Cited by 34Functional Brain Connectivity StudiesAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesNeural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

Aberrant spontaneous and task-dependent functional connections in the anxious brain

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MacNamara, Annmarie, DiGangi, Julia, Phan, K. Luan·2016·Biological Psychiatry Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging

Abstract

A number of brain regions have been implicated in the anxiety disorders, yet none of these regions in isolation has been distinguished as the sole or discrete site responsible for anxiety disorder pathology. Therefore, the identification of dysfunctional neural networks as represented by alterations in the temporal correlation of blood-oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal across several brain regions in anxiety disorders has been increasingly pursued in the past decade. Here, we review task-independent (e.g., resting state) and task-induced functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) studies in the adult anxiety disorders (including trauma- and stressor-related and obsessive compulsive disorders). The results of this review suggest that anxiety disorder pathophysiology involves aberrant connectivity between amygdala-frontal and frontal-striatal regions, as well as within and between canonical "intrinsic" brain networks - the default mode and salience networks, and that evidence of these aberrations may help inform findings of regional activation abnormalities observed in the anxiety disorders. Nonetheless, significant challenges remain, including the need to better understand mixed findings observed using different methods (e.g., resting state and task-based approaches); the need for more developmental work; the need to delineate disorder-specific and transdiagnostic fcMRI aberrations in the anxiety disorders; and the need to better understand the clinical significance of fcMRI abnormalities. In meeting these challenges, future work has the potential to elucidate aberrant neural networks as intermediate, brain-based phenotypes to predict disease onset and progression, refine diagnostic nosology, and ascertain treatment mechanisms and predictors of treatment response across anxiety, trauma-related and obsessive compulsive disorders.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.bpsc.2015.12.004

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  • The salience network supports automatic threat evaluation/detection and spans amygdala/insula/frontal regions.

    “Such research links anxiety with dysfunctional interactions among multiple brain regions, including the salience network (supporting automatic threat evaluation/detection, and spanning amygdala/insula/frontal regions) and executive control network (supporting goal-directed activity, and spanning frontal/parietal regions) [110-115].”
  • Anxiety and ABs may emerge from an imbalance between threat salience evaluation and cognitive control processes, described at both cognitive and neural network levels.

    “Anxiety and ABs may emerge from an imbalance between threat salience evaluation and cognitive control processes, described at both cognitive and neural network levels [115,118-121].”
  • Anxiety is linked with dysfunctional interactions among multiple brain regions, including the salience network and executive control network.

    “Such research links anxiety with dysfunctional interactions among multiple brain regions, including the salience network (supporting automatic threat evaluation/detection, and spanning amygdala/insula/frontal regions) and executive control network (supporting goal-directed activity, and spanning frontal/parietal regions) [110-115].”
  • The executive control network supports goal-directed activity and spans frontal/parietal regions.

    “Such research links anxiety with dysfunctional interactions among multiple brain regions, including the salience network (supporting automatic threat evaluation/detection, and spanning amygdala/insula/frontal regions) and executive control network (supporting goal-directed activity, and spanning frontal/parietal regions) [110-115].”

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Authors
MacNamara, A., DiGangi, J., & Phan, K. L.
Affiliations
University of Illinois Chicago (US)
Corresponding author
MacNamara, Annmarie
Venue
Biological Psychiatry Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-05
Volume
1
Issue
3
Pages
278-287
ISSN
2451-9022 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2219484125
Cited by
34
References
138
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 4
FWCI
2.60
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Biological Psychiatry Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (K23MH105553, R01MH101497)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Keywords
anxiety disorders, functional connectivity, resting-state functional connectivity, default mode network, salience network, trauma- and stressor-related disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, treatment response prediction

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