Study Links Anxiety to Decreased Activity in Brain's Cognitive Control Network

A recent study published in Psychophysiology highlighted the relationship between anxiety and brain function, particularly how anxiety impacts the cognitive control network. This research revealed that major anxiety disorders are linked to decreased activity in specific brain regions, which could serve as neural markers for anxiety symptoms.

Anxiety affects millions globally, ranging from mild to severe forms. While mild anxiety can heighten awareness, severe anxiety leads to debilitating disorders that impair daily functioning and often coexist with other mental health issues, like depression. Understanding the neural mechanisms behind anxiety is essential for developing effective treatments.

Previous research has shown inconsistent findings regarding anxiety’s impact on brain activity, especially in the frontal cortex.

In the study, researchers recruited 366 participants from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China. Using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), participants were categorized into three groups based on anxiety levels: healthy controls, mild anxiety, and major anxiety.

To measure brain activity, the study utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a non-invasive method that monitors blood oxygen levels in the brain. Participants performed a verbal fluency task (VFT), which activates brain regions involved in cognitive control.

The study found significant differences in brain activity among the groups. Specifically, there was a negative correlation between anxiety severity and activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the left frontal eye fields. Higher anxiety levels corresponded to lower activity in these regions during the VFT. Participants with major anxiety showed significantly lower activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the left frontal eye fields compared to healthy controls.

These findings suggested that decreased activity in these brain regions could be a neural marker for major anxiety disorders. The cognitive control network, crucial for regulating thoughts and emotions, appears impaired in individuals with major anxiety.

The study underscored the importance of targeting specific brain regions in treatments for anxiety disorders. Future research would incorporate comprehensive measures of anxiety and depression and include deeper brain regions like the amygdala to provide a more complete understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying anxiety.

Reference: Qinqin Zhao, Zheng Wang, Caihong Yang, Han Chen, Yan Zhang, Irum Zeb, Pu Wang, Huifen Wu, Qiang Xiao, Fang Xu, Yueran Bian, Nian Xiang, Min Qiu; Anxiety symptoms without depression are associated with cognitive control network (CNN) dysfunction: An fNIRS study; Psychophysiology; https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.14564