Structural but not functional neuroplasticity one year after effective cognitive behaviour therapy for social anxiety disorder

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Effective psychiatric treatments ameliorate excessive anxiety and induce neuroplasticity immediately after the intervention, indicating that emotional components in the human brain are rapidly adapTable Still, the interplay between structural and functional neuroplasticity is poorly understood, and studies of treatment-induced long-term neuroplasticity are rare. Functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (using 3 T MRI) was performed in 13 subjects with social anxiety disorder on 3 occasions over 1 year. All subjects underwent 9 weeks of Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy in a randomized cross-over design and independent assessors used the Clinically Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scale to determine treatment response. Gray matter (GM) volume, assessed with voxel-based morphometry, and functional blood-oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) responsivity to self-referential criticism were compared between treatment responders and non-responders using 2 × 2 (group × time; pretreatment to follow-up) ANOVA. At 1-year follow-up, 7 (54%) subjects were classified as CGI-I responders. Left amygdala GM volume was more reduced in responders relative to non-responders from pretreatment to 1-year follow-up (Z = 3.67, Family-Wise Error corrected p = 0.02). In contrast to previous short-term effects, altered BOLD activations to self-referential criticism did not separate responder groups at follow-up. The structure and function of the amygdala changes immediately after effective psychological treatment of social anxiety disorder, but only reduced amygdala GM volume, and not functional activity, is associated with a clinical response 1 year after CBT.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftBehavioural Brain Research
Vol/bind318
Sider (fra-til)45-51
Antal sider7
ISSN0166-4328
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 1 feb. 2017

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
Ann-KatKathrinerine Larsson and the staff of the Umeå Functional Brain Imaging Centre (UFBI) providing excellent research conditions. Carl-Johan Uckelstam contributed as a therapist in the cross-over treatment group. Funding had no role in the study setup, data interpretation, or reporting. This study was supported by grants from Swedish Research Council (Dr. Furmark), Linköping University (Dr. Andersson), Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (Dr. Carlbring, and Dr. Furmark), Capio Research Foundation and PRIMA Research Foundation (MSc Månsson).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Elsevier B.V.

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