Title: Midbrain Volume Increase in Patients with Panic Disorder I. Statement of the Problem
The study aims to investigate structural abnormalities of the midbrain using magnetic resonance imaging and to determine if there is a clinical correlation between midbrain volume and clinical measurements in patients with Panic Disorder. II. Findings
Relative midbrain volume was larger in the Panic Disorder group than in the Healthy Controls group. The relative volume of the dorsal midbrain was larger in the Panic Disorder group, while the volume of the ventral midbrain was not. Results showed a significant positive correlation between relative dorsal midbrain volume and total Panic Disorder Severity Scale score, and a significant negative correlation between relative dorsal midbrain volume and Global Assessment of Functioning score in the Panic Disorder group. Thus, these findings suggest that the dorsal midbrain is associated with Panic Disorder pathophysiology. The midbrain volume increase may reflect Panic Disorder severity. III. Implications to Biological Psychology
Biological Psychology is essentially concerned with the relationship between psychological processes and the underlying physiological events, in other words, the mind-body phenomenon. This study between the midbrain volume and patients with panic disorder yielded a significant result. At the onset of this study the extent to which the midbrain is associated with Panic Disorder pathophysiology is unclear, but after this study this case became free of cloud. Knowing that some recent studies already suggested that abnormalities of the cerebral cortex, limbic structures and brain stem regions are associated with Panic Disorder, it is merely in this study that the dorsal midbrain became associated with Panic Disorder pathophysiology. IV. Reflective Questions A. How am I beginning to think differently?
Before I have read this article about the correlation of midbrain volume and Panic Disorder, I already believed that any psychological disorders would have, somehow, an effect to the structure or characteristic of the brain. I am now more stunned of the human brain. I think there are a lot of things to still discover about it and its correlation to other disorders and illness. B. What I want to explore further?
In addition to this study, I would like to know if other types of anxiety disorders, like; Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) or Agoraphobia or any other anxiety disorders have any relation to the size or volume of the midbrain or other parts of the brain, considering the participants age, gender and years of education (or any other important factors).
Also, knowing that midbrain has many functions including body temperature regulations, motor control and sleep cycles; it also influences hearing, vision and arousal. I would like to explore to what extent this functions are affected because of the increase of volume of the midbrain. V. Insights/ Realizations
For me, brain is the most important part of the human body; it acts as the command-centre of the body. I have realized that brain is an extraordinarily complex organ. And human beings still have a lot to unfold about the human brain’s functions and characters. The brain tells all of the other organs in the body how to function or what to do, so if the brain isn’t working well, depending on what part of the brain is not functioning, the organs would also stop working correctly. This made me feel lucky that my brain is in good shape. It made me appreciate the simple things that I can do which other people who have brain dysfunctions can’t do. It made me more conscious to take care of my brain, by eating the right food to maintain healthy brain, to exercise and to develop new skills and the skills that I already have.