Unstable prefrontal response to emotional conflict and activation of lower limbic structures and brainstem in remitted panic disorder.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The neural mechanisms of panic disorder (PD) are only incompletely understood. Higher sensitivity of patients to unspecific fear cues and similarities to conditioned fear suggest involvement of lower limbic and brainstem structures. We investigated if emotion perception is altered in remitted PD as a trait feature.

Methodology/principal findings

We used blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study neural and behavioural responses of 18 remitted PD patients and 18 healthy subjects to the emotional conflict paradigm that is based on the presentation of emotionally congruent and incongruent face/word pairs. We observed that patients showed stronger behavioural interference and lower adaptation to interference conflict

SUBMITTER: Chechko N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2680057 | biostudies-literature | 2009 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature