Scientists have uncovered the link between anxiety and brain changes

Anxiety in adolescence may be accompanied by changes in the functioning of neural networks that are involved in information processing and regulating brain functions. The researchers found a link between anxiety and the features of several brain structures, and also revealed difficulties with processing spatial information. About what processes in the brain are associated with anxiety in adolescents, see the Izvestia article.

Brain circuits related to anxiety

Researchers from Boston Children's Hospital studied the data of almost 3.5 thousand children and adolescents. Scientists were looking for a link between the features of the brain structure, the organization of neural networks and anxiety, including social and generalized.

The focus was on the circuit connecting the cerebellum, amygdala, and thalamus. These structures are involved in various cognitive processes and regulate brain function. In adolescents with more severe anxiety, the organization of this chain was different, and the connections between its sections were weaker. Such features were also associated with a higher likelihood of anxiety disorders.

Anxiety has been linked to spatial information processing

In addition to the features of neural connections, scientists have discovered structural changes in the brain associated with anxiety. They also identified a relationship between these features and lower spatial information processing rates — the ability to perceive the location of objects, understand their relative positions, and combine such information into a coherent picture.

This skill is essential in everyday life: it helps you navigate an unfamiliar place, distinguish shapes and distances, assemble furniture, and perform actions that require precise coordination of movements.

However, the study does not prove that anxiety directly causes such difficulties or that brain changes necessarily lead to noticeable problems in everyday life. The results show a link between anxiety, features of brain networks and indicators of spatial thinking.

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The changes were discovered already at the age of 11-12

Anxiety-related brain features could be measured as early as the age of 11-12 years. This is important because adolescence is considered a sensitive stage of brain development, and many mental disorders first appear at this time.

However, the researchers found that the effectiveness and resilience of other neural networks were associated with lower severity of social and generalized anxiety. In other words, not only changes in individual brain circuits were associated with the peculiarities of the mental state, but also how effectively other networks work.

The authors believe that further study of these differences will help to better understand why some adolescents are more vulnerable to anxiety disorders than others. However, the identified links cannot yet be used as an independent way to diagnose a particular person.

Prospects for more accurate help

The results of the study can become the basis for the development of more individualized approaches to support the mental health of adolescents. Instead of considering anxiety only through general symptoms, scientists hope in the future to take into account the specifics of specific neural networks.

So far, we are talking about the prospect of further research, and not about a ready-made treatment method. Scientists will have to test to what extent the identified brain features help assess the risk of anxiety disorders and whether these data can be used to select the most appropriate care for adolescents.