The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) has been implicated in a variety of social,
cognitive, and affective functions that are commonly disrupted in mental illness. In this …

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a center of integration for limbic information
and valence monitoring. The BNST, sometimes referred to as the extended amygdala, is …

Anxiety disorders impose a staggering burden on public health, underscoring the need to
develop a deeper understanding of the distributed neural circuits underlying extreme fear …

The central extended amygdala is an evolutionarily conserved set of interconnected brain
regions that play an important role in threat processing to promote survival. Two core …

It is widely thought that phasic and sustained responses to threat reflect dissociable circuits
centered on the central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce) and the bed nucleus of the stria …

Surviving threats in the environment requires brain circuits for detecting (or anticipating)
danger and for coordinating appropriate defensive responses (eg, increased cardiac output …

Dispositional negativity—the propensity to experience and express more frequent, intense,
or enduring negative affect—is a fundamental dimension of childhood temperament and …

Adolescence is the peak period for the incidence of anxiety disorders. Recent findings have
revealed the immaturity of neural networks underlying emotional regulation in this …

Highlights•Sensitive periods posited for amygdala–prefrontal cortex circuit
construction.•Early amygdala function contributes to future amygdala–prefrontal cortex …

When extreme, anxiety can become debilitating. Anxiety disorders, which often first emerge
early in development, are common and challenging to treat, yet the underlying mechanisms …