Structural brain changes and their associations with physiological function, clinical symptoms, and sex differences in patients with panic disorder

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25861023
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Yokohama City University
• Principal Investigator: ASAMI Takeshi 横浜市立大学, 附属病院, 講師 (70623057)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: パニック症 / MRI / 脳容積 / 皮質の厚み

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Structural brain changes and their sex differences were evaluated to clarify neurological basis of panic disorder using MRI. Associations between their changes and autonomic functions, endocrine function, as well as clinical symptoms, were also evaluated. The results showed that significant gray matter volume reductions and thin cortical thickness were found in some brain regions, such as orbitofrontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, and superior temporal gyrus, in the patients with panic disorder compared with the healthy control subjects. Sex differences were confirmed that the female patients showed the more widespread gray matter volume reductions relative to the male patients. In terms of the physiological function, there were no differences in the autonomic functions or the endocrine function between the patients and the control subjects. No relationship was confirmed between the brain structural changes and the physiological function in the patients with panic disorder.

Free Research Field

神経科学