Table 1.
Prior Work Examining Alterations in Amygdala Connectivity
| Study | Population Total (Affected) N | Positive Connectivity | Negative Connectivity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Etkin et al., 2009 | 64(16) GAD | ↓normative targets a | ↑ normative targets a |
| Roy et al., 2013 | 35(15) GAD in adolescents b | ↓vmPFC, sgACC, pgACC, caudate, NA; ↑ insula, STG | ↑ vlPFC |
| Hahn et al., 2011 | 37(10) Social and/or panic disorder | ↓mOFC | ↓PCC |
| Kim et al., 2011 | 29 STAI-S | ↓vmPFC | ↑dmPFC |
| Veer et al., 2010 | MDD | ↓insula c | |
| Dannlowski et al., 2009 | 65(34) MDD & MAOA-H c | ↓dACC, dlPFC | |
| Lui et al., 2011 | 108(32) non-refractory MDD (28) refractory MDD | ↓cingulate | |
| Matthews et al., 2008 | 31(15) MDD c | ↑sgACC, ↓ supragenual ACC | |
| Chen et al., 2007 | 38(19) MDD & antidepressant treatment c | ↓hippocampus, putamen, insula, inferior and middle frontal cortices | |
| Luking et al., 2011 | 51(37) MDD and/or maternal MDD in children | ↓STG, ITG, putamen, hippocampus, | ↑ MFG, SFG, precuneus, IPL, postcentral gyrus |
| van der Werff et al., 2012 | 88(44) CEM | ↓ OFC, insula, hippocampus, putamen | ↑ occipital cortex, precuneus |
| Herringa et al., 2013 | 64 CTQ in adolescents | ↓sgACC, postcentral gyrus, ↑dlPFC | |
| Burghy et al., 2012 | 57 cortisol in adolescents | ↓vmPFC | |
| Veer et al., 2012 | 20 cortisol in males | ↓perigenual ACC, medial frontal pole | |
| Gee et al., 2013 | 89(41) early institutional care in children/adolescents | ↓vmPFC | |
| Pezawas et al., 2005 | 94 5-HTTLPR short | ↓ sgACC | ↑ supragenual ACC |
This table summarizes main findings from prior studies citing alterations in amygdala connectivity related to internalizing psychopathology or risk factors. All studies examined adult populations except where noted otherwise. The population column describes the study sample including the total and affected Ns as well as the disorder or risk factor of interest. Increases (↑) or decreases (↓) in connectivity values are noted separated by regions that show positive or negative connectivity in each study.
GAD = generalized anxiety disorder, MDD = major depressive disorder, STAI-S = State-Trait Anxiety Inventory – State, MAOA-H = monoamine oxidase A – high-activity, CEM = childhood emotional maltreatment, CTQ = Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, 5-HTTLPR = serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region, PFC = prefrontal cortex, ACC = anterior cingulate cortex, STG = superior temporal gyrus, ITG = inferior temporal gyrus, MFG = middle frontal gyrus, SFG = superior frontal gyrus, IPL = inferior parietal lobule, OFC = orbitofrontal cortex
Connectivity was reduced in GAD patients between basolateral and centromedial amygdala seeds and targets identified in a healthy sample but was increased with the other seed’s normative targets
Connectivity with the centromedial amygdala
Connectivity assessed during an emotion task rather than during rest
decreased connectivity in ‘affective’ network defined by independent components analysis