Brain activation to phobia-related pictures in spider phobic humans: an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging study.
Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging we investigated blood oxygen level dependent brain activation in spider phobic and non-phobic subjects while exposed to phobia-related pictures (spiders) and non-phobia-related pictures (snakes and mushrooms). In contrast to previous studies, we show significantly increased amygdala activation in spider phobics, but not in controls, during presentation of phobia-relevant visual stimuli. Furthermore, phobia-specific increased activation was also found in the insula, the orbitofrontal cortex and the uncus. Our study confirms the role of the amygdala in fear processing and provides insights into brain activation patterns when animal phobics are confronted with phobia-related stimuli.
Dilger
Stefan
S
Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Haus 1 Am Steiger 3, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
Straube
Thomas
T
Mentzel
Hans-Joachim
HJ
Fitzek
Clemens
C
Reichenbach
Jürgen R
JR
Hecht
Holger
H
Krieschel
Silke
S
Gutberlet
Ingmar
I
Miltner
Wolfgang H R
WH
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013112:Spiders