Brain function in spider phobia

Measurements of regional cerebral brood flow (rCBF) were performed in 16 wo men suffering from spider phobia. The non-invasive Xe-133 inhalation method , giving information about the blood flow of superficial areas, was used. T he subjects were studied under three conditions: during resting, when expos ed to a videotape showing nature scenery, and finally when watching a video with living spiders. During the rCBF measurements the subjects' behaviour was registered systematically and respiration, blood pressure, PCO2, and he art rate were monitored. Eight subjects who showed and reported severe pani c during the spider exposure had marked rCBF decreases in frontal areas, es pecially in the right hemisphere. The remaining eight subjects displayed a more efficient control of their emotions and became frightened, but not pan ic-stricken, during the spider exposure. These showed a consistent rCBF inc rease in the right frontal area compared to neutral stimulation. Thus, resu lts revealed significant functional changes in the frontal cortex in subjec ts with spider phobia during phobogenic exposure. It seems likely that thes e frontal changes are related to the experience and control of phobic anxie ty. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.