Specific amygdala response to masked fearful faces in post-traumatic stress relative to other anxiety disorders

Neumeister, Paula; Feldker, Katharina; Heitmann, Carina Yvonne; Buff, Christine; Brinkmann, Leonie; Bruchmann, Maximilian; Straube, Thomas

doi:10.1017/s0033291717002513

Cited by 22 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…The amygdala has been discussed as part of a hypersensitive appraisal circuit in high trait anxiety ( Sylvers et al, 2011 ). Moreover, prior research has demonstrated that patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a severe anxiety disorder, also exhibited a hyper-responsiveness in the right basolateral amygdala to non-conscious threat ( Neumeister et al, 2018 ). This finding has corroborated earlier reports of heightened reactivity in the amygdala to masked fearful faces in PTSD ( Rauch et al, 2000 , Killgore et al, 2014 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual differences in anxiety and automatic amygdala response to fearful faces: A replication and extension of Etkin et al. (2004)

Günther

Hußlack

Weil

et al. 2020

NeuroImage: Clinical

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Highlights The relationship between non-conscious threat vigilance and anxiety was re-examined. Anxiety was assessed using direct (self-report) and indirect (implicit) measures. Unawareness of briefly presented fear stimuli was carefully controlled. The relationship of trait anxiety with automatic amygdala activation was replicated. Implicit anxiety was related to masked fear processing in the amygdala.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual differences in anxiety and automatic amygdala response to fearful faces: A replication and extension of Etkin et al. (2004)

Günther

Hußlack

Weil

et al. 2020

NeuroImage: Clinical

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Indeed, under conditions of uncertainty and threat, the PFC can become hypoactive leading to a failure to inhibit overactivity of the amygdala with emergence of PTSD symptoms, such as hyperarousal and re-experiencing ( 158 ). Further, in response to stressful stimuli as fearful faces, patients with PTSD showed a higher activation of the basolateral amygdala during unconscious face processing compared to healthy controls as well as patients with panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder ( 159 ).…”

Section: Vagus-related Treatment Of Ptsdmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vagus Nerve as Modulator of the Brain–Gut Axis in Psychiatric and Inflammatory Disorders

et al. 2018

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The vagus nerve represents the main component of the parasympathetic nervous system, which oversees a vast array of crucial bodily functions, including control of mood, immune response, digestion, and heart rate. It establishes one of the connections between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract and sends information about the state of the inner organs to the brain via afferent fibers. In this review article, we discuss various functions of the vagus nerve which make it an attractive target in treating psychiatric and gastrointestinal disorders. There is preliminary evidence that vagus nerve stimulation is a promising add-on treatment for treatment-refractory depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and inflammatory bowel disease. Treatments that target the vagus nerve increase the vagal tone and inhibit cytokine production. Both are important mechanism of resiliency. The stimulation of vagal afferent fibers in the gut influences monoaminergic brain systems in the brain stem that play crucial roles in major psychiatric conditions, such as mood and anxiety disorders. In line, there is preliminary evidence for gut bacteria to have beneficial effect on mood and anxiety, partly by affecting the activity of the vagus nerve. Since, the vagal tone is correlated with capacity to regulate stress responses and can be influenced by breathing, its increase through meditation and yoga likely contribute to resilience and the mitigation of mood and anxiety symptoms.

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“…There is indeed evidence for exaggerated subcortical responses to consciously imperceptible stimuli in certain psychopathologies. For example, hyperactivity in the basolateral amygdala in response to subliminal fearful faces has been reported in people with higher trait anxiety 106 , with spider phobia 107 and, to an even greater degree, with PTSD 108 . In contrast, people with autism have reduced amygdala activation in response to subliminally presented faces 109 and also make significantly more saccades towards subliminal face stimuli with averted, rather than direct, gaze 110,111 .…”

Section: Implicit Processing In Psychiatrymentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of subcortical shortcuts on disordered sensory and cognitive processing

2020

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The very earliest stages of sensory processing have the potential to alter how we perceive and respond to our environment. These initial processing circuits can incorporate subcortical regions, such as the thalamus and brainstem nuclei, which mediate complex interactions with the brain's cortical processing hierarchy. These subcortical pathways, many of which we share with other animals, are not merely vestigial but appear to function as 'shortcuts' that ensure processing efficiency and preservation of vital life-preserving functions, such as harm avoidance, adaptive social interactions and efficient decision-making. Here, we propose that functional interactions between these higher-order and lower-order brain areas contribute to atypical sensory and cognitive processing that characterizes numerous neuropsychiatric disorders.

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Specific amygdala response to masked fearful faces in post-traumatic stress relative to other anxiety disorders

Cited by 22 publications

References 43 publications

Individual differences in anxiety and automatic amygdala response to fearful faces: A replication and extension of Etkin et al. (2004)

Individual differences in anxiety and automatic amygdala response to fearful faces: A replication and extension of Etkin et al. (2004)

Vagus Nerve as Modulator of the Brain–Gut Axis in Psychiatric and Inflammatory Disorders

The influence of subcortical shortcuts on disordered sensory and cognitive processing

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