# We cannot predict the development of social anxiety from brain scans, study says

Source: [Medical Xpress - latest medical and health news stories](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-social-anxiety-brain-scans.html) · 2026-11-11 · Medicine
Page: https://themorning.science/story/we-cannot-predict-the-development-of-social-anxiety-from-brain-scans-study-says-8d315bf8af316ed8
Kind: research · Impact: low

## In 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.

## Coverage

- [We cannot predict the development of social anxiety from brain scans, study says](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-social-anxiety-brain-scans.html) — Medical Xpress - latest medical and health news stories, 2026-11-11

Tags: social anxiety, childhood development, brain imaging, mental health, neuroscience

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science