Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Section I Schizophrenia
- Section II Mood Disorders
- Section III Anxiety Disorders
- 13 Structural imaging of post-traumatic stress disorder
- 14 Functional imaging of post-traumatic stress disorder
- 15 Molecular imaging of post-traumatic stress disorder
- 16 Structural imaging of obsessive–compulsive disorder
- 17 Functional imaging of obsessive–compulsive disorder
- 18 Molecular imaging of obsessive–compulsive disorder
- 19 Structural imaging of other anxiety disorders
- 20 Functional imaging of other anxiety disorders
- 21 Molecular imaging of other anxiety disorders
- 22 Neuroimaging of anxiety disorders: commentary
- Section IV Cognitive Disorders
- Section V Substance Abuse
- Section VI Eating Disorders
- Section VII Developmental Disorders
- Index
- References
19 - Structural imaging of other anxiety disorders
from Section III - Anxiety Disorders
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Section I Schizophrenia
- Section II Mood Disorders
- Section III Anxiety Disorders
- 13 Structural imaging of post-traumatic stress disorder
- 14 Functional imaging of post-traumatic stress disorder
- 15 Molecular imaging of post-traumatic stress disorder
- 16 Structural imaging of obsessive–compulsive disorder
- 17 Functional imaging of obsessive–compulsive disorder
- 18 Molecular imaging of obsessive–compulsive disorder
- 19 Structural imaging of other anxiety disorders
- 20 Functional imaging of other anxiety disorders
- 21 Molecular imaging of other anxiety disorders
- 22 Neuroimaging of anxiety disorders: commentary
- Section IV Cognitive Disorders
- Section V Substance Abuse
- Section VI Eating Disorders
- Section VII Developmental Disorders
- Index
- References
Summary
Introduction
Compared to the other psychiatric conditions, the diagnostic classification of anxiety disorders was developed relatively late within the history of mental health. This is mainly due to the fact that the various disorders currently referred to as anxious were not even recognized as belonging to the same entity. Until recently, this group of conditions was still thought to be of a purely psychological nature. However, current studies have raised new hypotheses linking biological components to the etiology and to specific symptoms of these disorders.
Besides animal research, earlier post-mortem studies and clinical observations, the research area that has contributed most significantly to bringing new insights into the commonalities and differences among the anxiety disorders and their respective neural circuitries is neuroimaging. Neuroimaging techniques permit the in-vivo evaluation of the human brain, allowing a better understanding of its anatomical, functional and metabolic substrate. Among the various neuroimaging methods used, magnetic resonance (MR) is one of the most frequently employed, mainly because of its high image resolution and the ability to differentiate between different tissues, in addition to being harmless to the patient. MR images can also provide diverse qualitative and quantitative information about the cerebral structure of the patient, allowing the investigation of putative abnormal brain circuits possibly involved in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Thus, neuroimaging can help elucidate the biological processes that occur in brain regions related to psychological, cognitive and physiological experiences manifested in the different anxiety disorders.
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- Understanding Neuropsychiatric DisordersInsights from Neuroimaging, pp. 274 - 287Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010