Volume of subcortical brain regions in social anxiety disorder: mega-analytic results from 37 samples in the ENIGMA-Anxiety Working Group.

Groenewold NA; Bas-Hoogendam JM; Amod AR; Laansma MA; Van Velzen LS; Aghajani M; Hilbert K; Oh H; Salas R; Jackowski AP; Pan PM; Salum GA; Blair JR; Blair KS; Hirsch J; Schneier FR; Pantazatos SP; Roelofs K; Talati A; Blanco-Hinojo L; Volman I; Pujol J; Cardoner N; Ching CRK; Beesdo-Baum K; Jansen A; Thomopoulos SI; Krug A; Kircher T; Stein F; Nenadić I; Lemke H; Meinert S; Dannlowski U; Grotegerd D; Kreifelts B; Gong Q; Winter A; Erb M; Mwangi B; Soares JC; Lui S; Zhu F; Canli M; Tükel R; Wu MJ; Bayram A; Hofmann D; Cremers HR; Heeren A; Westenberg PM; Peterburs J; Lochner C; Doruyter AGG; Straube T; Larsen B; Kaczkurkin AN; Gur RE; Van Tol MJ; Harrewijn A; Gold AL; Filippi CA; Satterthwaite TD; Wittfeld K; Böhnlein J; Dohm K; Kugel H; Zugman A; Bülow R; Grabe HJ; Völzke H; Ball TM; Fonzo GA; Paulus MP; Simmons A; Schrammen E; Zwanzger P; Leehr EJ; Sindermann L; Manzouri A; Månsson KNT; Blackford JU; Avery SN; Klumpp H; Stein MB; Furmark T; Phan KL; Veltman DJ; Lueken U; Jahanshad N; Winkler AM; Feola B; Clauss JA; Sylvester CM; Harper JC; Stein DJ; Van der Wee NJA; Pine DS; Thompson PM

Abstract

= 0.046) were detected in adult SAD patients relative to controls, but no volumetric differences were apparent in adolescent SAD patients relative to controls. Comorbid anxiety disorders and age of SAD onset were additional determinants of SAD-related volumetric differences in subcortical regions. To conclude, subtle volumetric alterations in subcortical regions in SAD were detected. Heterogeneity in age and clinical characteristics may partly explain inconsistencies in previous findings. The association between alterations in subcortical volumes and SAD illness progression deserves further investigation, especially from adolescence into adulthood.