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Neural correlates of negative and disease-specific emotional stimuli in panic disorder: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Authors :
Fabiana L. Lopes
Clara G.F. Faria
Gisele P. Dias
Mariana B. Mallmann
Victoria Mendes
Natia Horato
Valfrido L. de-Melo-Neto
Andre B. Veras
Fabio V. Magalhães
Dolores Malaspina
Antonio E. Nardi
Source :
Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry
Publisher :
Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria (ABP).

Abstract

Objective: Decades of research have highlighted the involvement of the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulated cortex, and limbic areas (amygdala) in panic disorder (PD). However, little attention has been given specifically to the inferior frontal gyrus. The current study aimed to investigate the neural substrates, including the inferior frontal gyrus, of both panic-related and negative conditions among individuals with PD and healthy controls. Methods: We examined 13 medication-free PD patients and 14 healthy controls with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during exposure to negative and neutral pictures and a set of specific panic-related pictures. Results: Subtraction between the conditions indicated activation of the left amygdala region and the right inferior frontal gyrus in PD patients during the specific panic-related condition, whereas the left amygdalar region and left inferior frontal gyrus were activated during the negative condition in controls. Conclusion: These results suggest that in patients with PD, a prominent bottom-up process is involved in specific panic-related conditions, which might be associated with weak modulation of the left frontal area. These data add to our current understanding of the neural correlates of PD and can contribute to future clinical interventions targeting the functional reestablishment of these regions.

Details

Language :
English, Portuguese
ISSN :
1809452X and 15164446
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.0d84368328ad4c6f827b2a680c0d41a7
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2020-1573