Prefrontal dysfunction during emotion regulation in generalized anxiety and panic disorders.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The mechanisms that contribute to emotion dysregulation in anxiety disorders are not well understood. Two common disorders, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder (PD), were examined to test the hypothesis that both disorders are characterized by hypo-activation in prefrontal cortex (PFC) during emotion regulation. A competing hypothesis that GAD in particular is characterized by PFC hyper-activation during emotion regulation (reflecting overactive top-down control) was also evaluated. Method Twenty-two medication-free healthy control (HC), 23 GAD, and 18 PD participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a task that required them to reappraise (i.e. reduce) or maintain emotional responses to negative images.

Results

GAD p

SUBMITTER: Ball TM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4308620 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature