Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
Published on: May 19, 2015
Fear-related activity in subgenual anterior cingulate differs between men and women
Tracy Butler1, Hong Pan, Jane Epstein
1Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, USA. tab2006@med.cornell.edu
Abstract:
Functional magnetic resonance imaging in association with an instructed fear/anticipatory anxiety paradigm was used to explore sex differences in the human fear response. During anticipation of mild electrodermal stimulation, women, as compared with men, demonstrated increased activity in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex and functionally related regions of the insula and brainstem. The subgenual anterior cingulate cortex is a region critical for emotional control implicated in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disease. Present findings suggest a contributory neural substrate for the greater susceptibility of women to anxiety and affective disorders, and emphasize the importance of considering participant sex when designing and interpreting functional neuroimaging studies.
Related Concept Videos
Panic Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder
Stereotype Threat and Self-fulfilling Prophecies
Anorexia Nervosa
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
The Influence of Cognition on Affect

