Hypoactivity of the Prefrontal Cortex During Go/No-Go Task in Patients With Generalized Anxiety Disorder

IF 3.3 2区医学 Q1 PSYCHIATRY

Depression and Anxiety Pub Date : 2025-07-28 DOI:10.1155/da/9040115

Chien-An Chen, Po-Tsen Lin, Meng-Yu Hsu, Cheng-Yang Lee, I-Ming Chen, Yi-Ting Lin, Yu-Jui Huang, Pao-Huan Chen, Jia-Jin Chen, Gong-Hong Lin, Yi-Jing Huang

{"title":"Hypoactivity of the Prefrontal Cortex During Go/No-Go Task in Patients With Generalized Anxiety Disorder","authors":"Chien-An Chen, Po-Tsen Lin, Meng-Yu Hsu, Cheng-Yang Lee, I-Ming Chen, Yi-Ting Lin, Yu-Jui Huang, Pao-Huan Chen, Jia-Jin Chen, Gong-Hong Lin, Yi-Jing Huang","doi":"10.1155/da/9040115","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n Background and Objective: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a prevalent mental health condition affecting cognitive functions like response inhibition. The neural mechanisms underlying the interplay between inhibitory ability and anxiety regulation in GAD remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the prefrontal cortex (PFC) alterations when anxiety regulation shares neural resources with response inhibition in patients with GAD compared to healthy controls and to explore the relationship between anxiety and PFC activity.\n Methods: The hemodynamic responses of bihemispheric PFC were measured in 19 GAD patients and 38 healthy controls using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the Go/No-Go task and were compared between the groups. The correlations between PFC activity and task performance and those between PFC activity and anxiety levels were analyzed.\n Results: The GAD group exhibited lower hemoglobin concentration across the PFC during both baseline and task sessions, with significant hypoactivity in the bihemispheric dorsomedial PFC (DMPFC) at baseline (p = 0.035–0.049), and more widespread hypoactivity during the task in the bihemispheric DMPFC (p < 0.001–0.033) and dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC; p = 0.012–0.042), as well as the right ventromedial PFC (VMPFC; p = 0.019–0.037). Higher baseline prefrontal activity was associated with poorer task accuracy (r = −0.576 to −0.417) and greater trait anxiety (r = 0.441–0.514). When transitioning to the task, better accuracy correlated with increased activation in the left DMPFC (r = 0.405–0.593), whereas higher anxiety levels were linked to reduced activation in the left DMPFC (r = −0.512) and right DMPFC (r = −0.435).\n Conclusion: This study reveals that patients with GAD exhibit significant hypoactivity in the PFC during response inhibition, correlating with both task performance and anxiety levels. These findings emphasize the importance of targeting PFC dysfunction in the development of diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions for GAD.\n </div>","PeriodicalId":55179,"journal":{"name":"Depression and Anxiety","volume":"2025 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/da/9040115","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Depression and Anxiety","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/da/9040115","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background and Objective: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a prevalent mental health condition affecting cognitive functions like response inhibition. The neural mechanisms underlying the interplay between inhibitory ability and anxiety regulation in GAD remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the prefrontal cortex (PFC) alterations when anxiety regulation shares neural resources with response inhibition in patients with GAD compared to healthy controls and to explore the relationship between anxiety and PFC activity.

Methods: The hemodynamic responses of bihemispheric PFC were measured in 19 GAD patients and 38 healthy controls using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the Go/No-Go task and were compared between the groups. The correlations between PFC activity and task performance and those between PFC activity and anxiety levels were analyzed.

Results: The GAD group exhibited lower hemoglobin concentration across the PFC during both baseline and task sessions, with significant hypoactivity in the bihemispheric dorsomedial PFC (DMPFC) at baseline (p = 0.035–0.049), and more widespread hypoactivity during the task in the bihemispheric DMPFC (p < 0.001–0.033) and dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC; p = 0.012–0.042), as well as the right ventromedial PFC (VMPFC; p = 0.019–0.037). Higher baseline prefrontal activity was associated with poorer task accuracy (r = −0.576 to −0.417) and greater trait anxiety (r = 0.441–0.514). When transitioning to the task, better accuracy correlated with increased activation in the left DMPFC (r = 0.405–0.593), whereas higher anxiety levels were linked to reduced activation in the left DMPFC (r = −0.512) and right DMPFC (r = −0.435).

Conclusion: This study reveals that patients with GAD exhibit significant hypoactivity in the PFC during response inhibition, correlating with both task performance and anxiety levels. These findings emphasize the importance of targeting PFC dysfunction in the development of diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions for GAD.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

广泛性焦虑障碍患者在Go/No-Go任务中的前额叶皮层活性低下

背景与目的：广泛性焦虑障碍（GAD）是一种常见的影响反应抑制等认知功能的心理健康状况。广泛性焦虑症中抑制能力和焦虑调节之间相互作用的神经机制尚不清楚。本研究旨在探讨广泛性焦虑症患者与健康对照组相比，焦虑调节与反应抑制共享神经资源时前额叶皮质（PFC）的变化，并探讨焦虑与PFC活动之间的关系。方法：应用功能近红外光谱（fNIRS）测量19例GAD患者和38例健康对照者在Go/No-Go任务时的双半球PFC血流动力学反应，并比较两组间的差异。分析PFC活动与任务表现、PFC活动与焦虑水平的相关性。结果：广泛性焦虑症组在基线和任务期间均表现出较低的血红蛋白浓度，在基线时双脑背内侧PFC （DMPFC）明显低活性（p = 0.035-0.049），在任务期间双脑DMPFC更广泛的低活性(p <；0.001-0.033)和背外侧PFC (DLPFC；p = 0.012-0.042)，右腹内侧PFC (VMPFC；P = 0.019-0.037)。较高的基线前额叶活动与较差的任务准确性（r = - 0.576至- 0.417）和较高的特质焦虑（r = 0.441-0.514）相关。当过渡到任务时，较好的准确度与左侧DMPFC的激活增加相关（r = 0.405-0.593），而较高的焦虑水平与左侧DMPFC的激活减少相关（r = - 0.512）和右侧DMPFC （r = - 0.435）。结论：本研究揭示了广泛性焦虑症患者在反应抑制期间PFC表现出明显的低活性，并与任务表现和焦虑水平相关。这些发现强调了针对PFC功能障碍在开发广泛性焦虑症诊断工具和治疗干预措施中的重要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Depression and Anxiety 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

15.00

自引率

1.40%

发文量

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： Depression and Anxiety is a scientific journal that focuses on the study of mood and anxiety disorders, as well as related phenomena in humans. The journal is dedicated to publishing high-quality research and review articles that contribute to the understanding and treatment of these conditions. The journal places a particular emphasis on articles that contribute to the clinical evaluation and care of individuals affected by mood and anxiety disorders. It prioritizes the publication of treatment-related research and review papers, as well as those that present novel findings that can directly impact clinical practice. The journal's goal is to advance the field by disseminating knowledge that can lead to better diagnosis, treatment, and management of these disorders, ultimately improving the quality of life for those who suffer from them.