Brain Mind Behavior - Neuroanatommical Drivers, Neurochemical Drivers, and Clinical Subtypes

GABA-BZD

Decreased inhibitory tone

Glutamate / NDMA

excitatory drive; key to extinction

s2 autoreceptor downregulation causes autonomic arousal; increased heart rate and blood pressure.

Serotonin

Deficits disrupt fear circuit inhibition

Dopamine

Increases during acute stress; phobic responses

HPA Axis

Fight-or-flight; CRH, ACTH, glucocorticoids

Panic Disorder

Recurrent, unexpected attacks and autonomic surge

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Persistent, uncontrolled worry and tension

Social Anxiety

Negative information processing bias

Specific Phobia

Circumscribed excessive fear response

Pre-forntal Cortex

With the amygdala, cognitive control

Striatum

Motivating processing

Hippocampus

Fear conditioning

Amygdala

With the pre-frontal cortex, cognitive control

Hypothalamus

Stress regulation

Bed nucleus of striaterminalus

uncertainty anticipation