Neuroanatomic abnormalities in adolescents with generalized anxiety disorder: a voxel-based morphometry study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Pediatric anxiety disorders are linked to emotional processing neurocircuitry abnormalities.
• Limited understanding exists regarding the neurostructural basis of these conditions in youth.
• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adolescents warrants further investigation into brain structure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate neurostructural differences in adolescents with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
• To compare gray and white matter volumes in adolescents with and without GAD.

Main Methods:

• Voxel-based morphometry was employed to analyze brain structure.
• 15 medication-free adolescents with GAD (no comorbid major depressive disorder) were compared to 28 healthy controls.
• Age and sex matching ensured comparability between groups.

Main Results:

• Adolescents with GAD exhibited larger gray matter volumes in the right precuneus and right precentral gyrus.
• Decreased gray matter volumes were observed in the left orbital gyrus and posterior cingulate in youth with GAD.
• Significant white matter volume differences included decreases in the left medial and superior frontal gyrus and increases in the left inferior temporal gyrus.

Conclusions:

• Adolescents with GAD demonstrate neurostructural abnormalities early in their illness course.
• These brain structure differences are associated with neural systems involved in threat appraisal and fear modulation.
• Findings suggest implications for attachment and mentalization processes in adolescent anxiety.