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Behavioral inhibition: a neurobiological perspective.
1MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. bmorgan@cormack.uct.ac.za
Current Psychiatry Reports
|August 2, 2006
Summary
Behavioral inhibition (BI) in children can predict anxiety disorders. Current neurobiological models need to better explain the brain basis of BI, as self-report measures show inconsistencies with physiological responses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Psychopathology
Background:
- Behavioral inhibition (BI) in early childhood is linked to later anxiety disorders.
- Neuroanatomical understanding of BI lags behind that of anxiety disorders.
- Existing BI models require refinement based on current neurobiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine interpretations of BI concepts within neurobiological frameworks.
- To critically evaluate self-report measures of trait BI in adults.
- To investigate the neural correlates of BI and trait anxiety.
Main Methods:
- Review of conceptual and operational limitations of BI self-report scales.
- Analysis of correlations between BI scores and amygdala/autonomic responses.
- Examination of evidence dissociating BI and trait anxiety from the amygdala.
Main Results:
- Self-report BI scales exhibit conceptual and operational limitations.
- Inconsistent correlations exist between BI scores and amygdala/autonomic responses.
- The amygdala's role in BI and trait anxiety may be less direct than presumed.
Conclusions:
- Current self-report measures of BI may not accurately reflect underlying neurobiology.
- The amygdala's involvement in BI and trait anxiety warrants critical re-examination.
- Other brain regions likely contribute to the neural basis of BI and trait anxiety.