Amygdala subregional structure and intrinsic functional connectivity predicts individual differences in anxiety during early childhood.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Early childhood anxiety has been linked to an increased risk for developing mood and anxiety disorders. Little, however, is known about its effect on the brain during a period in early childhood when anxiety-related traits begin to be reliably identifiable. Even less is known about the neurodevelopmental origins of individual differences in childhood anxiety.

Methods

We combined structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging with neuropsychological assessments of anxiety based on daily life experiences to investigate the effects of anxiety on the brain in 76 young children. We then used machine learning algorithms with balanced cross-validation to examine brain-based predictors of individual differences in childhood anxiety.

Results

Even in children a

SUBMITTER: Qin S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3984386 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature