
| | - B Gathmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience,University of Muenster,Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149 Muenster,Germany
| | - S Tupak
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience,University of Muenster,Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149 Muenster,Germany
| | - T Straube
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience,University of Muenster,Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149 Muenster,Germany
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25
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Brinkmann L, Buff C, Feldker K, Neumeister P, Heitmann CY, Hofmann D, Bruchmann M, Herrmann MJ, Straube T. Inter-individual differences in trait anxiety shape the functional connectivity between the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the amygdala during brief threat processing. Neuroimage 2018; 166:110-116. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.10.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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26
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MacNamara A, Klumpp H, Kennedy AE, Langenecker SA, Phan KL. Transdiagnostic neural correlates of affective face processing in anxiety and depression. Depress Anxiety 2017; 34:621-631. [PMID: 28453905 PMCID: PMC5501757 DOI: 10.1002/da.22631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Revised: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is unknown whether there are neurobiologic differences between various anxiety and depressive disorders, or whether they are characterized by shared neurobiologic variation that cuts across diagnostic boundaries. For instance, multiple anxiety disorders and depression may be characterized by abnormalities in blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) response during the processing of affective scenes and faces. To interrogate the shared or unique nature of these aberrations, research that examines the influence of transdiagnostic, dimensional predictors across multiple diagnoses is needed. METHODS One hundred ninety-nine individuals, 142 with primary diagnoses of social anxiety disorder (SAD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or major depressive disorder (MDD) and 57 free from psychiatric diagnoses (healthy controls, HCs), performed a face-matching task involving fearful, angry, and happy faces (and geometric shapes) while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS Across the three primary diagnoses, anxiety symptom scores were associated with increased Angry > Shapes activation in the bilateral insula, anterior/midcingulate, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), while depressive symptoms were associated with reduced dlPFC activation for Angry > Shapes. Patient > HC differences were limited to non a priori regions, and no differences in BOLD activation were observed between diagnostic groups. CONCLUSIONS (1) Activation in paralimbic, cingulate, and lateral prefrontal regions in response to angry faces is associated with transdiagnostic anxiety and depressive symptomatology. (2) Anxiety and depressive symptoms may exert opposing influences on lateral prefrontal activation. (3) Abnormal threat processing in GAD, SAD, and MDD may reflect shared neural dysfunction that varies with symptom load.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heide Klumpp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL,Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Amy E. Kennedy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL,Mental Health Service Line, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Scott A. Langenecker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL,Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - K. Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL,Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL,Mental Health Service Line, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and the Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
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27
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Goddard AW. The Neurobiology of Panic: A Chronic Stress Disorder. CHRONIC STRESS (THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF.) 2017; 1:2470547017736038. [PMID: 32440580 PMCID: PMC7219873 DOI: 10.1177/2470547017736038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Panic disorder is an often chronic and impairing human anxiety syndrome, which frequently results in serious psychiatric and medical comorbidities. Although, to date, there have been many advances in the diagnosis and treatment of panic disorder, its pathophysiology still remains to be elucidated. In this review, recent evidence for a neurobiological basis of panic disorder is reviewed with particular attention to risk factors such as genetic vulnerability, chronic stress, and temperament. In addition, neuroimaging data are reviewed which provides support for the concept of panic disorder as a fear network disorder. The potential impact of the National Institute of Mental Health Research Domain Criteria constructs of acute and chronic threats responses and their implications for the neurobiology of panic disorder are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W. Goddard
- UCSF Fresno Medical Education and
Research Program, University of California, San Francisco, USA
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