High-Resolution Resting-State Functional Connectivity of the Extended Amygdala
Abstract
The extended amygdala has been implicated as a critical region in the neurocircuitry underlying anxiety. The circuitry of the extended amygdala, including the central (CeA) and basolateral (BLA) nuclei of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), has been well defined in nonhuman animals; however, much less is known about the roles and interactions of these structures in humans given their small size. Therefore, this study used high-resolution 7-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging to define, compare, and contrast functional connectivity (FC) of these structures in 57 neurologically healthy young adults. In addition, FC was investigated in relation to self-reported measures of anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty, a key feature of anxiety. Results of the FC analysis of each of the nuclei largely replicated previous work. Conjunction analyses showed that nuclei of the extended amygdala shared FC with hippocampal, cingulate, medial prefrontal, and subgenual cortices. Comparison of seed-to-voxel time series correlation maps demonstrated that compared with the BNST, the CeA and BLA were more strongly coupled with parahippocampal, temporal, fusiform, and occipital gyri. Relative to the CeA and BLA, the BNST was ...Continue Reading
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Uncertainty and anticipation in anxiety: an integrated neurobiological and psychological perspective
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