Stress was found to have a similarly-modifying effect

Nov 21, 2013 23:11 GMT  ·  By
Prolonged anxiety and stress can change the structure of the amygdala in the brains of children
   Prolonged anxiety and stress can change the structure of the amygdala in the brains of children

When children are exposed to prolonged anxiety, their brains are very likely to exhibit changes in structure, particularly in areas related to emotional processing, a new study determines. The same effect can be easily observed when the kids live in a very stressful environment, either at home or at school.

The brain area in question is called the amygdala, and it plays an important role in coding fear, emotions, and the body's innate fight-or-flight response to dangerous stimuli. In the presence of lasting anxiety and stress, this structure becomes significantly larger, Stanford University experts reveal.

The study, led by professor of psychiatry Vinod Menon PhD, is detailed in the latest online issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry. The findings are important because they could one day be used to develop tests aimed at figuring out which children will go on to develop mood and anxiety disorders.

Menon says that the amygdala may start changing very early. The study focused on kids between the ages of 7 and 9, who already exhibited deformations in this neural formation. Scientists say the new data could be used to gain a deeper understanding of the origins of anxiety in the young brain, PsychCentral reports.