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 stronger reduction in connectivity between right amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and enhanced coupling between left amygdala and ventral tegmental area at follow-up. Similarly, amplified physiological responses to the induction predicted increased connectivity between right amygdala and thalamus. Longitudinal shifts in a distinct set of functional connectivity scores were associated with concomitant changes in GAD symptomatology over the course of the year. Results highlight the prognostic value of indices of emotional dysregulation and emphasize the integral role of the amygdala as a critical hub in functional neural circuitry underlying the progression of GAD symptomatology.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1719-1728 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Nov 1 2016 |
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Keywords
- Amygdala functional connectivity
- Emotion regulation
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Heart rate variability
- Longitudinal
- Perseverative cognition
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Cite this
Amygdala functional connectivity as a longitudinal biomarker of symptom changes in generalized anxiety. / Makovac, Elena; Watson, David R.; Meeten, Frances; Garfinkel, Sarah N.; Cercignani, Mara; Critchley, Hugo D.; Ottaviani, Cristina.
In: Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Vol. 11, No. 11, 01.11.2016, p. 1719-1728.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Amygdala functional connectivity as a longitudinal biomarker of symptom changes in generalized anxiety
AU - Makovac, Elena
AU - Watson, David R.
AU - Meeten, Frances
AU - Garfinkel, Sarah N.
AU - Cercignani, Mara
AU - Critchley, Hugo D.
AU - Ottaviani, Cristina
PY - 2016/11/1
Y1 - 2016/11/1
N2 - 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 stronger reduction in connectivity between right amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and enhanced coupling between left amygdala and ventral tegmental area at follow-up. Similarly, amplified physiological responses to the induction predicted increased connectivity between right amygdala and thalamus. Longitudinal shifts in a distinct set of functional connectivity scores were associated with concomitant changes in GAD symptomatology over the course of the year. Results highlight the prognostic value of indices of emotional dysregulation and emphasize the integral role of the amygdala as a critical hub in functional neural circuitry underlying the progression of GAD symptomatology.
AB - 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 stronger reduction in connectivity between right amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and enhanced coupling between left amygdala and ventral tegmental area at follow-up. Similarly, amplified physiological responses to the induction predicted increased connectivity between right amygdala and thalamus. Longitudinal shifts in a distinct set of functional connectivity scores were associated with concomitant changes in GAD symptomatology over the course of the year. Results highlight the prognostic value of indices of emotional dysregulation and emphasize the integral role of the amygdala as a critical hub in functional neural circuitry underlying the progression of GAD symptomatology.
KW - Amygdala functional connectivity
KW - Emotion regulation
KW - Generalized anxiety disorder
KW - Heart rate variability
KW - Longitudinal
KW - Perseverative cognition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84996848145&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84996848145&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/scan/nsw091
DO - 10.1093/scan/nsw091
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84996848145
VL - 11
SP - 1719
EP - 1728
JO - Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
JF - Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
SN - 1749-5024
IS - 11
ER -