Disrupted amygdalar subregion functional connectivity and evidence of a compensatory network in generalized anxiety disorder
- PMID: 19996041
- DOI: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.104
Disrupted amygdalar subregion functional connectivity and evidence of a compensatory network in generalized anxiety disorder
Abstract
Context: Little is known about the neural abnormalities underlying generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Studies in other anxiety disorders have implicated the amygdala, but work in GAD has yielded conflicting results. The amygdala is composed of distinct subregions that interact with dissociable brain networks, which have been studied only in experimental animals. A functional connectivity approach at the subregional level may therefore yield novel insights into GAD.
Objectives: To determine whether distinct connectivity patterns can be reliably identified for the basolateral (BLA) and centromedial (CMA) subregions of the human amygdala, and to examine subregional connectivity patterns and potential compensatory amygdalar connectivity in GAD.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Setting: Academic medical center.
Participants: Two cohorts of healthy control subjects (consisting of 17 and 31 subjects) and 16 patients with GAD.
Main outcome measures: Functional connectivity with cytoarchitectonically determined BLA and CMA regions of interest, measured during functional magnetic resonance imaging performed while subjects were resting quietly in the scanner. Amygdalar gray matter volume was also investigated with voxel-based morphometry.
Results: Reproducible subregional differences in large-scale connectivity were identified in both cohorts of healthy controls. The BLA was differentially connected with primary and higher-order sensory and medial prefrontal cortices. The CMA was connected with the midbrain, thalamus, and cerebellum. In GAD patients, BLA and CMA connectivity patterns were significantly less distinct, and increased gray matter volume was noted primarily in the CMA. Across the subregions, GAD patients had increased connectivity with a previously characterized frontoparietal executive control network and decreased connectivity with an insula- and cingulate-based salience network.
Conclusions: Our findings provide new insights into the functional neuroanatomy of the human amygdala and converge with connectivity studies in experimental animals. In GAD, we find evidence of an intra-amygdalar abnormality and engagement of a compensatory frontoparietal executive control network, consistent with cognitive theories of GAD.
Similar articles
-
Altered corticostriatal functional connectivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder.Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009 Nov;66(11):1189-200. doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.152. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009. PMID: 19884607
-
Reduced resting-state functional connectivity between amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex in social anxiety disorder.Neuroimage. 2011 Jun 1;56(3):881-9. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.02.064. Epub 2011 Feb 26. Neuroimage. 2011. PMID: 21356318
-
Abnormal resting-state functional connectivity patterns of the putamen in medication-naïve children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Brain Res. 2009 Dec 15;1303:195-206. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.08.029. Epub 2009 Aug 20. Brain Res. 2009. PMID: 19699190
-
[Structural and functional neuroanatomy of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)].Encephale. 2009 Apr;35(2):107-14. doi: 10.1016/j.encep.2008.01.005. Epub 2008 Jul 7. Encephale. 2009. PMID: 19393378 Review. French.
-
Organization of cognitive control within the lateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia.Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009 Apr;66(4):377-86. doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.10. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009. PMID: 19349307 Review.
Cited by
-
Trait-anxiety and glial-related neuroinflammation of the amygdala and its associated regions in Alzheimer's disease: A significant correlation.Brain Behav Immun Health. 2024 May 14;38:100795. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100795. eCollection 2024 Jul. Brain Behav Immun Health. 2024. PMID: 38799793 Free PMC article.
-
Brain function abnormalities and neuroinflammation in people living with HIV-associated anxiety disorders.Front Psychiatry. 2024 Mar 18;15:1336233. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1336233. eCollection 2024. Front Psychiatry. 2024. PMID: 38563030 Free PMC article.
-
Vulnerability of the Hippocampus to Insults: Links to Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction.Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Feb 6;25(4):1991. doi: 10.3390/ijms25041991. Int J Mol Sci. 2024. PMID: 38396670 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Targeting Human Glucocorticoid Receptors in Fear Learning: A Multiscale Integrated Approach to Study Functional Connectivity.Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Jan 10;25(2):864. doi: 10.3390/ijms25020864. Int J Mol Sci. 2024. PMID: 38255937 Free PMC article. Review.
-
The Effect of Prenatal and Neonatal Fluoride Exposure to Morphine-Induced Neuroinflammation.Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Jan 9;25(2):826. doi: 10.3390/ijms25020826. Int J Mol Sci. 2024. PMID: 38255899 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical