Reduced Amygdala Volume and
Elevated Anxiety in Children
Elliott Beaton, Margarita Cabaral, Yingratana A.
McLennan, Kathleen Angkustsiri, Ingrid Leckliter, Janice
Enriquez, & Tony J. Simon
University of California, Davis Medical Center MIND Institute, Sacramento,
CA, USA
http://cabil.mindinstitute.org/
Contact email: eabeaton@ucdavis.edu
This project is supported by K99MH086616 awarded to EAB and
R01HD042974 to TJS from the National Institute Of Mental Health.
Kids with 22qDS and their families
have a lot to cope with!
•  Early major medical interventions and
ongoing health and development issues
•  Socioemotional impairments
•  Cognitive impairments that complicate
education
•  Co-morbid for other Dx (ADHD, OCD)
•  Problems become more prominent with
increasing social and academic demands.
Stress and Chromosome 22q11.2DS
Stress and allostatic load in 22qDS likely
results from a multivariate and reciprocal
interaction of:
–  Atypical brain development
–  Early traumatic experiences
–  Medical, behavioral, cognitive, and
socioemotional challenges associated with the
syndrome borne by the children and their
families
–  Genetically derived temperament, coping
capacity, and resilience
Elevated anxiety in 22q11.2DS vs. TD kids
22q (n = 42)
65
p = 0.008
p = 0.008
p = 0.0001
p = 0.004
p = 0.046
p = 0.04
p = 0.03
NS,
p = 0.06
50
45
40
35
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Mean Scores (+/-SEM)
60
55
p = 0.004
TD (n = 34)
Elevated depression in 22q11.2DS vs. TD kids
22q (n =39)
TD ( n = 32)
60
p = 0.04
55
p = 0.01
50
45
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Mean Score (+/-SEM)
65
Anxiety has measurable
and important behavioral
implications for kids with
22q11.2DS.
Separation anxiety does not abate in 22q
(p = 0.015)
Beaton et al. (ongoing study)
Neuroanatomical and
genetic markers that may
highlight high-risk
subgroups in 22q11.2DS
sample
Amygdala volume, anxiety, and stress.
•  Increased volume related to length of time
reared in orphanages (Tottenham et al. 2010)
•  Left AMYG smaller in pediatric anxiety
patients vs. control (Milham et al., 2005)
•  Left < Right AMYG predictive of anxiety in
kids with ASD
(Juranek et al. 2006)
Smaller Left Amygdala Volume in 22q11.2DS vs. TD
Mean +/-SE) Amygdala Volume mm3
1950
22q11.2 (n = 45)
TD (n = 44)
1900
NS
1850
1800
p = 0.047
1750
1700
1650
Left
Right
Hemisphere
(controlling for GM and Age)
Beaton et al. (In Preparation)
Smaller Left vs. Right Amygdala Volume in
22q11.2DS but not TD
Mean (+/-SE) Amygdala Volume mm3
1950
Left Amygdala
Right Amygdala
NS
1900
1850
1800
p = 0.046
1750
1700
1650
22q11.2 (n = 45)
TD (n = 44)
Dx
(controlling for GM and Age)
Beaton et al. (In preparation)
Total MASC Anxiety Vs. Amygdala Volume
22q11.2DS: R2 = 0.23
TD: R2 = 0.15
22q11.2DS: R2 = 0.06
TD: R2 = 0.13
In 22q11.2DS subset, elevated anxiety predicts smaller right
amygdala volume controlling for grey matter volume and age.
Summary
•  As a group, children with 22q11.2DS report greater
levels of anxiety and depression vs. TD
•  Smaller amygdala in 22q11.2DS may serve as a
developmental marker of risk for anxiety and stress
vulnerability
•  Physiological effects of anxiety and depression have
deleterious effects over time and may contribute to
elevated risk for adult psychopathology
•  We can treat anxiety, mood, and teach coping/social
skills = improved quality of life now with probable
benefits in adulthood
Elliott Beaton is joining the
Department of Psychology faculty at
the University of New Orleans
We will be continuing our research on stress,
development and health in children with
22q11.2DS at the MIND Institute and at the:
Stress, Cognition, and Affective
Neuroscience (SCAN) Laboratory
http://psyc.uno.edu/
Thank you.
Cognitive Analysis and Brain Imaging
Laboratory
►  Dr. Tony Simon (Primary Mentor)
►  Dr. Flora Tassone (Genetics)
►  Dr. Kathy Angkustsiri (Pediatrics)
►  Dr. Ingrid Leckliter (Clinical Psych)
►  Nina Cung
►  Yingratana (Bella) McLennan, B.S.
►  Margie Cabaral, B.S.
K99 Mentorship
►  Dr. Cameron Carter
►  Dr. Bruce McEwen
►  Dr. Louis Schmidt
►  Dr. Blythe Corbett
►  Dr. Robert McCarron
►  Dr. Richard Maddock
Most importantly, thank you to the participants
and their families.
This project is supported by K99MH086616
awarded to EAB and R01HD042974 to
TJS from the National Institute Of Mental
Health.