Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry

This study was to investigate the anatomical evidence of anxiety. MRI was used to study 11 patients with panic disorder and 15 patients with complex partial seizure, and 21 controls. The regions of interest in the MRI were measured with computer-assited planimetry using the AutoCad and digitizer. The following results were obtained ; 1) The mean age was 49.7(2.4) yeasr in patients with panic disorder and 30.1(7.5) years in patients with complex partial seizure. 2) There were no significant differences between 3 groups in the values of cerebral area, temporal lobe, caudate nucleus, hippocampus, parahippocampus, amygdala, third ventricle and VBR. The right parahippocampal region which attracted most attention in neurobiological studies regarding anxiety, tended to be larger in both study groups compared to the control group, but with no statistical significance. 3) There sas left-right reversal of temporal lobes in both study groups. And these are mainly due to asymmetrical increase in area of the temporal lobe on right side. These results suggest that temporal lobe, especially right temporal, is the anatomical correspondence of anxiety and functional activation of temporo-limbic system may be accompanied by the structural change of temporal lobe.

Keywords Panic disorder;Complex partial seizure;Anxiety;Anatomical evidence.