rCBF differences between panic disorder patients and control subjects during anticipatory anxiety and rest
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Updated: Sep 30, 2026

Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat
Published on: September 12, 2014
Marjolein L Boshuisen1, Gert J Ter Horst, Anne M J Paans
1Department of Psychiatry, Division of Biological Psychiatry, Graduate School of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences, Groningen University Hospital, The Netherlands.
Background:
Our goal was to identify brain structures involved in anticipatory anxiety in panic disorder (PD) patients compared to control subjects.
Methods:
Seventeen PD patients and 21 healthy control subjects were studied with H(2)(15)O positron emission tomography scan, before and after a pentagastrin challenge.
Results:
During anticipatory anxiety we found hypoactivity in the precentral gyrus, the inferior frontal gyrus, the right amygdala, and the anterior insula in PD patients compared to control subjects. Hyperactivity in patients compared to control subjects was observed in the parahippocampal gyrus, the superior temporal lobe, the hypothalamus, the anterior cingulate gyrus, and the midbrain. After the challenge, the patients showed decreases compared to the control subjects in the precentral gyrus, the inferior frontal gyrus, and the anterior insula. Regions of increased activity in the patients compared to the control subjects were the parahippocampal gyrus, the superior temporal lobe, the anterior cingulate gyrus, and the midbrain.
Conclusions:
The pattern of regional cerebral blood flow activations and deactivations we observed both before and after the pentagastrin challenge was the same, although different in intensity. During anticipatory anxiety more voxels were (de)activated than during rest after the challenge.
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Panic Disorder
Anxiety: Overview
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic circuitry.
