A study of nearly 3,500 young people has identified weaker organisation and connectivity in a circuit involving the cerebellum, amygdala and thalamus, potentially opening the door to more targeted treatments.
New research suggests that anxiety in adolescence is linked to measurable differences in the brain’s wiring, raising the possibility that future treatments could be tailored to the circuits most affected.
In work published in the journal Imaging Neuroscience, scientists at Boston Children’s Hospital analysed brain structure and network organisation in nearly 3,500 young people from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, a large long-term US project tracking child health and brain development. The team focused on generalised anxiety and social anxiety, conditions that are common in teenagers and often begin during the years when the brain is still maturing.
The researchers identified a circuit involving the cerebellum, amygdala and thalamus, three regions that help shape emotion, attention and the coordination of brain activity. In adolescents with anxiety, this circuit appeared less well organised and more weakly connected. Those differences were associated with higher anxiety levels and a greater likelihood of related disorders, while stronger and more efficient broader brain networks seemed to offer some protection. The findings also pointed to structural changes linked to difficulty handling spatial and visual information, a set of skills used in everyday tasks ranging from navigation to assembling objects.
The study’s authors said the changes could already be seen in children as young as 11 or 12, reinforcing the argument that earlier intervention may matter. The National Institute of Mental Health says adolescence is a critical period of brain development, with key regions continuing to mature well into the mid-20s, and that many mental illnesses first emerge during these years. Caterina Stamoulis, who led the Boston Children’s team, said in a statement that precision psychiatry could eventually help identify circuits that may respond to targeted interventions, with the aim of improving both short-term and longer-term mental health outcomes.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
