title: Functional and neurochemical interactions within the amygdala-medial prefrontal cortex circuit and their relevance to emotional processing.
abstract: The amygdala-medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) circuit plays a key role in emotional processing. GABA-ergic inhibition within the mPFC has been suggested to play a role in the shaping of amygdala activity. However, the functional and neurochemical interactions within the amygdala-mPFC circuits and their relevance to emotional processing remain unclear. To investigate this circuit, we obtained resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and proton MR spectroscopy in 21 healthy subjects to assess the potential relationship between GABA levels within mPFC and the amygdala-mPFC functional connectivity. Trait anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y2). Partial correlations were used to measure the relationships among the functional connectivity outcomes, mPFC GABA levels and STAI-Y2 scores. Age, educational level and amount of the gray and white matters within1H-MRS volume of interest were included as nuisance variables. The rs-fMRI signals of the amygdala and the vmPFC were significantly anti-correlated. This negative functional coupling between the two regions was inversely correlated with the GABA+/tCr level within the mPFC and the STAI-Y2 scores. We suggest a close relationship between mPFC GABA levels and functional interactions within the amygdala-vmPFC circuit, providing new insights in the physiology of emotion.
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, ''G. d'Annunzio'' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.|Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), ''G. d'Annunzio'' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.|Aging Research Centre, ''G. d'Annunzio'' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors: Stefano
authors: 0000-0003-4075-0132
authors: S
authors: Delli Pizzi
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, ''G. d'Annunzio'' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.|Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), ''G. d'Annunzio'' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors: Piero
authors: P
authors: Chiacchiaretta
authors: Research Centre for Motor Control and Neuroplasticity, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium.|Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Neural Control of Movement Lab, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.|Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK.
authors: Dante
authors: D
authors: Mantini
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, ''G. d'Annunzio'' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.|Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), ''G. d'Annunzio'' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors: Giovanna
authors: G
authors: Bubbico
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, ''G. d'Annunzio'' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.|Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), ''G. d'Annunzio'' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Ferretti
authors: Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.|F.M. Kirby Center for Functional MRI, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors: Richard A
authors: RA
authors: Edden
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, ''G. d'Annunzio'' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors: Camillo
authors: C
authors: Di Giulio
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, ''G. d'Annunzio'' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.|Aging Research Centre, ''G. d'Annunzio'' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Onofrj
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, ''G. d'Annunzio'' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy. l.bonanni@unich.it.|Aging Research Centre, ''G. d'Annunzio'' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy. l.bonanni@unich.it.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Bonanni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000679:Amygdala / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D011522:Protons; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012146:Rest; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011522:Protons; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D003401:Creatine; D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Amygdala; Medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC); Trait anxiety; γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA)