Large-scale dysfunctional white matter and grey matter networks in patients with social anxiety disorder

Abstract

Dysfunction of large-scale brain networks has been implicated in social anxiety disorder (SAD); most work has focused on grey matter (GM) functional connectivity (FC) abnormalities, whereas white matter (WM) FC alterations remain unclear. Here, using a K-means clustering algorithm, we obtained 8 GM and 10 WM functional networks from a cohort dataset (48 SAD patients and 48 healthy controls). By calculating and comparing FC matrices between SAD group and healthy controls, we demonstrated disrupted connections between the limbic and dorsal prefrontal, lateral temporal, and sensorimotor networks, and between the visual and sensorimotor networks. Furthermore, there were negative correlations between HAMD scores and limbic-dorsal prefrontal and limbic-sensorimotor networks, and between illness duration and sensorimotor-visual networks. These findings reflect the critical role of limbic network, with its extensive connections to other networks, and the neurobiology of disordered cognition processing and emotional regulation in SAD.

Keywords: Clinical neuroscience; Cognitive neuroscience; Neuroscience; Psychiatry.

Graphical abstract

Figure 1

Decreases in functional connectivity (FC) between grey matter (GM) networks (yellow links), between white matter (WM) networks (blue links), and between grey and white matter networks (green links) in patients with SAD compared to healthy controls

Figure 2

Relationships between the functional connectivity (FC) values and illness duration and clinical symptoms (A) FC between sensorimotor network (GM3) and the limbic network (GM4) was negatively associated with HAMD scores. (B) FC between dorsal prefrontal network (GM8) and the limbic network (GM4) was negatively associated with HAMD scores. (C) FC between visual network (GM7) and the sensorimotor network (WM5) was negatively associated with disease duration. (D) FC between visual network (WM8) and the sensorimotor network (WM5) was negatively associated with disease duration. The blue line represents the linear trend line, and shaded areas 95% confidence intervals. Abbreviations: GM, grey matter; WM, white matter. See also Table S1.