title: Neural correlates of anxiety in healthy volunteers: a voxel-based morphometry study.
abstract: Studies have shown that the amygdala, temporal, and prefrontal cortices play a key role in the expression of anxiety. The correlation between gray matter volume of these structures and behavioral anxiety measures was not previously investigated in healthy volunteers. The authors used voxel-based morphometry to assess the relationship between brain regional volume and anxiety. The authors found an inverse correlation between anxiety measures and cortical volume in regions of the limbic system and prefrontal cortex implicated in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders. The authors suggest that volumetric variability of these regions may have a correlation with the development of an anxious personality trait.
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Medical University of South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Maria Vittoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Spampinato
authors.forename: Jacqueline N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Simone
authors.forename: Jordan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grafman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size; D013694:Temperament; D055815:Young Adult