Damage to the right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex induces panic disorder
Nobusada Shinoura1, Ryozi Yamada, Yusuke Tabei
1Department of Neurosurgery, Komagome Metropolitan Hospital, 3-18-22 Hon-Komagome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8677, Japan. shinoura@cick.jp
Journal of Affective Disorders
|May 24, 2011
Summary
Damage to the right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) may trigger panic disorder (PD). This brain region appears crucial in the pathophysiology of panic attacks and anxiety symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Panic disorder (PD) is associated with dysfunction in brain regions like the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).
- The precise role of the ACC in PD pathophysiology requires further elucidation.
Observation:
- A patient experienced panic attacks during awake surgery involving the right dorsal ACC.
- Another patient developed PD post-surgery and radiotherapy, with subsequent reduction and absence of the right dorsal ACC.
Findings:
- Surgical removal of a tumor in the right dorsal ACC correlated with panic attacks.
- Radiotherapy-induced damage to the right dorsal ACC was associated with PD development.
- Tension-anxiety was a common symptom in both cases.
Implications:
- These findings suggest the right dorsal ACC plays a critical role in the development of panic disorder.
- Targeting or preserving the right dorsal ACC may be important in managing PD.
- Further research into ACC function in anxiety disorders is warranted.
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