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The following is a summary of “Regional homogeneity patterns reveal the genetic and neurobiological basis of State-Trait Anxiety,” published in the November 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Li et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to explore the genetic and neurobiological basis of state and trait anxiety. The findings highlighted differential brain function patterns linked to anxiety. 

They recruited participants aged 18–30 from the community, assessed with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and underwent resting-state fMRI. They analyzed the effects of state and trait anxiety on regional homogeneity (ReHo) using a general linear regression model. They explored correlations with neuromaps, including gene expression, neurotransmitter receptor density, myelination, and functional connectivity gradients. 

The results showed strong spatial correlations between whole-brain ReHo patterns for state and trait anxiety, with trait anxiety and delta values showing stronger network correlations in the dorsal attention, salience, visual, and sensorimotor networks. Genes correlated with ReHo patterns were involved in oxidative stress, metabolism, and response to stimuli, with specific cell-type expression. ReHo patterns also correlated with neuromaps of neurotransmitter receptor density, myelination, and functional connectivity gradients. 

Investigators concluded that genetic and neurobiological traits influenced the ReHo patterns associated with anxiety. Their findings provided deeper insight into the genetic and molecular pathogenesis of anxiety. 

Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-06291-0