scholarly journals Cortical and subcortical brain structure in generalized anxiety disorder: findings from 28 research sites in the ENIGMA-Anxiety Working Group

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Harrewijn ◽  
Elise M. Cardinale ◽  
Nynke A. Groenewold ◽  
Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam ◽  
Moji Aghajani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Working Group ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
The Right

AbstractThe goal of this study was to compare brain structure between individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and healthy controls. Previous studies have generated inconsistent findings, possibly due to small sample sizes, or clinical/analytic heterogeneity. To address these concerns, we combined data from 28 research sites worldwide through the ENIGMA-Anxiety Working Group, using a single, pre-registered mega-analysis. Structural magnetic resonance imaging data from children and adults (5–90 years) were processed using FreeSurfer. The main analysis included the regional and vertex-wise cortical thickness, cortical surface area, and subcortical volume as dependent variables, and GAD, age, age-squared, sex, and their interactions as independent variables. Nuisance variables included IQ, years of education, medication use, comorbidities, and global brain measures. The main analysis (1020 individuals with GAD and 2999 healthy controls) included random slopes per site and random intercepts per scanner. A secondary analysis (1112 individuals with GAD and 3282 healthy controls) included fixed slopes and random intercepts per scanner with the same variables. The main analysis showed no effect of GAD on brain structure, nor interactions involving GAD, age, or sex. The secondary analysis showed increased volume in the right ventral diencephalon in male individuals with GAD compared to male healthy controls, whereas female individuals with GAD did not differ from female healthy controls. This mega-analysis combining worldwide data showed that differences in brain structure related to GAD are small, possibly reflecting heterogeneity or those structural alterations are not a major component of its pathophysiology.

White-matter abnormalities in the right posterior hemisphere in generalized anxiety disorder: a diffusion imaging study

2011 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 427-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Brambilla ◽  
G. Como ◽  
M. Isola ◽  
F. Taboga ◽  
R. Zuliani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Parietal Cortex ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Diffusion Imaging ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Apparent Diffusion Coefficients ◽  
The Right

BackgroundPrior imaging studies have shown structural, functional and biochemical impairments in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), particularly in the right hemisphere. In this study we investigated, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, the white-matter microstructure organization in GAD.MethodA total of 12 patients with DSM-IV GAD and 15 matched healthy controls underwent a magnetic resonance imaging session of diffusion weighted imaging, exploring white-matter water molecules by the means of apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs). Regions of interests were placed in the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes and in the splenium and genu of the corpus callosum, bilaterally.ResultsADC measures were significantly greater in patients with GAD in the right splenium and right parietal cortex compared with healthy controls (p⩽0.002). No significant correlations between ADCs and age or clinical variables were found.ConclusionsWe provide evidence that GAD is associated with disrupted white-matter coherence of posterior right hemisphere regions, which may partly sustain the impaired cognitive regulation of anxiety. Future diffusion imaging investigations are expected to better elucidate the communication between the parietal cortex and other right hemisphere regions in sustaining the cognitive processing of social and emotional stimuli in patients with GAD.

scholarly journals Relation Between Frontal Alpha Asymmetry and Anxiety in Young Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder

PRILOZI ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aneta Demerdzieva ◽  
Nada Pop-Jordanova
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Frontal Region ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Alpha Power ◽  
Alpha Asymmetry ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Frontal Alpha Asymmetry ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
The Right

Abstract Frontal alpha asymmetry (the relative difference in power between two signals in different hemispheres) has been suggested as biomarker for anxiety. The goal of this study was to evaluate alpha asymmetry in the frontal region for young people (7-18 years) with generalized anxiety disorder, diagnosed according to two statistic manuals (DMS-IV-R and ICD-10), the medical history and the neuropsychological assessment. The QEEG recording and analysis of the obtained results from alpha spectra power and log of alpha spectra power are made in four conditions (eyes open, eyes closed, VCPT and ACPT). The obtained results for alpha power in general showed higher cortical activity in the right hemisphere, associated with negative emotions. The calculated alpha asymmetry separate for eyes open, eyes closed, VCPT and ACPT conditions showed the right activation in all four conditions. In addition, the right frontal asymmetry was specific for the Fp1-Fp2 region, while a greater left frontal activation was recorded for the F7-F8 region. The log of alpha power in general was additionally analyzed. The calculated asymmetry score in general (in a way that the left log transformed score was subtracted from the right) confirmed a greater right activation. Testing the power of the whole alpha band (μV2) in general, for all four conditions and for frontal region confirmed the right alpha asymmetries in all participants. The right alpha asymmetry in the frontal region was specific only for the Fp1-Fp2 region (frontopolar region). The only greater left frontal activation was registered between the F7-F8 region. Our findings are supported by many other studies using specific localization methods like fMRI or LORETA source localization.

scholarly journals Mega‐analysis methods in ENIGMA : The experience of the generalized anxiety disorder working group

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Zugman ◽  
Anita Harrewijn ◽  
Elise M. Cardinale ◽  
Hannah Zwiebel ◽  
Gabrielle F. Freitag ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Working Group ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Analysis Methods

scholarly journals Mega-Analysis Methods in ENIGMA: The Experience of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Working Group

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Zugman ◽  
Anita Harrewijn ◽  
Elise Cardinale ◽  
Hannah Zwiebel ◽  
Gabrielle Felice Freitag ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Data Quality Control ◽  
Study Planning ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Brain Imaging Data

The ENIGMA group on Generalized Anxiety Disorder (ENIGMA-Anxiety/GAD) is part of a broader effort to investigate anxiety disorders using imaging and genetic data across multiple sites worldwide. The group is actively conducting a mega-analysis of a large number of brain structural scans. In this process, the group was confronted with many methodological challenges related to study planning and implementation, between-country transfer of subject-level data, quality control of a considerable amount of imaging data, and choices related to statistical methods and efficient use of resources. This report summarizes the background information and rationale for the various methodological decisions, as well as the approach taken to implement them. The goal is to document the approach and help guide other research groups working with large brain imaging data sets as they develop their own analytic pipelines for mega-analyses.

scholarly journals Comparison of Sleep Outcomes in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Following Treatment with Pregabalin or Venlafaxine-XR

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Herman ◽  
M. Mychaskiw ◽  
F. Mandel
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Sleep Disturbance ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Daytime Sleepiness ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Medical Outcomes ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Insomnia Treatment

Objective:To evaluate the differential effect of pregabalin and venlafaxine-XR versus placebo on sleep outcomes in non-depressed outpatients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).Methods:This secondary analysis was based on data from a double-blind trial in which adults who met DSM-IV criteria for GAD were randomized to 8-weeks of flexible-dose treatment with pregabalin (300-600 mg/d; N=121; baseline HAM-A=27.6), venlafaxine-XR (75-225 mg/d: N=125; HAM-A=27.4), or placebo (PBO; N=128; HAM-A=26.8). Sleep was evaluated at baseline, weeks 4, 8, and endpoint using the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Sleep Scale, including an overall sleep problems index (SPI), as well as subscale scores such as sleep disturbance.Results:At baseline, 64% of patients with GAD met MOS-Sleep scale criteria for insomnia. Treatment with pregabalin was associated with significant endpoint improvement in the MOS-SPI compared to both placebo (-18.1 vs. -10.5; P< 0.01) and venlafaxine-XR (-10.1: P< 0.01). Treatment with pregabalin was associated with significant endpoint improvement in the MOS-sleep disturbance score compared to both placebo (-22.2 vs. -12.0; P< 0.001) and venlafaxine-XR (-11.6: P< 0.001). While somnolence as a treatment-emergent adverse event occurred more frequently on pregabalin (9.1%) compared to venlafaxine-XR (4.8%) and placebo (2.3%), overall, patients treated with pregabalin reported greater reduction in daytime sleepiness compared to venlafaxine-XR on the MOS-daytime sleepiness sub-scale (-9.7 vs. -5.8).Conclusions:Treatment of moderate-to-severe GAD with pregabalin was associated with significantly better sleep outcomes compared to both placebo and venlafaxine-XR. Improvement in anxiety on pregabalin was associated with reduction in daytime sleepiness.

scholarly journals The specificity of Pavlovian regulation is associated with recovery from depression

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 1027-1035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q. J. M. Huys ◽  
M. Gölzer ◽  
E. Friedel ◽  
A. Heinz ◽  
R. Cools ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Active Approach ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Approach And Withdrawal ◽  
Adaptive Decision Making

BackgroundChanges in reflexive emotional responses are hallmarks of depression, but how emotional reflexes make an impact on adaptive decision-making in depression has not been examined formally. Using a Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT) task, we compared the influence of affectively valenced stimuli on decision-making in depression and generalized anxiety disorder compared with healthy controls; and related this to the longitudinal course of the illness.MethodA total of 40 subjects with a current DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of major depressive disorder, dysthymia, generalized anxiety disorder, or a combination thereof, and 40 matched healthy controls performed a PIT task that assesses how instrumental approach and withdrawal behaviours are influenced by appetitive and aversive Pavlovian conditioned stimuli (CSs). Patients were followed up after 4–6 months. Analyses focused on patients with depression alone (n = 25).ResultsIn healthy controls, Pavlovian CSs exerted action-specific effects, with appetitive CSs boosting active approach and aversive CSs active withdrawal. This action-specificity was absent in currently depressed subjects. Greater action-specificity in patients was associated with better recovery over the follow-up period.ConclusionsDepression is associated with an abnormal influence of emotional reactions on decision-making in a way that may predict recovery.

Inhibitory Control in Individuals with Clinical Levels of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
María B. García-Martín ◽  
Francisco J. Ruiz ◽  
Luna Bedoya-Valderrama ◽  
Miguel A. Segura-Vargas ◽  
Andrés Peña-Vargas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Ex Post

Abstract Previous research has shown that individuals suffering from depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) seem to have inhibitory control deficits compared with healthy controls. However, few studies have been conducted in Spanish-speaking countries. Thus, this study aims to analyze the performance on the Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) between groups of Colombian participants with clinical levels of depression and GAD symptoms and a nonclinical control group. According to previous research, we expected to find significant differences in inhibitory control among groups. An ex post facto design was implemented. The SCWT was administered to a total sample of 105 individuals (64.8% women, M = 22.94 years, SD = 4.62), including 27 depressed and 15 anxious participants according to their scores on the Personal Health Questionnaire–9 and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7, respectively. Bayesian t-tests showed that depressed participants showed the same processing speed but lower scores on inhibitory control than healthy controls, BF = 13.70, δ = 0.50, 95% CI [0.08, 0.94]. Conversely, anxious participants showed deficits in processing speed, SCWT-Word: BF = 16.19, δ = 0.68, 95% CI [0.15, 1.24]; SCWT-Color: BF = 5.98, δ = 0.50, 95% CI [–0.01, 1.04], but not in inhibitory control compared with the nonanxious counterparts. This study provides preliminary evidence concerning the inhibitory control deficits in Colombian depressed individuals and processing speed deficits in those experiencing clinical levels of GAD symptoms.

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