Structural brain differences associated with panic disorder: an ENIGMA-Anxiety Working Group mega-analysis of 4924 individuals worldwide

Neuroanatomical findings on panic disorder (PD) are typically difficult to replicate, with inconsistent effects. These concerns prompted a paradigm shift towards large-scale collaborations, focused on harmonized data extraction and processing for robust examination of PD brain correlates. Hence, leveraging the largest-ever multi-site neuroimaging database on PD (Age: 10–66 years; global sites: 28), compiled by the ENIGMA-Anxiety Working Group, we report on cortical and subcortical differences in individuals with PD (N = 1146) versus healthy controls (HC: N = 3778). The analyses revealed lower thickness and smaller cortical surface area within fronto-temporo-parietal regions in PD (Cohen’s ds: −0.08–0.13), along with lower thalamic and caudate volumes (Cohen’s ds: −0.07–0.12). Diagnosis-by-age² interactions (Cohen’s ds: 0.07–0.12) revealed lower thickness in individuals with PD compared to HC in certain regions during adulthood (25–55 years), with relative absence of such differences during youth (<25 years) or late adulthood (>55 years). Finally, patient subgroup analyses showed that early disease onset (≤21 years) in PD was associated with larger lateral ventricles (Cohen’s ds: 0.31–0.38), whilst no medication, comorbidity, or severity effects were found. These findings lend support to neurocircuitry models of PD, which postulate differences within fronto-striato-limbic circuits and temporo-parietal regions. Moreover, findings highlight the potential importance of abnormal development and aging in neuroanatomical differences related to PD. Given its unprecedented scale, the current study is an important milestone towards identifying the structural brain correlates of PD.