Universität zu Köln

Pfleiderer, Bettina, Berse, Timo, Stroux, Daniel, Ewert, Adrianna, Konrad, Carsten and Gerlach, Alexander L. ORCID: 0000-0001-6794-5349 (2014). Internal focus of attention in anxiety-sensitive females up-regulates amygdale activity: an fMRI study. J. Neural Transm., 121 (11). S. 1417 - 1429. WIEN: SPRINGER WIEN. ISSN 1435-1463

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Abstract

Cognitive behavioral models of panic disorder (PD) stress the importance of an increased attentional focus towards bodily symptoms in the onset and maintenance of this debilitating anxiety disorder. In this fMRI mental tracking paradigm, we looked at the effects of focusing one's attention internally (interoception) vs. externally (exteroception) in a well-studied group at risk for PD-that is anxiety-sensitive females (AS-high). We hypothesized that AS-high subjects compared to control subjects will present higher arousal and decreased valence scores during interoception and parallel higher activity in brain areas which are associated with fear and interoception. 24 healthy female students with high levels of anxiety sensitivity and 24 healthy female students with normal levels of anxiety sensitivity serving as control group were investigated by 3 T fMRI. Subjects either focused their attention on their heartbeats (internal condition) or on neutral tones (external condition). Task performance was monitored by reporting the number of heartbeats or tones after each block. State of arousal and emotional valence were also assessed. The high anxiety-sensitive group reported higher arousal scores compared to controls during the course of the experiment. Simultaneously, fMRI results indicated higher activation in anxiety-sensitive participants than in controls during interoception in a network of cortical and subcortical brain regions (thalamus, amygdala, parahippocampus) that overlaps with known fear circuitry structures. In particular, the activity of the right amygdala was up-regulated. Future prospective-longitudinal studies are needed to validate the role of the amygdala for transition to disorder. Attention to internal body functions up-regulates the activity of interoceptive and fear-relevant brain regions in anxiety-sensitive females, a high-risk group for the development of anxiety disorders.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Pfleiderer, Bettina UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Berse, Timo UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Stroux, Daniel UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Ewert, Adrianna UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Konrad, Carsten UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Gerlach, Alexander L. UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0001-6794-5349 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-425228
DOI:	10.1007/s00702-014-1248-5
Journal or Publication Title:	J. Neural Transm.
Volume:	121
Number:	11
Page Range:	S. 1417 - 1429
Date:	2014
Publisher:	SPRINGER WIEN
Place of Publication:	WIEN
ISSN:	1435-1463
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language PANIC DISORDER; INTEROCEPTIVE AWARENESS; NEUROANATOMICAL HYPOTHESIS; HEARTBEAT PERCEPTION; CLINICAL-COURSE; REACTIVITY; AROUSAL; BRAIN; MECHANISMS; EMOTIONS Multiple languages Clinical Neurology; Neurosciences Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/42522