Differential activity of subgenual cingulate and brainstem in panic disorder and PTSD.

Publication Type Academic Article
Authors Tuescher O, Protopopescu X, Pan H, Cloitre M, Butler T, Goldstein M, Root J, Engelien A, Furman D, Silverman M, Yang Y, Gorman J, LeDoux J, Silbersweig D, Stern E
Journal J Anxiety Disord
Volume 25
Issue 2
Pagination 251-7
Date Published 11/13/2010
ISSN 1873-7897
Keywords Brain Stem, Conditioning, Classical, Gyrus Cinguli, Panic Disorder, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Abstract Most functional neuroimaging studies of panic disorder (PD) have focused on the resting state, and have explored PD in relation to healthy controls rather than in relation to other anxiety disorders. Here, PD patients, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients, and healthy control subjects were studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging utilizing an instructed fear conditioning paradigm incorporating both Threat and Safe conditions. Relative to PTSD and control subjects, PD patients demonstrated significantly less activation to the Threat condition and increased activity to the Safe condition in the subgenual cingulate, ventral striatum and extended amygdala, as well as in midbrain periaquaeductal grey, suggesting abnormal reactivity in this key region for fear expression. PTSD subjects failed to show the temporal pattern of activity decrease found in control subjects.
DOI 10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.09.010
PubMed ID 21075593
PubMed Central ID PMC4096628
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