For the purpose of exploring a relationship between the structure/function of the human nervous system and emotion and/or behaviour, have been chosen the article “The Structural Integrity of an Amygdala–Prefrontal Pathway Predicts Trait Anxiety” by Kim M., and Whalen P. Their research aimed to explore the strategies of combining fMRI with DTI to identify the differences in structural pathways that predict behaviour outcomes. These two neuroimaging techniques allowed researchers to examine the biological basis of anxiety by comparing related structural and functional aspects of the brain, thus identifying how the structural integrity of the amygdala-prefrontal pathway predicts trait anxiety.

In this particular case, 20 healthy participants have been chosen to go through the series of tests. First, they were shown 36 images with fearful and neutral faces in random order. During this test participants have been scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess the amygdala’s activation in response to fearful versus neutral faces. This helps to understand the amygdala’s role in processing fear and anxiety. After the process, individuals were asked to fill out self-report cards where they needed to rate the valence and arousal levels of faces they’d seen and complete a questionnaire for assessing anxiety and depression levels. What is more, the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) technique was employed to measure the structural integrity of white matter pathways that connect the amygdala and prefrontal cortex.

Findings showed that participants rated fearful faces to be more arousing and fearful than neutral faces. Moreover, DTI results showed a correlation between the structural integrity of the amygdala-prefrontal pathway (as measured by FA values) and levels of trait anxiety, rather than a direct correlation between amygdala responses to fearful faces and FA values. This indicates that stronger structural connectivity, suggested by higher FA values, is associated with lower levels of trait anxiety, highlighting the importance of structural integrity in anxiety. 

FMRI data showed how individual differences in amygdala reactivity are related to trait anxiety. This approach provided an outlook on the importance of both the structure and function of brain pathways in forming emotional responses and behaviours related to anxiety. FMRI and other functional neuroimaging techniques have been used and advocated for as useful methodologies to understand how different regions of the brain are connected (Henson, 2005).  

This study demonstrates a direct relationship between the structural integrity of the amygdala-prefrontal pathway and trait anxiety, revealing how brain structure influences emotional regulation and behaviour.  

Increased fractional anisotropy values indicate higher structural connectivity which correlates with lower levels of trait anxiety. This suggests that the brain’s physical connections play a crucial role in how individuals perceive and respond to fear, underlining a biological basis for emotional responses. Similar findings can be seen in an earlier paper by LeDoux (1998) on the amygdala’s role in fear processing, where he showed how structural variations in brain pathways can affect emotional and behavioural outcomes.

Resources:

Henson, R. (2005). What can functional neuroimaging tell the experimental psychologist? Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 58A(2), 193-233.

Kim, M. J., & Whalen, P. J. (2009). The Structural Integrity of an Amygdala–Prefrontal Pathway Predicts Trait Anxiety. Journal of Neuroscience, 29(37), 11614-11618. https://www.jneurosci.org/content/jneuro/29/37/11614.full.pdf

LeDoux, J. (1998). The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life. Simon & Schuster. https://books.google.rs/books?id=7EJN5I8sk2wC&printsec=frontcover&hl=sr#v=onepage&q&f=false