1. Alterations in amygdala functional connectivity reflect early temperament
- Author
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Kathryn A. Degnan, Nathan A. Fox, Monique Ernst, Brenda E. Benson, Amy Krain Roy, Koraly Pérez-Edgar, and Daniel S. Pine
- Subjects
Male ,Longitudinal study ,Adolescent ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Anxiety ,Amygdala ,Article ,Young Adult ,Cerebellum ,medicine ,Humans ,Longitudinal Studies ,Prefrontal cortex ,Temperament ,media_common ,Cerebral Cortex ,Resting state fMRI ,General Neuroscience ,Magnetic Resonance Imaging ,Corpus Striatum ,Inhibition, Psychological ,Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,nervous system ,Cerebral cortex ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,Nerve Net ,Psychology ,Neuroscience ,psychological phenomena and processes ,Psychopathology - Abstract
Behavioral inhibition (BI) is a temperament identified early in life that is associated with increased risk for anxiety disorders. Amygdala hyperresponsivity, found both in behaviorally inhibited and anxious individuals, suggests that amygdala dysfunction may represent a marker of anxiety risk. However, broader amygdala networks have not been examined in individuals with a history of childhood BI. This study uses resting state fMRI to assess amygdala intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) in 38 healthy young adults (19 with a history of BI, 19 with no history of BI) selected from a longitudinal study. Centromedial, basolateral, and superficial amygdala iFCs were compared between groups and examined in relation to self-report measures of anxiety. Group differences were observed in amygdala iFC with prefrontal cortex, striatum, anterior insula, and cerebellum. Adults characterized with BI in childhood endorsed greater state anxiety prior to entering the scanner, which was associated with several of the group differences. Findings support enduring effects of BI on amygdala circuitry, even in the absence of current psychopathology.
- Published
- 2013