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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans revealed structural abnormalities in the brains of people with major depressive disorder or social anxiety disorder, according to a study presented last week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago, Illinois.
What part of the brain is affected by social anxiety disorder?
Brain scans have revealed that people with social anxiety disorder suffer from hyperactivity in a part of the brain known as the amygdala. The amygdala is responsible for the physiological changes associated with the “flight-or-fight” response, which mobilizes the body to respond to perceived threats, real or imagined.
What happens in the brain during anxiety?
Anxiety weakens the connections between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex (PFC). When the amygdala alerts the brain to danger, the prefrontal cortex should kick in and help you come up with a rational, logical response.
What happens in the brain with generalized anxiety disorder?
A new University of Wisconsin–Madison imaging study shows the brains of people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have weaker connections between a brain structure that controls emotional response and the amygdala, which suggests the brain’s “panic button” may stay on due to lack of regulation.
How does panic disorder affect the brain?
Scientists are still studying how panic attacks affect the brain. It’s possible that the parts of the brain that are tied to fear become more active during an episode. One recent study found that people with panic disorder had lots of activity in a part of their brains tied to the “fight or flight” response.
What does a brain scan involve?
You will lie down on a table that slides into the MRI machine. The table slides through a large magnet shaped like a tube. You may have a plastic coil placed around your head. After the table slides into the machine, a technician will take several pictures of your brain, each of which will take a few minutes.
What can an anxious brain scan tell us?
Anxiety brain scans have shown us what the anxious brain actually looks like. In addition, the use of neuroimaging in anxiety disorders has revealed some interesting results that can lead to better treatment of anxiety disorders in the future. What Does the Anxious Brain Look Like?
Can an MRI detect depression and social anxiety?
The researchers — Dr. Youjin Zhao and co-author Dr. Su Lui — came to their conclusions after examining high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI) brain scans of 37 people with major depressive disorder (MDD), 24 with social anxiety disorder (SAD), and 41 people in good health (the controls).
Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania. Brain imaging studies have the potential to uncover the reasons why some people develop social anxiety and others do not, as well as the types of treatment options that may be most helpful—based on individual characteristics.
How does social anxiety disorder affect the brain?
Another study using MRI technology showed that social anxiety disorder was linked to thinning grey matter in cortical regions. Grey matter changes have also been observed using MRI scanners in the prefrontal cortex of maltreated, anxious children.