On a continuum to anxiety disorders: Adolescents at parental risk for anxiety show smaller rostral anterior cingulate cortex and insula thickness

Sabrina Suffren; Mélissa Chauret; Marouane Nassim; Franco Lepore; Françoise S Maheu

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.01.028

On a continuum to anxiety disorders: Adolescents at parental risk for anxiety show smaller rostral anterior cingulate cortex and insula thickness

J Affect Disord. 2019 Apr 1:248:34-41. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.01.028. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Authors

Sabrina Suffren¹, Mélissa Chauret², Marouane Nassim³, Franco Lepore⁴, Françoise S Maheu⁵

Affiliations

¹ Research Center, Sainte-Justine Hospital, University of Montreal, 3175 Côte Ste-Catherine, Montréal, Québec H3T 1C5, Canada; Research Center in Neuropsychology and Cognition, University of Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Canada. Electronic address: sabrina.suffren@recherche-ste-justine.qc.ca.
² Research Center, Sainte-Justine Hospital, University of Montreal, 3175 Côte Ste-Catherine, Montréal, Québec H3T 1C5, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada.
³ Research Center, Sainte-Justine Hospital, University of Montreal, 3175 Côte Ste-Catherine, Montréal, Québec H3T 1C5, Canada.
⁴ Research Center, Sainte-Justine Hospital, University of Montreal, 3175 Côte Ste-Catherine, Montréal, Québec H3T 1C5, Canada; Research Center in Neuropsychology and Cognition, University of Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Canada.
⁵ Research Center, Sainte-Justine Hospital, University of Montreal, 3175 Côte Ste-Catherine, Montréal, Québec H3T 1C5, Canada; Research Center in Neuropsychology and Cognition, University of Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Canada.

PMID: 30711867
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.01.028

Abstract

Background: Having a parent with an anxiety disorder increases the risk of anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders during the lifespan. Moreover, childhood and adolescence anxiety disorders and symptoms have been linked to a range of brain structure abnormalities. However, to date, no study has investigated brain anatomy in adolescents at high risk based on parental anxiety disorders and in adolescents with an anxiety disorder but without any treatment or therapy.

Methods: Anatomical images from magnetic resonance imaging of 68 adolescents with anxiety disorders without any treatment (N = 20), at risk for anxiety because of their parents' anxiety disorders (N = 21), and comparison youths (N = 27), were analyzed using Freesurfer.

Results: Compared to comparison group, smaller cortical thickness of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex and of the insula was observed in anxious and at-risk groups; smaller amygdala volume was observed in the anxious group only.

Limitations: The age range studied is large (10 to 17 years old). Moreover, this study is cross-sectional. Since adolescence is one of the biggest periods of cerebral reorganization, longitudinal follow-up of these youths would be necessary.

Conclusions: Smaller rostral anterior cingulate cortex and insula cortical thickness appear to be cerebral markers of the risk of developing an anxiety disorder in adolescence. The reduction of the amygdala volume seems to be linked to the onset of the disorder.

Keywords: Anxiety; FreeSurfer; Parental anxiety disorder; Youths.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Amygdala
Anxiety Disorders / pathology*
Brain Mapping
Cerebral Cortex / pathology*
Child
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Gyrus Cinguli / pathology*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male

Grants and funding

MOP-97983/CIHR/Canada