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Elevated Amygdala Perfusion Mediates Developmental Sex Differences in Trait Anxiety.
Antonia N Kaczkurkin1, Tyler M Moore1, Kosha Ruparel1
1Departments of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Biological Psychiatry
|July 11, 2016
Summary
Adolescent anxiety and depression symptoms are linked to brain blood flow differences. Elevated cerebral perfusion in regions like the amygdala, especially in females, may explain sex-based mood symptom variations during puberty.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Radiology
Background:
- Adolescence is a key period for emotional development, with rising anxiety and depression, particularly in females.
- Few studies link adolescent anxiety and depression to brain development, despite known sex differences in cerebral blood flow.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if sex differences in cerebral blood flow mediate sex differences in anxiety and depression symptoms during adolescence.
- To explore the relationship between brain perfusion, age, sex, and puberty in relation to anxiety symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a large sample (n=875) from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort with cross-sectional imaging.
- Quantified cerebral perfusion using arterial spin-labeled magnetic resonance imaging (3T) on a voxelwise basis.
- Related perfusion to trait and state anxiety, controlling for gray matter density and evaluating interactions with age, sex, and puberty.
Main Results:
- Elevated perfusion in the amygdala, anterior insula, and fusiform cortex correlated with trait anxiety, independent of state anxiety.
- These associations strengthened with age and pubertal development.
- Higher trait anxiety in postpubertal females was mediated by increased left amygdala perfusion.
Conclusions:
- Cerebral perfusion differences during adolescent development are crucial for understanding sex-based affective neurobiology.
- Brain blood flow patterns may underlie sex differences in anxiety and mood disorders emerging in adolescence.
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