Amygdala functional connectivity as a longitudinal biomarker of symptom changes in generalized anxiety.

ABSTRACT: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive worry, autonomic dysregulation and functional amygdala dysconnectivity, yet these illness markers have rarely been considered together, nor their interrelationship tested longitudinally. We hypothesized that an individual's capacity for emotion regulation predicts longer-term changes in amygdala functional connectivity, supporting the modification of GAD core symptoms. Sixteen patients with GAD (14 women) and individually matched controls were studied at two time points separated by 1 year. Resting-state fMRI data and concurrent measurement of vagally mediated heart rate variability were obtained before and after the induction of perseverative cognition. A greater rise in levels of worry following the induction predicted a st

SUBMITTER: Makovac E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5091683 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature