Decreased left temporal lobe volume of panic patients measured by magnetic resonance imaging

Author(s)

R.R. Uchida ^[1] ; C.M. Del-Ben ^[2] ; A.C. Santos ^[3] ; D. Araújo ^[4] ; J.A. Crippa ^[5] ; F.S. Guimarães ^[6] ; F.G. Graeff ^[7]

Affiliation

^[1] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto. Departamento de Neurologia, Psiquiatria e Psicologia Médica

^[2] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto. Departamento de Neurologia, Psiquiatria e Psicologia Médica

^[3] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto. Departamento de Clínica Médica

^[4] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto. Departamento de Neurologia, Psiquiatria e Psicologia Médica

^[5] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto. Departamento de Neurologia, Psiquiatria e Psicologia Médica

^[6] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto. Departamento de Farmacologia - Brasil

^[7] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto. Departamento de Neurologia, Psiquiatria e Psicologia Médica

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research; v. 36, n. 7, p. 925-929, 2003-07-00.

Abstract

Reported neuroimaging studies have shown functional and morphological changes of temporal lobe structures in panic patients, but only one used a volumetric method. The aim of the present study was to determine the volume of temporal lobe structures in patients with panic disorder, measured by magnetic resonance imaging. Eleven panic patients and eleven controls matched for age, sex, handedness, socioeconomic status and years of education participated in the study. The mean volume of the left temporal lobe of panic patients was 9% smaller than that of controls (t21 = 2.37, P = 0.028). In addition, there was a trend (P values between 0.05 and 0.10) to smaller volumes of the right temporal lobe (7%, t21 = 1.99, P = 0.06), right amygdala (8%, t21 = 1.83, P = 0.08), left amygdala (5%, t21 = 1.78, P = 0.09) and left hippocampus (9%, t21 = 1.93, P = 0.07) in panic patients compared to controls. There was a positive correlation between left hippocampal volume and duration of panic disorder (r = 0.67, P = 0.025), with recent cases showing more reduction than older cases. The present results show that panic patients have a decreased volume of the left temporal lobe and indicate the presence of volumetric abnormalities of temporal lobe structures. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 98/10639-7 - Neurobiology of Behavioral responses to aversive events
• Grantee: Francisco Silveira Guimaraes
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants