Research
We cannot predict the development of social anxiety from brain scans, study says
The Brief
- A study reports that social anxiety cannot be predicted from brain scans taken in childhood.
- The study examined whether inhibited behavior in childhood, such as freezing with strangers or avoiding other children, is also reflected in the brain.
- Inhibited behavior in childhood is strongly associated with social anxiety disorder later in life, according to the source.
Why it matters
For science readers, the finding suggests that childhood brain scans alone may not serve as a reliable early predictor of social anxiety in children who show inhibited behavior.
Who’s affected
- child psychologists and psychiatrists
- researchers in developmental neuroscience
- parents of children who show inhibited behavior
- #social anxiety
- #childhood development
- #brain imaging
- #mental health
- #neuroscience
Freezing when a stranger enters the room, retreating to a parent's lap or being reluctant to approach other children: inhibited behavior in childhood is strongly associated with social anxiety disorder later in life. But is this inhibition also reflected in the brain, and could…