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- Furmark, Tomas, et al.
(author)
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Common changes in cerebral blood flow in patients with social phobia treated with citalopram or cognitive-behavioral theray
- 2002
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In: Archives of General Psychiatry. - 0003-990X .- 1538-3636. ; 59:5, s. 425-433
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Neurofunctional changes underlying effective antianxiety treatments are incompletely characterized. This study explored the effects of citalopram and cognitive-behavioral therapy on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in social phobia. METHODS: By means of positron emission tomography with oxygen 15-labeled water, rCBF was assessed in 18 previously untreated patients with social phobia during an anxiogenic public speaking task. Patients were matched for sex, age, and phobia severity, based on social anxiety questionnaire data, and randomized to citalopram medication, cognitive-behavioral group therapy, or a waiting-list control group. Scans were repeated after 9 weeks of treatment or waiting time. Outcome was assessed by subjective and psychophysiological state anxiety measures and self-report questionnaires. Questions were readministered after 1 year. RESULTS: Symptoms improved significantly and roughly equally with citalopram and cognitive-behavioral therapy, whereas the waiting-list group remained unchanged. Four patients in each treated group and 1 waiting-list patient were classified as responders. Within both treated groups, and in responders regardless of treatment approach, improvement was accompanied by a decreased rCBF-response to public speaking bilaterally in the amygdala, hippocampus, and the periamygdaloid, rhinal, and parahippocampal cortices. Between-group comparisons confirmed that rCBF in these regions decreased significantly more in treated groups than control subjects, and in responders than nonresponders, particularly in the right hemisphere. The degree of amygdalar-limbic attenuation was associated with clinical improvement a year later. CONCLUSIONS: Common sites of action for citalopram and cognitive-behavioral treatment of social anxiety were observed in the amygdala, hippocampus, and neighboring cortical areas, ie, brain regions subserving bodily defense reactions to threat.
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- Tillfors, Maria, et al.
(author)
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Cerebral blood flow during anticipation of public speaking in social phobia : a PET study.
- 2002
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In: Biological Psychiatry. - 0006-3223 .- 1873-2402. ; 52:11, s. 1113-1119
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND The aim was to examine the neural correlates of anxiety elicited by the anticipation of public speaking in individuals with social phobia. Positron emission tomography and (15)O-water was used to measure regional cerebral blood flow in subjects with DSM-IV defined social phobia during anxiety anticipation. Heart rate and subjective anxiety were also recorded. While being scanned, subjects were speaking alone either before or after speaking in public. To evaluate anticipatory anxiety we compared individuals speaking alone before they were speaking in front of an audience with those who did the reverse. RESULTS Heart rate and subjective anxiety measures confirmed anticipatory anxiety in social phobics who performed their private speech before their public. This was accompanied by enhanced cerebral blood flow in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left inferior temporal cortex, and in the left amygdaloid-hippocampal region. Brain blood flow was lower in the left temporal pole and bilaterally in the cerebellum in the anticipation group. CONCLUSIONS Brain regions with altered perfusion presumably reflect changes in neural activity associated with worry about anticipated public performance. We speculate that anticipatory anxiety in social phobics originates in an affect sensitive fear network encompassing the amygdaloid-hippocampal region, prefrontal, and temporal areas.
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- Tillfors, Maria
(author)
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Social Phobia : The Family and the Brain
- 2001
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The present thesis investigated family history and neurobiology of social phobia. Social phobia is a disabling disorder characterized by a marked fear of scrutiny in a variety of social situations. By using a validated questionnaire, study I related family history of excessive social anxiety to social phobia and avoidant personality disorder in epidemiologically identified probands in the Swedish general population. A two- to threefold increased relative risk of social anxiety was observed for both diagnostic groups. Thus, having an affected family member is associated with approximately a doubled risk for both social phobia and avoidant personality disorder.The neurobiological studies explored situational and anticipatory elicited anxiety by means of positron emission tomography and 15O-water. Study II examined the functional neuroanatomy of social anxiety provocation in social phobics and a healthy comparison group during a public speaking task. Social phobia symptomatology was associated with higher neural activity in the amygdaloid complex, i.e. "the alarm system" of the brain, and lower activity in the prefrontal cortex. Study III examined the neural correlates of anxiety elicited by the anticipation of public speaking in individuals with social phobia. Anticipatory anxiety was accompanied by enhanced regional cerebral blood flow in the dorsolateral prefrontal and inferior temporal cortices as well as in the amygdaloid-hippocampal region. Brain blood flow was lower in the temporal pole and in the cerebellum. These results suggest that social phobia has a neuroanatomical basis in a highly sensitive fear network centered in the amygdaloid-hippocampal region and encompassing the prefrontal cortex.
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