Ea. Osuch et al., Regional cerebral metabolism associated with anxiety symptoms in affectivedisorder patients, BIOL PSYCHI, 48(10), 2000, pp. 1020-1023
Background: We studied the relationship between regional cerebral metabolis
m and the severity of anxiety in mood disorder patients, controlling for de
pression severity.
Methods: Fifty-two medication-free patients with unipolar or bipolar illnes
s underwent positron emission tomography with [F-18]-fluorodeoxyglucose. Ha
milton Depression Rating Scale and Spielberger Anxiety-Stare Scale scores w
ere obtained for the week of the scan. Analyses were performed on globally
normalized images and were corrected for multiple comparisons.
Results: After covarying for depression scores, age, and gender, Spielberge
r Anxiety-Stare Scale scores correlated directly with regional cerebral met
abolism in the right parahippocampal and left anterior cingulate regions, a
nd inversely with metabolism in the cerebellum, left fusiform, left superio
r temporal, left angular gyrus, and left insula. in contrast, covarying for
anxiety scores, age, and gender, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores c
orrelated directly with regional cerebral metabolism in the bilateral media
l frontal, right anterior cingulate, and right dorsolateral prefrontal cort
ices.
Conclusions: Comorbid anxiety symptoms are associated with specific cerebra
l metabolic correlates that partially overlap with those in the primary anx
iety disorders and differ from those associated with depression severity. (
C) 2000 Society of Biological Psychiatry.