http://www.mdlinx.com/neurology/top-medical-news/article/2016/07/25/5
Penn Medicine
Discoveries may lead to useful biomarker for treatment of anxiety and mood disorders.
Adolescence is a critical period for emotional maturation and is a time when significant symptoms of anxiety and depression can increase, particularly in females. Prior work by a team of Penn Medicine researchers found that sex–specific changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) begin at puberty. The team’s newest research shows that higher blood flow in emotional brain regions such as the amygdala is associated with higher levels of anxiety and mood symptoms in females. These findings, which are published online in the journal Biological Psychiatry, provide further insight into the developmental biology of sex differences in mood and anxiety disorders. The study evaluated the hypothesis that sex differences in blood flow to brain regions involved in emotion processing during adolescence could be linked to sex differences in anxiety and mood symptoms. “We predicted that greater levels of anxiety would be associated with greater blood flow in emotional brain regions such as the amygdala. Following our prior work, we also predicted that females would have higher perfusion (blood flow) as adolescence progresses. And, finally we examined whether higher blood flow in emotional brain regions explained higher levels of anxiety and mood symptoms in females,” said the lead author, Antonia Kaczkurkin, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Penn’s Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA). Results showed how the development of brain perfusion may relate to sex differences in anxiety during adolescence. Data revealed that anxiety and mood symptoms were associated with greater blood flow in a network of brain regions including the amygdala, anterior insula and fusiform cortex in both males and females. These regions also showed substantial developmental sex differences, with females demonstrating higher blood flow than males in post–pubertal period. It was also noted that the relationship between anxiety symptoms and blood flow in these regions increased in strength with age and puberty, and higher levels of symptoms present in post–pubertal females was in part explained by elevated blood flow to the left amygdala – a region known to be important for emotional processing. Taken together, these results suggest a new mechanism for understanding sex differences in anxiety and mood symptoms, which the authors say may be used to direct future research regarding targeted treatments.
Adolescence is a critical period for emotional maturation and is a time when significant symptoms of anxiety and depression can increase, particularly in females. Prior work by a team of Penn Medicine researchers found that sex–specific changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) begin at puberty. The team’s newest research shows that higher blood flow in emotional brain regions such as the amygdala is associated with higher levels of anxiety and mood symptoms in females. These findings, which are published online in the journal Biological Psychiatry, provide further insight into the developmental biology of sex differences in mood and anxiety disorders. The study evaluated the hypothesis that sex differences in blood flow to brain regions involved in emotion processing during adolescence could be linked to sex differences in anxiety and mood symptoms. “We predicted that greater levels of anxiety would be associated with greater blood flow in emotional brain regions such as the amygdala. Following our prior work, we also predicted that females would have higher perfusion (blood flow) as adolescence progresses. And, finally we examined whether higher blood flow in emotional brain regions explained higher levels of anxiety and mood symptoms in females,” said the lead author, Antonia Kaczkurkin, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Penn’s Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA). Results showed how the development of brain perfusion may relate to sex differences in anxiety during adolescence. Data revealed that anxiety and mood symptoms were associated with greater blood flow in a network of brain regions including the amygdala, anterior insula and fusiform cortex in both males and females. These regions also showed substantial developmental sex differences, with females demonstrating higher blood flow than males in post–pubertal period. It was also noted that the relationship between anxiety symptoms and blood flow in these regions increased in strength with age and puberty, and higher levels of symptoms present in post–pubertal females was in part explained by elevated blood flow to the left amygdala – a region known to be important for emotional processing. Taken together, these results suggest a new mechanism for understanding sex differences in anxiety and mood symptoms, which the authors say may be used to direct future research regarding targeted treatments.
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