The Role of the Amygdala in Anxiety Disorders

Forster, Gina L.; Novick, Andrew M.; Scholl, Jamie L.; Watt, Michael J.

doi:10.5772/50323

Cited by 15 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 257 publications

(333 reference statements)

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“…One of the key areas involved in the expression of anxiety and fear, beside the hippocampus and the amygdala, is the infalimbic region (IL) of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) [4–9], which is the rodent homolog to the anterior cingulate cortex of humans. In contrast to fear, which is a specific in time limited response to a threatening stimulus, often investigated with fear conditioning, anxiety is a sustained negative emotional state, in which unknown or uncertain situations are encountered with defensive behaviour [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced activity of pyramidal neurons in the infralimbic cortex drives anxiety behavior

2019

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We show that in an animal model of anxiety the overall excitation, particularly in the infralimbic region of the medial prefrontal cortex (IL), is increased and that the activity ratio between excitatory pyramidal neurons and inhibitory interneurons (AR PN/IN) is shifted towards excitation. The same change in AR PN/IN is evident for wildtype mice, which have been exposed to an anxiety stimulus. We hypothesize, that an elevated activity and the imbalance of excitation (PN) and inhibition (IN) within the neuronal microcircuitry of the prefrontal cortex is responsible for anxiety behaviour and employed optogenetic methods in freely moving mice to verify our findings. Consistent with our hypothesis elevation of pyramidal neuron activity in the infralimbic region of the prefrontal cortex significantly enhanced anxiety levels in several behavioural tasks by shifting the AR PN/IN to excitation, without affecting motor behaviour, thus revealing a novel mechanism by which anxiety is facilitated.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced activity of pyramidal neurons in the infralimbic cortex drives anxiety behavior

2019

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“…However, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) revealed amygdala activation during emotional processing both in healthy carriers of the CACNA1C rs1006737 risk allele and people with BAD and schizophrenia ( 38 ). This finding is especially important, since amygdala subregions are known to play a critical role in mediating anxiety ( 39 ). When anxiety patients were exposed to a trigger, their amygdalae became hyper-activated ( 40 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetics of psycho-emotional well-being: genome-wide association study and polygenic risk score analysis

Yakovchik,

Tolynyova,

Kashtanova

et al. 2024

Front. Psychiatry

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BackgroundPsycho-emotional well-being is essential for living a life of satisfaction and fulfillment. However, depression and anxiety have become the leading mental health issues worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Both disorders have been linked to stress and other psychological factors. Their genetic basis remains understudied.MethodsIn 2020–2021, the psycho-emotional well-being of 30,063 Russians with no known psychiatric history was assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for general mental health and the HADS subscale A (anxiety) for anxiety. Following the original instructions, an anxiety score of ≥11 points was used as the anxiety threshold. A genome-wide association study was performed to find associations between anxiety and HADS/HADS-A scores using linear and logistic regressions based on HADS/HADS-A scores as binary and continuous variables, respectively. In addition, the links between anxiety, sociodemographic factors (such as age, sex, and employment), lifestyle (such as physical activity, sleep duration, and smoking), and markers of caffeine and alcohol metabolism were analyzed. To assess the risk of anxiety, polygenic risk score modeling was carried out using open-access software and principal component analysis (PCA) to simplify the calculations (ROC AUC = 89.4 ± 2.2% on the test set).ResultsThere was a strong positive association between HADS/HADS-A scores and sociodemographic factors and lifestyle. New single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with genome-wide significance were discovered, which had not been associated with anxiety or other stress-related conditions but were located in genes previously associated with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or emotional instability. The CACNA1C variant rs1205787230 was associated with clinical anxiety (a HADS-A score of ≥11 points). There was an association between anxiety levels (HADS-A scores) and genes involved in the activity of excitatory neurotransmitters: PTPRN2 (rs3857647), DLGAP4 (rs8114927), and STK24 (rs9517326).ConclusionOur results suggest that calcium channels and monoamine neurotransmitters, as well as SNPs in genes directly or indirectly affecting neurogenesis and synaptic functions, may be involved in the development of increased anxiety. The role of some non-genetic factors and the clinical significance of physiological markers such as lifestyle were also demonstrated.

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“…STAI-Y(A) was used to monitor changes in participants’ emotional state over time and to provide a subjective evaluation of their emotional condition. STAI-Y(B) was used as a validation measure to ensure the absence of anxiety disorders, as these psychological conditions are linked to disruptions in the SRS 80 , 81 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring stress response’s role in executive function impairments among adults with early adverse childhood experiences

Victor,

Jacquet,

El Massioui

2024

Sci Rep

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Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are recognised as precursors to numerous physical and mental health challenges. However, research on their impact on inhibitory control and working memory, particularly among healthy young adults, remains limited. The role played by the stress response as a moderator in these effects is likewise underexplored. Our study addresses this gap by examining cognitive impairments in non-clinical adults with early childhood trauma, specifically trauma before the age of 13 years, and by assessing the influence of the stress response on these effects. A total of 15 participants with early ACEs were compared with a control group (n = 18) using the Corsi Block Tapping Test (CBTT) and Stroop Word Colour Test (SCWT). Results showed that participants with early ACEs exhibited lower scores on the SCWT but not the CBTT. The stress response emerged as a potential factor in the relationship between early ACEs and cognitive performance. The implications of these findings are then discussed in relation to the existing literature.

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The Role of the Amygdala in Anxiety Disorders

Cited by 15 publications

References 257 publications

Enhanced activity of pyramidal neurons in the infralimbic cortex drives anxiety behavior

Enhanced activity of pyramidal neurons in the infralimbic cortex drives anxiety behavior

Genetics of psycho-emotional well-being: genome-wide association study and polygenic risk score analysis

Exploring stress response’s role in executive function impairments among adults with early adverse childhood experiences

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