Towards a mechanistic understanding of pathological anxiety: the dorsal medial prefrontal-amygdala 'aversive amplification' circuit in unmedicated generalized and social anxiety disorders.

ABSTRACT:

Background

We have delineated, across four prior studies, the role of positive dorsal medial prefrontal/anterior cingulate cortex (dmPFC/ACC)-amygdala circuit coupling during aversive processing in healthy individuals under stress. This translational circuit, termed the 'aversive amplification circuit', is thought to drive adaptive, harm-avoidant behavior in threatening environments. Here, in a natural progression of this prior work, we confirm that this circuit also plays a role in the pathological manifestation of anxiety disorders.

Methods

Forty-five unmedicated participants (N=22 generalized and social anxiety disorder/N=23 controls) recruited from Washington DC metropolitan area completed a simple emotion identification task during functional magnetic resonance imaging

SUBMITTER: Robinson OJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4337019 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature