Journal
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
Volume 246, Issue -, Pages 611-618Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.12.071
Keywords
Default mode network; EEG functional connectivity; eLORETA; Psychopathology; Trait anxiety
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Funding
- Atena Onlus Foundation
- Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Universita e della Ricerca -MIUR project Dipartimenti di Eccellenza 2018 - 2022
- University of Turin grants (Ricerca scientifica finanziata dall'Universita)
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Background: Although several researches investigated Default Mode Network (DMN) alterations in individuals with anxiety disorders, up to now no studies have investigated DMN functional connectivity in non-clinical individuals with high-trait-anxiety using quantitative electroencephalography (EEG). Here, the main aim was to extend previous findings investigating the association between trait anxiety and DMN EEG functional connectivity. Methods: Twenty-three individuals with high-trait-anxiety and twenty-four controls were enrolled. EEG was recorded during 5 min of resting state (RS). EEG analyses were conducted by means of the exact Low-Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography software (eLORETA). Results: Compared to controls, individuals with high-trait-anxiety showed a decrease of theta connectivity between right medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and right posterior cingulate/retrosplenial cortex. A decrease of beta connectivity was also observed between right mPFC and right anterior cingulate cortex. Furthermore, DMN functional connectivity strength was negatively related with STAI-T total score (i.e., lower connectivity was associated with higher trait anxiety), even when controlling for potential confounding variables (i.e., sex, age, and general psychopathology). Limitations: Small sample size makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. Furthermore, we did not assess state variation of anxiety, which make our interpretation specific to trait anxiety. Conclusions: Taken together, our results suggest that high-trait-anxiety individuals fail to synchronize DMN during RS, reflecting a possible top-down cognitive control deficit. These results may help in the understanding of the individual differences in functional brain networks associated with trait anxiety, a crucial aim in the prevention and in the early etiology understanding of clinical anxiety and related sequelae.
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