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Comparative Study
. 2010 Jan;167(1):61-9.
doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09010043. Epub 2009 Nov 16.

Amygdala activation during emotion processing of neutral faces in children with severe mood dysregulation versus ADHD or bipolar disorder

Melissa A Brotman  1 , Brendan A Rich, Amanda E Guyer, Jessica R Lunsford, Sarah E Horsey, Michelle M Reising, Laura A Thomas, Stephen J Fromm, Kenneth Towbin, Daniel S Pine, Ellen Leibenluft
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Amygdala activation during emotion processing of neutral faces in children with severe mood dysregulation versus ADHD or bipolar disorder

Melissa A Brotman et al. Am J Psychiatry. 2010 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: To understand disorder-unique and common pathophysiology, studies in multiple patient groups with overlapping symptoms are needed. Deficits in emotion processing and hyperarousal symptoms are prominent features of bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and severe mood dysregulation. The authors compared amygdala response during emotional and nonemotional ratings of neutral faces in youths with these disorders as well as a group of healthy comparison youths.

Method: Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal in the amygdala was examined in children with bipolar disorder (N=43), ADHD (N=18), and severe mood dysregulation (N=29) and healthy comparison subjects (N=37). During functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), participants attended to emotional and nonemotional aspects of neutral faces.

Results: While rating subjective fear of neutral faces, youths with ADHD demonstrated left amygdala hyperactivity relative to the other three groups, whereas youths with severe mood dysregulation demonstrated hypoactivity.

Conclusions: These findings support the role of unique neural correlates in face-emotion processing among youths with bipolar disorder, ADHD, and severe mood dysregulation.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1. Left Amygdala Activation During Ratings of Fear and Nose Width
a Amygdala activation in ADHD patients was greater than that for healthy comparison subjects (p=0.05). b Amygdala activation in ADHD patients was greater than that for bipolar disorder patients (p=0.05). c Amygdala activation in severe mood dysregulation patients was less than that for bipolar disorder patients (p=0.04). d Amygdala activation in severe mood dysregulation patients was less than that for ADHD patients (p<0.01). e Amygdala activation in severe mood dysregulation patients was less than that for healthy comparison subjects (p=0.04).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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