NCT01849432

Study of Brain Circuitry in Anxiety Disorders

Probing Amygdalo-Cortical Circuitry in Anxiety Disorders

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 42 (actual)
• Sponsor: Mclean Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

A diverse body of research has implicated the amygdalo-cortical circuitry in the pathophysiology of anxiety disorders. For example, one model of PTSD posits exaggerated amygdala responsivity to threat-related stimuli as well as deficient top-down modulation of amygdala responses by specific cortical regions, including the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, subcallosal cortex, and hippocampus. The investigators propose to investigate the pathophysiology of several specific anxiety disorders, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Panic Disorder (PD), and Specific Phobia(SP), by using cognitive activation paradigms and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to probe the function and structure of implicated amygdalo-cortical circuitry.

Detailed description

All candidates for this project will undergo a comprehensive clinical assessment by an investigator trained to administer these instruments. At the MGH fMRI Center in Charlestown or at the Neuroimaging Center at McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA; each subject will undergo a single MRI session lasting approximately 2 hours. After the scanning session, subjects may be asked to make judgments about the facial expressions or the words that were presented.

Conditions

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
• Panic Disorder
• Specific Phobias

Timeline

• Start date: 2006-12-01
• Primary completion: 2011-07-01
• Completion: 2011-07-01
• First posted: 2013-05-08
• Last updated: 2013-05-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States