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Identifying generalized anxiety disorder using resting state habenular circuitry
Zijuan Ma1,2, Yuan Zhong3, Christina S Hines4
1Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Brain Imaging and Behavior
|March 15, 2019
Summary
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is linked to altered habenular functional connectivity, impacting brain regions involved in evaluating reward information. This study reveals distinct connectivity patterns in patients with GAD compared to healthy controls.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Functional Neuroimaging
Background:
- The habenula is recognized as a crucial subcortical structure involved in anxiety and error prediction within the brain's evaluative system.
- Clinical reports detailing the resting-state functional connectivity of habenular circuits in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are notably absent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in resting-state functional connectivity of habenular circuits in patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) compared to healthy controls (HCs).
- To explore the neuroanatomical correlates within the evaluative system, specifically focusing on the prefrontal cortex and habenula.
Main Methods:
- Utilized resting-state functional connectivity analysis on whole-brain MRI data from 22 patients with GAD and 21 HCs, matched for demographic factors.
- Employed a seed-based template with an objective, semi-automated segmentation algorithm in MNI space to assess habenular connectivity.
- Analyzed statistically significant connectivity differences between groups using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.
Main Results:
- Patients with GAD exhibited enhanced functional connectivities between the habenula and bilateral premotor cortex, right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, medial frontal cortex, and left orbitofrontal cortex.
- Reduced habenular connectivities were observed in the left posterior cingulate cortex and right pulvinar in the GAD group.
- ROC curve analysis revealed significant and abnormal connectivity differences between patients with GAD and HCs.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest that altered habenular functional connectivity is a potential neurobiological marker in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
- These connectivity differences highlight the habenula's role in evaluating personally relevant, reward-related information and decision-making processes.
- The study underscores the importance of further research into habenular circuits for understanding and potentially treating GAD.
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