Cited by 91Functional Brain Connectivity StudiesAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesMental Health Research Topics

Network analysis reveals disrupted functional brain circuitry in drug-naive social anxiety disorder

Yang, Xun, Liu, Jin, Meng, Yajing, Xia, Mingrui, Cui, Zaixu, Wu, Xi, Hu, Xinyu, Zhang, Wei +4 more·2019·NeuroImage

Abstract

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common and disabling condition characterized by excessive fear and avoidance of public scrutiny. Psychoradiology studies have suggested that the emotional and behavior deficits in SAD are associated with abnormalities in regional brain function and functional connectivity. However, little is known about whether intrinsic functional brain networks in patients with SAD are topologically disrupted. Here, we collected resting-state fMRI data from 33 drug-naive patients with SAD and 32 healthy controls (HC), constructed functional networks with 34 predefined regions based on previous meta-analytic research with task-based fMRI in SAD, and performed network-based statistic and graph-theory analyses. The network-based statistic analysis revealed a single connected abnormal circuitry including the frontolimbic circuit (termed the "fear circuit", including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, ventral medial prefrontal cortex and insula) and posterior cingulate/occipital areas supporting perceptual processing. In this single altered network, patients with SAD had higher functional connectivity than HC. At the global level, graph-theory analysis revealed that the patients exhibited a lower normalized characteristic path length than HC, which suggests a disorder-related shift of network topology toward randomized configurations. SAD-related deficits in nodal degree, efficiency and participation coefficient were detected in the parahippocampal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, insula and the calcarine sulcus. Aspects of abnormal connectivity were associated with anxiety symptoms. These findings highlight the aberrant topological organization of functional brain network organization in SAD, which provides insights into the neural mechanisms underlying excessive fear and avoidance of social interactions in patients with debilitating social anxiety.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.12.011

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Authors
Yang, X., Liu, J., Meng, Y., Xia, M., Cui, Z., Wu, X., Hu, X., Zhang, W., Gong, G., Gong, Q., Sweeney, J. A., & He, Y.
Affiliations
  • Southwest University (CN)
  • Beijing Normal University (CN)
  • West China Hospital of Sichuan University (CN)
  • Sichuan University (CN)
  • West China Medical Center of Sichuan University (CN)
Corresponding author
Gong, Qiyong
Venue
NeuroImage
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-04
Volume
190
Pages
213-223
ISSN
1053-8119 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2771401962
Cited by
91
References
79
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 7
FWCI
3.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • NeuroImage (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Natural Science Foundation (31700964, 81621003, 81220108013, 81227002, 81030027, 91432115, 81401479, 81671767, 81620108016)
  • China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2015M572479)
  • Beijing Natural Science Foundation (Z151100003915082)
  • Beijing Brain Project (Z161100000216125)
  • Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (PCSIRT (IRT16R52)
  • Changjiang Scholar Professorship Award (T2014190, T2015027)
  • Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2017XTCX04, 2015KJJCA13)
  • Humbolt Foundation
  • American CMB Distinguished Professorship Award (F510000/G16916411)
  • Institute of International Education, USA
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Mental Health Research Topics
Keywords
social anxiety disorder, functional brain networks, network topology, fear circuit, functional connectivity, graph theory, network-based statistics, drug-naive patients, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, insula, posterior cingulate cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, calcarine sulcus, anxiety symptoms, network efficiency
MeSH terms
Phobia, Social, Adolescent, Adult, Cerebral Cortex, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Nerve Net, Occipital Lobe, Prefrontal Cortex, Young Adult, Connectome, Limbic Lobe

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