A fMRI study of inhibited and uninhibited children

本计画将利用功能性磁振造影的神经影像学方法，来了解儿童行为抑制与去抑制的神经生物学。十多年的研究已经建立了受抑制和不受抑制儿童的行为和生理特征。极度恐惧和回避新奇事物，抑制和不抑制儿童的生理特征更具反应性。极度恐惧和回避新奇事物，以及更具反应性的生理特征（例如，较高的心率、较高的唾液皮质醇水平和较大的相对右额叶EEG不对称性）是行为抑制儿童的特征。这种行为和生理特征使这些受抑制的儿童处于焦虑症发展的风险中;因此，神经生物学的研究可以为这些行为特征提供重要的见解。尽管对这些类型的儿童进行了广泛的检查，但迄今为止还没有利用神经影像学技术发表的研究。这个建议的总体目标是开始了解这两类儿童的神经回路特征。该项目将涉及识别一个样本的抑制和不受抑制的7-9岁的儿童和功能磁共振成像随访这些儿童在8- 1 q 0岁。使用两个实验，都涉及情感内容，我们假设，这两组将主要在杏仁核和PFC的活动不同。

The proposed project seeks to understand the neurobiology of behavioral inhibition and disinhibition in children using the neuroimaging method of functional MRI. Over a decade of research has established behavioral and physiological profiles of inhibited and uninhibited children. Extreme fear and avoidance of novelty and a more reactive physiological profiles of inhibited and uninhibited children. Extreme fear and avoidance of novelty and a more reactive physiological profile (e.g., higher heart rate, higher salivary cortisol levels, and greater relative right frontal EEG asymmetry) characterize behaviorally inhibited children. This behavioral and physiological profile puts these inhibited children at risk for the development of anxiety disorders; therefore, investigation of the neurobiology could provide important insight into these behavioral profiles. Despite the extensive examination of these types of children, there are no published studies to date that have utilized neuroimaging techniques. The general aim of this proposal is to begin to understand the neural circuitry characteristic of these two types of children. The project will involve identification of a sample of inhibited and uninhibited 7-9 year-old child and a functional MRI follow-up of these children at ages 8- 1q0 years. Using two experiments, both involving emotional contents, we hypothesize that the two groups will differ primarily in activity of the amygdala and PFC.