Anxiety and depression are prevalent mental health problems in our society. These often occur at the same time and can increase your risk of developing other mental and physical health problems.
Researchers are using neuroimaging studies to better understand the underlying causes of these disorders. However, most studies do not consider the presence of both anxiety and depressive symptoms in individuals.
A recent study published in Psychiatric Research Journal They aimed to identify common and specific neural patterns associated with depression and anxiety symptoms. The researchers tapped into the UK Biobank, the largest repository of neuroimaging data.
Researchers led by Zhangyun Hou of the University of Amsterdam examined data from more than 20,000 individuals. Participants were divided into four different groups: those with current anxiety symptoms, those with current depressive symptoms, those with both anxiety and depressive symptoms, and an asymptomatic control group.
The researchers analyzed the data using a technique called low-frequency fluctuation amplitude (ALFF), which measures neural activity in specific brain regions. Evaluate the strength of spontaneous low-frequency fluctuations in blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signals in the brain.
ALFF analysis provides insight into the functional connectivity and organization of the brain, as well as potential changes in neural activity associated with various neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Hou and colleagues found that resting brain activity was different in people with anxiety symptoms compared to those without symptoms. Specifically, people with anxiety symptoms showed increased ALFF in different brain regions, including the midbrain, pons, striatum, thalamus, and hippocampus. These regions are known to be involved in controlling anxiety-related behaviors and emotions.
On the other hand, the researchers found no significant difference in ALFF between people with and without symptoms of depression. This suggests that changes in resting brain activity are more closely associated with anxiety symptoms than with depressive symptoms.
These findings provide valuable insight into the neural differences between anxiety and depressive symptoms. Researchers suggest that there is a clear pattern of brain activity in people with anxiety symptoms, whereas there is no significant difference in people with only depressive symptoms. However, more research is needed to fully understand the complex relationship between anxiety, depression, and brain function.
the study, “Increased subcortical brain activity in anxious but not depressed people’ was written by Jiangyun Hou, Shu Liu and Guido van Wingen.
