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Anomalous static and dynamic functional connectivity of amygdala subregions in individuals with high trait anxiety
Author(s) -
Wang Chanyu,
Wang You,
Lau Way K. W.,
Wei Xinhua,
Feng Xiangang,
Zhang Chichen,
Liu Yingjun,
Huang Ruiwang,
Zhang Ruibin
Publication year - 2021
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.23195
Subject(s) - amygdala , default mode network , psychology , neuroscience , basolateral amygdala , anxiety , ventromedial prefrontal cortex , resting state fmri , anterior cingulate cortex , prefrontal cortex , functional magnetic resonance imaging , cognition , psychiatry
Background Trait anxiety is considered a susceptible factor for stress‐related disorders, and is characterized by abnormal brain activity and connectivity in the regions related to emotional processing (e.g., the amygdala). However, only a few studies have examined the static and dynamic changes of functional connectivity in trait anxiety. Method We compared the resting‐state static and dynamic functional connectivity (sFC/dFC) in individuals with high trait anxiety (HTA, n = 257) and low trait anxiety (LTA, n = 264) using bilateral amygdala subregions as the seeds, that is, the centromedial amygdala (CMA), basolateral amygdala (BLA), and superficial amygdala (SFA). Results The CMA, BLA, and SFA all showed reduced sFC with the executive control network (ECN) and anomalous dFC with the default mode network (DMN) in individuals with HTA. The CMA only showed reduced sFC with the ECN and reduced dFC with the DMN in individuals with HTA. The BLA showed reduced sFC with the salience network (mainly in the anterior and median cingulate), and increased dFC between the BLA and the DMN in individuals with HTA compared to those with LTA. Notably, HTA showed widespread anomalous functional connectivity in the SFA, including the visual network, mainly in the calcarine fissure, limbic system (olfactory cortex), and basal ganglia (putamen). Conclusion The anomalous sFC and dFC in individuals with HTA may reflect altered mechanisms in prefrontal control, salient stimuli processing, and amygdaloidal responsivity to potential threats, leading to alterations in associative, attentional, interpretative, and regulating processes that sustain a threat‐related processing bias in HTA individuals.