title: Alterations in white matter volume and its correlation with clinical characteristics in patients with generalized anxiety disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Only a few morphological studies have focused on changes in white matter (WM) volume in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). We evaluated alterations in WM volume and its correlation with symptom severity and duration of illness in adults with GAD.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 44 subjects were comprised of 22 patients with GAD (13 males and nine females) diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) and 22 age-matched healthy controls (13 males and nine females). High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were processed by voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis based on diffeomorphic anatomical registration using the exponentiated Lie algebra (DARTEL) algorithm in SPM8.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with GAD showed significantly reduced WM volume, particularly in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC), and midbrain. In addition, DLPFC volume was negatively correlated with GAD-7 score and illness duration. ALIC volume was negatively correlated with GAD-7 score. Female patients had significantly less orbitofrontal cortex volume compared to that in male patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings demonstrate localized changes in WM volume associated with cognitive and emotional dysfunction in patients with GAD. The finding will be helpful for understanding the neuropathology in patients with GAD.
authors: Research Institute for Medical Imaging, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
authors: Chung-Man
authors: CM
authors: Moon
authors: Research Institute for Medical Imaging, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea. gwjeong@jnu.ac.kr.|Department of Radiology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, 501-757, Republic of Korea. gwjeong@jnu.ac.kr.
authors: Gwang-Woo
authors: GW
authors: Jeong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D066127:White Matter / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD); Voxel-based morphometry (VBM); White matter