Neuroanatomical correlates of anticipatory anxiety.
Positron emission tomographic measurements of regional blood flow, a marker of local neuronal activity, were used to investigate the neuroanatomical correlates of a normal emotion. Healthy volunteers were studied before, during, and after anticipation of a painful electric shock. During anticipatory anxiety, there were significant blood flow increases in bilateral temporal poles, the same regions recently implicated in a lactate-induced anxiety attack in patients with panic disorder. Thus, the temporal poles seem to be involved in normal and pathological forms of human anxiety.
Reiman
E M
EM
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
Fusselman
M J
MJ
Fox
P T
PT
Raichle
M E
ME
D001007:Anxiety / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D004597:Electroshock; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed