Background: Previous theories implicate
hippocampal dysfunction in
anxiety disorders. Most of the data supporting these theories stem from
animal research, particularly
lesion studies. The generalization of findings from rodent models to human function is hampered by fundamental inter-species differences. The present work uses a task of spatial orientation, which is known to rely on
hippocampal function. Deficits in spatial navigation in
anxious children suggest that the
hippocampal network involved in spatial orientation is also implicated in
anxiety disorders. Methods: Thirty-four treatment-naive children with an
anxiety disorder (
mean 11.00 years +/- 2.54) are compared to 35 healthy age- and IQ-matched healthy children (
mean 11.95 years +/- 2.36) on a virtual, computer-based equivalent of the
Morris Water Maze task. Results: Results indicate that children with
anxiety disorder exhibit overall
impaired performance relative to the comparison group.
Anxious children made more heading direction errors and had worse
accuracy in completing trials relative to controls. Conclusions: The results present novel evidence that spatial orientation deficits occur in
pediatric anxiety.
