title: Neural correlates of individual differences in anxiety sensitivity: an fMRI study using semantic priming.
abstract: Individuals with high anxiety sensitivity (AS) have an increased risk of developing anxiety disorders and are more biased in how they process fear-related stimuli. This study investigates the neural correlates of fear-related words and word associations in high- and low-AS individuals. We used a semantic priming paradigm during functional magnetic resonance imaging in which three types of target words (fear symptoms, e.g. 'dizziness'; neutral, e.g. 'drink'; and pseudowords, e.g. 'salkom') were preceded by two types of prime words (fear-triggers, e.g. 'elevator'; and neutral, e.g. 'bottle'). Subjects with high AS rated fear-symptom words (vs neutral words) as more unpleasant than low-AS individuals; they also related these words more strongly to fear-triggers and showed prolonged reaction times. During the processing of fear-symptom words, greater activation in the left anterior insula was observed in high-AS subjects than in low-AS subjects. Lower activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus, angular gyrus, fusiform gyrus and bilateral amygdalae was found in high-AS subjects when fear-symptom words were preceded by fear-trigger words. The findings suggest that cognitive biases and the anterior insula play a crucial role in high-AS individuals. Furthermore, semantic processes may contribute to high AS and the risk of developing anxiety disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany, yangy@med.uni-marburg.de.
authors.forename: Yunbo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lueken
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wittmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Holtz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Nina Isabel
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Kleint
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sass
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Agaplesion Diakonieklinikum Rotenburg (Wümme), Rotenburg (Wümme), Germany.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Konrad
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ströhle
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pfleiderer
authors.affiliation: Functional Imaging Unit, Institute for Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lotze
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Alfons
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamm
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deckert
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arolt
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Ulrich
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Wittchen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Tilo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kircher
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Straube
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D060865:Repetition Priming / Q000502:physiology; D012660:Semantics; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: amygdala; anterior insula; anxiety sensitivity; left inferior prefrontal gyrus; semantic priming