Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31791039›Full record

Trial reportNeuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology2020

Mechanistic link between right prefrontal cortical activity and anxious arousal revealed using transcranial magnetic stimulation in healthy subjects.

Nicholas L Balderston, Emily M Beydler, Camille Roberts, Zhi-De Deng, Thomas Radman, Tiffany Lago, Bruce Luber, Sarah H Lisanby, Monique Ernst, Christian Grillon

Abstract readClinical Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
36citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

36 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Reversible modulation of a deep white matter surgical target for depression with low-intensity focused ultrasound.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Trial
  4. Intermittent theta-burst stimulation to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may increase potentiated startle in healthy individuals.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2024
    Trial
  5. Article
  6. Traumatic stress recruits an excitatory orbitofrontal-amygdala pathway to drive maladaptive aggression.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. The impact of affective and cognitive empathy on stress in medical students.Psicologia, reflexao e critica : revista semestral do Departamento de Psicologia da UFRGS · 2025
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. The Organization of Anxiety Symptoms Along the Threat Imminence Continuum.Current topics in behavioral neurosciences · 2025
    Review
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Nicholas L BalderstonSection on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. nicholas.balderston@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8565-1544
Emily M BeydlerSection on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Camille RobertsSection on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Zhi-De DengNoninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Thomas RadmanNoninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Tiffany LagoSection on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1021-7070
Bruce LuberNoninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Sarah H LisanbyNoninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Monique ErnstSection on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Christian GrillonSection on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Funding

Non-invasive Neuromodulation Unit (NNU)ZIAMH002955 · NIMH · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH · PI ZARATE, CARLOS · 2016 to 2025
$40.3M
The Psychophysiology Of Fear And AnxietyZIAMH002798 · NIMH · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH · PI GRILLON, CHRISTIAN · 2009 to 2022
$29.0M
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) ZIAMH002798
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Much of the mechanistic research on anxiety focuses on subcortical structures such as the amygdala; however, less is known about the distributed cortical circuit that also contributes to anxiety expression. One way to learn about this circuit is to probe candidate regions using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). In this study, we tested the involvement of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), in anxiety expression using 10 Hz repetitive TMS (rTMS). In a within-subject, crossover experiment, the study measured anxiety in healthy subjects before and after a session of 10 Hz rTMS to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). It used threat of predictable and unpredictable shock to induce anxiety and anxiety potentiated startle to assess anxiety. Counter to our hypotheses, results showed an increase in anxiety-potentiated startle following active but not sham rTMS. These results suggest a mechanistic link between right dlPFC activity and physiological anxiety expression. This result supports current models of prefrontal asymmetry in affect, and lays the groundwork for further exploration into the cortical mechanisms mediating anxiety, which may lead to novel anxiety treatments.

Indexed as

AnxietyArousalCross-Over StudiesFemaleHealthy VolunteersHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMalePrefrontal CortexReflex, StartleTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation

Identifiers

PMID31791039
PMCPMC7021903

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.