title: Gray matter characteristics associated with trait anxiety in older adults are moderated by depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Structural gray matter characteristics of anxiety remain unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of current depressive symptoms and history of depression on the gray matter characteristics of trait anxiety.
  
  
  METHODS
  Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 393 individuals aged 65 years or older were used. Regions of interest (ROIs) included the amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insula, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and temporal cortex. Trait anxiety was measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Depression and depressive symptoms were measured using DSM-IV criteria and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustments for sociodemographics and health-related variables, anxiety had a significant influence on the gray matter characteristics in all cortical ROIs. First, in participants without depression antecedents, higher trait anxiety was associated with a larger cortical thickness in all cortical ROIs. Second, in participants with a previous history of depression, higher trait anxiety was associated with a smaller cortical thickness in all cortical ROIs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that anxiety is related to cortical thickness differently in healthy older adults and in older adults with psychiatric antecedents. Anxiety associated with thinner cortical areas could reflect symptoms of a specific type of depression or a vulnerability to develop depression.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale,INSERM U897,Bordeaux,France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Potvin
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurobiologie Intégrative et Adaptative EPHE INCIA UMR 5287 CNRS-Université Segalen Bordeaux 2,Bordeaux,France.
authors.forename: Gwénaëlle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Catheline
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurobiologie Intégrative et Adaptative EPHE INCIA UMR 5287 CNRS-Université Segalen Bordeaux 2,Bordeaux,France.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale,INSERM U897,Bordeaux,France.
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meillon
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de psychologie EA 4139,Université de Bordeaux,Bordeaux,France.
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bergua
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurobiologie Intégrative et Adaptative EPHE INCIA UMR 5287 CNRS-Université Segalen Bordeaux 2,Bordeaux,France.
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allard
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale,INSERM U897,Bordeaux,France.
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dartigues
authors.affiliation: UMR 825 Inserm,Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier,Toulouse,France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chauveau
authors.affiliation: UMR 825 Inserm,Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier,Toulouse,France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Celsis
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale,INSERM U897,Bordeaux,France.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amieva
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D003863:Depression / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D059906:Neuroimaging; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
keywords: anxiety; depression; elderly; neuroimaging