Brainy Study

The onset of anxiety disorders is highly prevalent in childhood and adolescence and often persist into adulthood. During early adolescence we see important s*x differences emerge in the severity of anxiety symptoms in girls and boys, yet the neurodevelopmental mechanisms underlying these differences remain unknown. This study aims to investigate how the increase in pubertal hormones during early adolescence will exacerbate alterations in fronto-amygdala circuitry in anxious youth, particularly in girls. Recent evidence suggests that anxiety is associated with heightened amygdala activation, reduced fronto-amygdala functional connectivity to threat, reduced structural connectivity of white matter tracts connecting the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala, as well as an imbalance in the concentrations of the neurotransmitters y-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate in this circuitry. There is also evidence that changes in pubertal hormones influence the functioning of this brain circuitry. Thus, we will test how the development of fronto-amygdala circuitry during puberty and changes in pubertal hormones are associated with increases in threat reactivity and anxiety symptoms, especially in girls. These findings could lead to the discovery of s*x-specific neural markers of risk for anxiety and facilitate the development of personalized intervention targets.