Resting-state connectivity of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the central nucleus of the amygdala in clinical anxiety

Torrisi, Salvatore; Alvarez, Gabriella; Gorka, Adam X.; Fuchs, Bari; Geraci, Marilla; Grillon, Christian; Ernst, Monique

doi:10.1503/jpn.180150

Cited by 16 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 83 publications

(98 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In our previous study using the movingcircles paradigm (where stressor delivery was uncontrollable), we also detected a parametric effect of threat proximity on BST responses; thus, as the circles approached each other activity increased (Meyer, Padmala et al 2019). This latter study is part of a growing literature in humans that has steadily improved imaging parameters and procedures to image this technically challenging region (e.g., Clauss, Avery et al 2019, Torrisi, Alvarez et al 2019, Hur, Smith et al 2020).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Controllability over stressor decreases responses in key threat-related brain areas

Limbachia

Morrow

Khibovska

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Controllability over stressors has major impacts on brain and behavior. In humans, however, the effect of controllability on the responses to stressors themselves is poorly understood. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated how controllability altered responses to a shock-plus-sound stressor. Using a between-group yoked design, participants in controlled and uncontrolled groups experienced the same amount of stressor exposure. Employing both Bayesian multilevel analysis targeting regions of interest and standard voxelwise analysis, we found that controllability decreased stressor-related responses across key threat-related regions, notably in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (part of the extended amygdala) and the anterior insula. The posterior cingulate cortex, the posterior insula, and possibly the medial frontal gyrus (in exploratory analyses) were uncovered as sites where control over the stressor increased brain responses. Our findings support the idea that the aversiveness of the stressor is reduced when controllable, leading to decreased responses across key regions involved in anxiety-related processing, even at the level of the extended amygdala.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Controllability over stressor decreases responses in key threat-related brain areas

Limbachia

Morrow

Khibovska

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Although BST‐occipital connectivity is not commonly reported in human or pre‐clinical research (McDonald, 1998), a similar pattern was revealed by Tillman et al (2018), who demonstrated a remarkably similar cluster of iFC in humans stretching from the posterior thalamus, through the lingual gyrus and into the visual cortices. Additionally, a recent study comparing patients with anxiety disorder to controls also reported an unexpected coupling of these two regions, suggesting that abnormal coupling of the BST to the occipital cortex could reflect differences in anxiety‐based interpretation of, or attention to, visual stimuli (Torrisi et al, 2019). Our finding of BST connectivity with areas of the basal ganglia and VTA has been widely reported in human imaging and pre‐clinical neuronal tracer work, whereas iFC with the paracingulate gyrus is only reported in the human literature ( Avery et al, 2014; Gorka et al, 2018; Tillman et al, 2018; Torrisi et al, 2015; Weis et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies that do report ExtA associations with negative disposition phenotypes are overwhelmingly conducted either in clinical populations or during task‐based fMRI where state anxiety or fear is induced (Andreatta et al, 2015; Brinkmann et al, 2018; Choi, Padmala, & Pessoa, 2012; Grupe, Oathes, & Nitschke, 2013; Klumpers, Kroes, Baas, & Fernández, 2017; Mobbs et al, 2010; Naaz, Knight, & Depue, 2019; Pedersen et al, 2020; Torrisi et al, 2019). There could be a number of reasons for this discrepancy.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is presently some debate as to whether the ExtA acts mostly as a unified structure, or whether its components represent separate systems underlying different processes, in particular with regard to fear versus anxiety processing or in the tracking of threat imminence (Fox & Shackman, 2019; Goode et al, 2019, 2020; Hur et al, 2020; Tillman et al, 2018; Walker, Miles, & Davis, 2009). Therefore, we utilised this sample to examine the degree of overlap between the ICNs of the CeA and BST; giving an indirect indication as to the similarity of their functions (Gorka et al, 2018; Oler et al, 2012; Tillman et al, 2018; Torrisi et al, 2015, 2019; Weis et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Advances in neuroimaging techniques and the recent availability of high-quality ExtA anatomical masks (Theiss, Ridgewell, McHugo, Heckers, & Blackford, 2017;Tillman et al, 2018;Torrisi et al, 2015;Tyszka & Pauli, 2016), have enabled several studies to use intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) mapping of task-free functional magnetic resonance imaging (tf-fMRI) data to examine how ExtA activity is correlated with activity in other regions under resting conditions (Table 1) (Avery et al, 2014;Gorka, Torrisi, Shackman, Grillon, & Ernst, 2018;Hofmann & Straube, 2019;Motzkin et al, 2015;Oler et al, 2012;Tillman et al, 2018;Torrisi et al, 2015Torrisi et al, , 2019Weis et al, 2019). This analysis approach allows researchers to identify "intrinsic connectivity networks" (ICNs) which can serve as an estimate of the brain's functional architecture at rest (Kelly & Castellanos, 2014;Seeley et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Extended‐amygdala intrinsic functional connectivity networks: A population study

Berry

Wise

Lawrence

et al. 2020

Human Brain Mapping

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Pre‐clinical and human neuroimaging research implicates the extended‐amygdala (ExtA) (including the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis [BST] and central nucleus of the amygdala [CeA]) in networks mediating negative emotional states associated with stress and substance‐use behaviours. The extent to which individual ExtA structures form a functionally integrated unit is controversial. We utilised a large sample (n > 1,000 healthy young adult humans) to compare the intrinsic functional connectivity networks (ICNs) of the BST and CeA using task‐free functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from the Human Connectome Project. We assessed whether inter‐individual differences within these ICNs were related to two principal components representing negative disposition and alcohol use. Building on recent primate evidence, we tested whether within BST‐CeA intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) was heritable and further examined co‐heritability with our principal components. We demonstrate the BST and CeA to have discrete, but largely overlapping ICNs similar to previous findings. We found no evidence that within BST—CeA iFC was heritable; however, post hoc analyses found significant BST iFC heritability with the broader superficial and centromedial amygdala regions. There were no significant correlations or co‐heritability associations with our principal components either across the ICNs or for specific BST‐Amygdala iFC. Possible differences in phenotype associations across task‐free, task‐based, and clinical fMRI are discussed, along with suggestions for more causal investigative paradigms that make use of the now well‐established ExtA ICNs.

show abstract

Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and amygdala responses to unpredictable threat in children

Feola

Melancon

Clauss

et al. 2021

Developmental Psychobiology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Substantial evidence from studies in humans suggests the amygdala is pivotal for anxiety. Findings from animal models and translational studies suggests the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is also critical for anxiety and the anticipation of unpredictable threat in adults. However, it remains unknown whether the BNST is involved in unpredictable threat anticipation in children. Forty-two 8-10-year-olds completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans and an unpredictable threat fMRI task in which they were trained to associate cues with images.Intrinsic connectivity analyses were performed to establish functional BNST and amygdala networks. BNST and amygdala activation to cues and images was tested. Significant findings were followed by task-based functional connectivity analyses. Children showed evidence for BNST and amygdala intrinsic connectivity that was similar to previous patterns observed in adults. In response to unpredictable cues relative to neutral face cues, children had a significant amygdala response but no response in the BNST.The amygdala, but not the BNST, also showed a significantly greater response to fear face images relative to neutral images. Thus, unpredictable threat activated the amygdala, but not BNST, in children. This finding is contrary to studies showing robust BNST activation to unpredictable threat in adults and may suggest that the BNST's role in threat processing emerges later in development.

show abstract

Resting-state connectivity of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the central nucleus of the amygdala in clinical anxiety

Cited by 16 publications

References 83 publications

Controllability over stressor decreases responses in key threat-related brain areas

Controllability over stressor decreases responses in key threat-related brain areas

Extended‐amygdala intrinsic functional connectivity networks: A population study

Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and amygdala responses to unpredictable threat in children

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About