title: Anxiety modulates insula recruitment in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging in youth and adults.
abstract: Research on resting-state functional connectivity reveals intrinsically connected networks in the brain that are largely consistent across the general population. However, there are individual differences in these networks that have not been elucidated. Here, we measured the influence of naturally occurring mood on functional connectivity. In particular, we examined the association between self-reported levels of anxiety and connectivity in the default mode network (DMN). Healthy youth (n=43; ages 10-18) and adult participants (n=24, ages 19-59) completed a 6-min resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan, then immediately completed questionnaires assessing their mood and thoughts during the scan. Regression analyses conducted separately for the youth and adult samples revealed brain regions in which increases in connectivity differentially corresponded to higher anxiety in each group. In one area, the left insular cortex, both groups showed similar increased connectivity to the DMN (youth: -30, 26, 14; adults: -33, 12, 14) with increased anxiety. State anxiety assessed during scanning was not correlated with trait anxiety, so our results likely reflect state levels of anxiety. To our knowledge, this is the first study to relate naturally occurring mood to resting state connectivity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90095-7334, USA. eldennis@ucla.edu
authors.forename: Emily L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Dennis
authors.forename: Ian H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Gotlib
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Moriah E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Thomason
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult