Amygdala-prefrontal cortex functional connectivity during threat-induced anxiety and goal distraction.

Gold, Andrea L

Morey, Rajendra A

McCarthy, Gregory

United States

2015-12-03T15:07:57Z

2015-02-15

BACKGROUND: Anxiety produced by environmental threats can impair goal-directed processing and is associated with a range of psychiatric disorders, particularly when aversive events occur unpredictably. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is thought to implement controls that minimize performance disruptions from threat-induced anxiety and goal distraction by modulating activity in regions involved in threat detection, such as the amygdala. The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) have been linked to the regulation of anxiety during threat exposure. We developed a paradigm to determine if threat-induced anxiety would enhance functional connectivity between the amygdala and IFG, OFC, and vmPFC. METHODS: Healthy adults performed a computer-gaming style task involving capturing prey and evading predators to optimize monetary rewards while exposed to the threat of unpredictable shock. Psychophysiological recording (n = 26) and functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning (n = 17) were collected during the task in separate cohorts. Task-specific changes in functional connectivity with the amygdala were examined using psychophysiological interaction analysis. RESULTS: Threat exposure resulted in greater arousal measured by increased skin conductance but did not influence performance (i.e., monetary losses or rewards). Greater functional connectivity between the right amygdala and bilateral IFG, OFC, vmPFC, anterior cingulate cortex, and frontopolar cortex was associated with threat exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to unpredictable threat modulates amygdala-PFC functional connectivity that may help maintain performance when experiencing anxiety induced by threat. Our paradigm is well-suited to explore the neural underpinnings of the anxiety response to unpredictable threat in patients with various anxiety disorders.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24882566

S0006-3223(14)00265-0

1873-2402

https://hdl.handle.net/10161/10968

eng

Biol Psychiatry

10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.03.030

Amygdala

Functional connectivity

Inferior frontal gyrus

Orbitofrontal cortex

Psychophysiological interaction

Ventromedial prefrontal cortex

Adult

Amygdala

Anxiety

Arousal

Brain Mapping

Electroshock

Female

Galvanic Skin Response

Goals

Humans

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Male

Prefrontal Cortex

Young Adult

Amygdala-prefrontal cortex functional connectivity during threat-induced anxiety and goal distraction.

Journal article

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24882566

394

403

4

Clinical Science Departments

Duke

Duke Institute for Brain Sciences

Duke-UNC Center for Brain Imaging and Analysis

Institutes and Centers

Institutes and Provost's Academic Units

Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Translational Neuroscience

School of Medicine

University Institutes and Centers

Published

77