Amygdala reactivity to emotional faces at high and low intensity in generalized social phobia: a 4-Tesla functional MRI study.
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we measured amygdala reactivity to faces varying on emotional intensity in subjects with generalized social phobia (GSP) and matched healthy controls, and observed greater bilateral activation to high (vs. low) intensity expressions in the phobic group, suggesting that more arousing social-emotional cues contribute to limbic hyperactivity in GSP.
Yoon
K Lira
KL
Brain Imaging and Emotions Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637-1470, USA.
Fitzgerald
Daniel A
DA
Angstadt
Mike
M
McCarron
Rosemary A
RA
Phan
K Luan
KL
D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D003463:Cues; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008032:Limbic System / Q000503:physiopathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*