title: Alterations in amygdala functional connectivity reflect early temperament.
abstract: Behavioral inhibition (BI) is a temperament identified early in life that is associated with increased risk for anxiety disorders. Amygdala hyperresponsivity, found both in behaviorally inhibited and anxious individuals, suggests that amygdala dysfunction may represent a marker of anxiety risk. However, broader amygdala networks have not been examined in individuals with a history of childhood BI. This study uses resting state fMRI to assess amygdala intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) in 38 healthy young adults (19 with a history of BI, 19 with no history of BI) selected from a longitudinal study. Centromedial, basolateral, and superficial amygdala iFCs were compared between groups and examined in relation to self-report measures of anxiety. Group differences were observed in amygdala iFC with prefrontal cortex, striatum, anterior insula, and cerebellum. Adults characterized with BI in childhood endorsed greater state anxiety prior to entering the scanner, which was associated with several of the group differences. Findings support enduring effects of BI on amygdala circuitry, even in the absence of current psychopathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA. Electronic address: aroy3@fordham.edu.
authors.forename: Amy Krain
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Brenda E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Degnan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Koraly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Perez-Edgar
authors.affiliation: Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Pine
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.affiliation: Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ernst
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000679:Amygdala / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000503:physiopathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013694:Temperament; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Amygdala; Anxiety; Behavioral inhibition; Functional connectivity; Temperament; fMRI