Glucocorticoid Administration Improves Aberrant Fear-Processing Networks in Spider Phobia.

ABSTRACT: Glucocorticoids reduce phobic fear in patients with anxiety disorders. Previous studies have shown that fear-related activation of the amygdala can be mediated through the visual cortical pathway, which includes the fusiform gyrus, or through other pathways. However, it is not clear which of the pathways that activate the amygdala is responsible for the pathophysiology of a specific phobia and how glucocorticoid treatment alleviates fear processing in these neural networks. We recorded the brain activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging in patients with spider phobia, who received either 20 mg of cortisol or a placebo while viewing pictures of spiders. We also tested healthy participants who did not receive any medication during the same task. We performed dynamic causal modellin

SUBMITTER: Nakataki M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5399241 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature