OBJECTIVE: Specific phobia (SP) is characterized by irrational fear associated with avoidance of specific stimuli. In recent years, neuroimaging techniques have been used in an attempt to better understand the neurobiology of anxiety disorders. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of articles that used neuroimaging techniques to study SP. METHOD: A literature search was conducted through electronic databases, using the keywords: imaging, neuroimaging, PET, spectroscopy, functional magnetic resonance, structural magnetic resonance, SPECT, MRI, DTI, and tractography, combined with simple phobia and specific phobia. One-hundred fifteen articles were found, of which 38 were selected for the present review. From these, 24 used fMRI, 11 used PET, 1 used SPECT, 2 used structural MRI, and none used spectroscopy. RESULT: The search showed that studies in this area were published recently and that the neuroanatomic substrate of SP has not yet been consolidated. CONCLUSION: In spite of methodological differences among studies, results converge to a greater activation in the insula, anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, and prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex of patients exposed to phobia-related situations compared to controls. These findings support the hypotheses of the hyperactivation of a neuroanatomic structural network involved in SP.
OBJECTIVE: Specific phobia (SP) is characterized by irrational fear associated with avoidance of specific stimuli. In recent years, neuroimaging techniques have been used in an attempt to better understand the neurobiology of anxiety disorders. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of articles that used neuroimaging techniques to study SP. METHOD: A literature search was conducted through electronic databases, using the keywords: imaging, neuroimaging, PET, spectroscopy, functional magnetic resonance, structural magnetic resonance, SPECT, MRI, DTI, and tractography, combined with simple phobia and specific phobia. One-hundred fifteen articles were found, of which 38 were selected for the present review. From these, 24 used fMRI, 11 used PET, 1 used SPECT, 2 used structural MRI, and none used spectroscopy. RESULT: The search showed that studies in this area were published recently and that the neuroanatomic substrate of SP has not yet been consolidated. CONCLUSION: In spite of methodological differences among studies, results converge to a greater activation in the insula, anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, and prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex of patients exposed to phobia-related situations compared to controls. These findings support the hypotheses of the hyperactivation of a neuroanatomic structural network involved in SP.
Authors: Nicola Palomero-Gallagher; Simon B Eickhoff; Felix Hoffstaedter; Axel Schleicher; Hartmut Mohlberg; Brent A Vogt; Katrin Amunts; Karl Zilles Journal: Neuroimage Date: 2015-05-01 Impact factor: 6.556
Authors: Lauren Delaparte; Fang-Cheng Yeh; Phil Adams; Ashley Malchow; Madhukar H Trivedi; Maria A Oquendo; Thilo Deckersbach; Todd Ogden; Diego A Pizzagalli; Maurizio Fava; Crystal Cooper; Melvin McInnis; Benji T Kurian; Myrna M Weissman; Patrick J McGrath; Daniel N Klein; Ramin V Parsey; Christine DeLorenzo Journal: J Psychiatr Res Date: 2017-01-24 Impact factor: 4.791
Authors: Niels Allert; Sabrina M Gippert; Bastian E A Sajonz; Christoph Nelles; Bettina Bewernick; Thomas E Schlaepfer; Volker A Coenen Journal: J Neural Transm (Vienna) Date: 2016-05-19 Impact factor: 3.575
Authors: Paul Siegel; Richard Warren; Zhishun Wang; Jie Yang; Don Cohen; Jason F Anderson; Lilly Murray; Bradley S Peterson Journal: Hum Brain Mapp Date: 2017-02-06 Impact factor: 5.038
Authors: Miriam Clemente; Beatriz Rey; Aina Rodriguez-Pujadas; Juani Breton-Lopez; Alfonso Barros-Loscertales; Rosa M Baños; Cristina Botella; Mariano Alcañiz; Cesar Avila Journal: JMIR Serious Games Date: 2014-06-27 Impact factor: 4.143