Cross-species convergence in pupillary response: understanding human anxiety via non-human primate amygdala lesion.

ABSTRACT: Few studies have used matched affective paradigms to compare humans and non-human primates. In monkeys with amygdala lesions and youth with anxiety disorders, we examined cross-species pupillary responses during a saccade-based, affective attentional capture task. Given evidence of enhanced amygdala function in anxiety, we hypothesized that opposite patterns would emerge in lesioned monkeys and anxious participants. A total of 53 unmedicated youths (27 anxious, 26 healthy) and 8 adult male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) completed matched behavioral paradigms. Four monkeys received bilateral excitotoxic amygdala lesions and four served as unoperated controls. Compared to healthy youth, anxious youth exhibited increased pupillary constriction in response to emotional and non-emotional distr

SUBMITTER: Pagliaccio D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6688453 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature