Rasmus Matthias Birn1, Steven E. Shelton1,
Jonathan A. Oler1, Andrew S. Fox2, Richard J. Davidson1,2,
Ned H. Kalin1
1Department of Psychiatry,
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States; 2Department
of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
In this study we investigate the resting-state functional connectivity of the amygdala and its relation to individual differences in anxious temperament (AT) in a large cohort of young rhesus macaque monkeys (n=107). Significant functional connectivity was found between the right central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA ; where PET imaging shows correlation between metabolism and AT) and left amygdala, bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and bilateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) regions. Across subjects, AT was significantly correlated with the functional connectivity between right CeA and right dlPFC with more anxious subjects exhibiting lower connectivity.