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Amygdala activation in response to facial expressions in pediatric obsessive–compulsive disorder
Author(s) -
Britton Jennifer C.,
Stewart S. Evelyn,
Killgore William D.S.,
Rosso Isabelle M.,
Price Lauren M.,
Gold Andrea L.,
Pine Daniel S.,
Wilhelm Sabine,
Jenike Michael A.,
Rauch Scott L.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
depression and anxiety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.634
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6394
pISSN - 1091-4269
DOI - 10.1002/da.20718
Subject(s) - amygdala , psychology , anxiety , functional magnetic resonance imaging , facial expression , obsessive compulsive , audiology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , neuroscience , medicine , communication
Background: Exaggerated amygdala activation to threatening faces has been detected in adults and children with anxiety disorders, compared to healthy comparison (HC) subjects. However, the profile of amygdala activation in response to facial expressions in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) may be a distinguishing feature; a prior study found that compared with healthy adults, adults with OCD exhibited less amygdala activation to emotional and neutral faces, relative to fixation [Cannistraro et al. (2004). Biological Psychiatry 56:916–920]. Methods: In the current event‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, a pediatric OCD sample ( N =12) and a HC sample ( N =17) performed a gender discrimination task while viewing emotional faces (happy, fearful, disgusted) and neutral faces. Results: Compared to the HC group, the OCD group showed less amygdala/hippocampus activation in all emotion and neutral conditions relative to fixation. Conclusions: Like previous reports in adult OCD, pediatric OCD may have a distinct neural profile from other anxiety disorders, with respect to amygdala activation in response to emotional stimuli that are not disorder specific. Depression and Anxiety, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.