title: Enhanced error-related brain activity in children predicts the onset of anxiety disorders between the ages of 6 and 9.
abstract: Considering that anxiety disorders frequently begin before adulthood and often result in chronic impairment, it is important to characterize the developmental pathways leading to the onset of clinical anxiety. Identifying neural biomarkers that can predict the onset of anxiety in childhood may increase our understanding of the etiopathogenesis of anxiety, as well as inform intervention and prevention strategies. An event-related potential (ERP), the error-related negativity (ERN), has been proposed as a biomarker of risk for anxiety and has previously been associated with anxiety in both adults and children. However, no previous study has examined whether the ERN can predict the onset of anxiety disorders. In the current study, ERPs were recorded while 236 healthy children, approximately 6 years of age, performed a go/no-go task to measure the ERN. Three years later, children and parents came back to the lab and completed diagnostic interviews regarding anxiety disorder status. Results indicated that enhanced error-related brain activity at age 6 predicted the onset of new anxiety disorders by age 9, even when controlling for baseline anxiety symptoms and maternal history of anxiety. Considering the potential utility of identifying early biomarkers of risk, this is a novel and important extension of previous work.
authors: Department of Psychology.
authors: Alexandria
authors: A
authors: Meyer
authors: Department of Psychology.
authors: Greg
authors: G
authors: Hajcak
authors: Department of Psychology.
authors: Dana C
authors: DC
authors: Torpey-Newman
authors: Department of Psychology.
authors: Autumn
authors: A
authors: Kujawa
authors: Department of Psychology.
authors: Daniel N
authors: DN
authors: Klein
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
references: Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Jan 15;35(1):265-72
references: 21111024
references: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010 Jan;67(1):47-57
references: 20048222
references: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2013 Aug;54(8):854-62
references: 23294040
references: Psychophysiology. 2008 Jul;45(4):524-34
references: 18503487
references: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005 Jun;62(6):593-602
references: 15939837
references: Front Hum Neurosci. 2013 Jul 18;7:350
references: 23882201
references: Behav Res Ther. 2001 Nov;39(11):1293-316
references: 11686265
references: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2006 May;45(5):538-49
references: 16601400
references: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2002 Jan;37(1):7-12
references: 11924749
references: Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1983 Apr;55(4):468-84
references: 6187540
references: Clin Psychol Rev. 2008 Dec;28(8):1343-54
references: 18694617
references: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1993 May;34(4):579-85
references: 8509495
references: Front Hum Neurosci. 2013 Oct 08;7:636
references: 24115926
references: Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2013 Oct;6:1-13
references: 23777674
references: Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2009 Sep;32(3):483-524
references: 19716988
references: Biol Psychol. 2010 Dec;85(3):472-80
references: 20883743
references: J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2013 Nov;41(8):1257-66
references: 23700171
references: Psychophysiology. 2010 Sep;47(5):913-20
references: 20230510
references: Genes Brain Behav. 2012 Aug;11(6):695-703
references: 22682503
references: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2012 Sep;51(9):902-10
references: 22917203
references: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2007 Jul;48(7):631-48
references: 17593144
references: Dev Psychobiol. 2012 Mar;54(2):139-50
references: 21815136
references: Am J Psychiatry. 2003 Apr;160(4):636-45
references: 12668349
references: Clin Psychol Rev. 2000 Jun;20(4):429-51
references: 10832548
references: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2006 Oct;47(10):1073-82
references: 17073986
references: Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2012 Jan;2(1):152-61
references: 22308177
references: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1998 Jan;55(1):56-64
references: 9435761
references: Compr Psychiatry. 2000 Mar-Apr;41(2 Suppl 1):122-32
references: 10746914
references: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2007 Dec;48(12):1174-83
references: 18093022
references: Dev Psychopathol. 2014 May;26(2):437-49
references: 24382091
references: Biol Psychiatry. 2009 Mar 1;65(5):445-8
references: 19108817
references: J Abnorm Psychol. 2012 May;121(2):315-24
references: 21988452
references: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1997 Jul;36(7):918-24
references: 9204669
references: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1997 Jul;36(7):980-8
references: 9204677
references: Am J Psychiatry. 2012 Nov;169(11):1157-64
references: 23128922
references: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1998 Jul;39(5):711-20
references: 9690934
references: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2014 Jan;53(1):21-33
references: 24342383
references: Psychophysiology. 2012 Feb;49(2):239-47
references: 22092041
references: Depress Anxiety. 2013 Jan;30(1):39-46
references: 23225541
references: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1996 Nov;35(11):1502-10
references: 8936917
references: Psychophysiology. 2014 Jul;51(7):602-10
references: 24646380
references: Nat Rev Neurosci. 2011 Mar;12(3):154-67
references: 21331082
references: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2014 Apr;53(4):447-55
references: 24655654
references: Psychol Sci. 2000 Jan;11(1):1-6
references: 11228836
references: Dev Neuropsychol. 2006;29(3):431-45
references: 16671860
references: J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2015 Jul;43(5):821-9
references: 25092483
references: J Abnorm Psychol. 2010 Aug;119(3):468-78
references: 20677836
references: Neuropsychologia. 2008;46(7):1877-87
references: 18514679
references: Compr Psychiatry. 2011 Jul-Aug;52(4):359-69
references: 21683173
references: Am J Psychiatry. 2011 Mar;168(3):317-24
references: 21123314
references: Am J Psychiatry. 2008 Jan;165(1):116-23
references: 17986681
references: J Abnorm Psychol. 2012 Nov;121(4):885-96
references: 22564180
references: Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1991 Jun;78(6):447-55
references: 1712280
references: Psychophysiology. 2011 Oct;48(10):1420-5
references: 21496055