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21 - Molecular imaging of other anxiety disorders

from Section III - Anxiety Disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2011

By
James W. Murrough  and
Sanjay J. Mathew
Edited by
Martha E. Shenton  and
Bruce I. Turetsky
James W. Murrough
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry Mount Sinai School of Medicine New York, NY, USA
Sanjay J. Mathew
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA
Martha E. Shenton
Affiliation:
VA Boston Healthcare System and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Bruce I. Turetsky
Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania
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Summary

Introduction

Neuroimaging research is beginning to define functional anatomical correlates of both normal fear and anxiety as well as the pathological anxiety symptoms found in the anxiety disorders. These studies in humans are guided by molecular biology and behavioral neuroscience research utilizing animal models of fear and anxiety. Anatomical circuits and neurochemicals that may govern normal and abnormal fear and anxiety are beginning to emerge through convergence of both animal and human data. Current research seeks to understand how normal fear systems become dysregulated in clinical anxiety disorders.

This chapter reviews the neurochemical imaging literature in the anxiety disorders, focusing on key findings in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder (PD), social anxiety disorder (SAD; also referred to as social phobia) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). PTSD develops in a subgroup of individuals who experience a traumatic event (for example, a life-threatening situation), and is characterized by re-experiencing phenomena and intrusive memories related to a traumatic event, hyperarousal (for example, exaggerated startle), and avoidance and emotional numbing. Panic disorder is characterized by the recurrence of discrete panic attacks with the development of anticipatory anxiety and avoidance in between attacks. Panic attacks are the unprovoked, sudden onset of a constellation of psychological and physical symptoms that include intense fear or dread, a feeling of the need to escape, rapid heart beat or palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness and diaphoresis. Social anxiety disorder consists of excessive embarrassment or humiliation in social situations that leads to behavioral avoidance and occupational or social impairment.

Keywords

anxiety disordersCOMTGABA-BZDpost-traumatic stress disorderpanic disorderneurochemical imaginggeneralized anxiety disordermagnetic resonance spectroscopysocial anxiety disorder
Type
Chapter
Information
Understanding Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Insights from Neuroimaging
 , pp. 295 - 307
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2010

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