1. Neural systems for attention to threat in anxiety: an fMRI study Leor Shoker, Nazanin Derakshan, Anne Richards & Elaine Fox

2. Background Anxiety is associated with enhanced attention to threat and poor top- down regulation of threat (Bishop, 2007; Eysenck, Derakshan, et al. 2007; Fox, Derakshan, & Shoker, under review) Anxiety is associated with enhanced attention to threat and poor top- down regulation of threat (Bishop, 2007; Eysenck, Derakshan, et al. 2007; Fox, Derakshan, & Shoker, under review) Dorsal fronto-parietal networks contribute to top-down selection of stimuli Dorsal fronto-parietal networks contribute to top-down selection of stimuli Intraparietal sulcus (IPS) & frontal eye fields Intraparietal sulcus (IPS) & frontal eye fields Involved in orienting visiospatial attention (Corbetta & Shulman 2002, Ettinger et al. 2007, Ford et al. 2005)Involved in orienting visiospatial attention (Corbetta & Shulman 2002, Ettinger et al. 2007, Ford et al. 2005) Orbito-frontal cortex (OFC) and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex promote shifts in processing resources in attentional conflict situations (Pourtois et al. 2006). Orbito-frontal cortex (OFC) and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex promote shifts in processing resources in attentional conflict situations (Pourtois et al. 2006). Question: Whether OFC and ventral networks react differently towards threat and if this is modulated by anxiety? Question: Whether OFC and ventral networks react differently towards threat and if this is modulated by anxiety? IPS Orbito-frontal cortex

3. Attention Task Pre-test for anxiety (high vs. low) Pre-test for anxiety (high vs. low) Visual field of emotional face (left vs. right) Visual field of emotional face (left vs. right) Valence of face (fearful vs. happy) Valence of face (fearful vs. happy) Validity of target (valid vs. invalid) Validity of target (valid vs. invalid) 100-300ms cue target Predictions More activity in the OFC for targets invalidly cued by fearful faces compared to validly cued targets. This effect will be greater in HA compared with LA. More activity in IPS for valid targets preceded by fearful faces. This effect will be greater in HA compared with LA.

4. Proposed Study Participants 32, right-handed, 16 high and 16 low-anxious (pre-screened) Task Details 300 trials in total (160 cue + target (50% match), 80 cue only, 60 null trials (just fixation)), 20 trials per condition duration ~= 45 mins Scanning details Whole brain fMRI (TR=2400ms, TE=40ms, 3x3x3mm resolution) 32 slices ISI: 4-6 seconds Event related design