Examining the neural basis of socially anxious behaviors

People with social anxiety are extra sensitive to unpleasant outcomes, and this sensitivity contributes to their tendency to avoid social situations. Previous research has linked this learning bias to activity in specific brain regions. Hanjie Liu and Melle van der Molen, from Leiden University, extended this work by examining how communication between brain regions coordinates learning behavior in people with varying levels of social anxiety. 

As presented in their JNeurosci paper, the researchers assessed the brain activity of 146 people with different levels of social anxiety as they performed a task either alone or under scrutiny. People with more social anxiety had stronger communication between brain regions that was sensitive to the learning context. This increased communication supported performance when learning demands were relatively low but hindered performance when the task became more demanding.  

Says Liu, "These findings suggest that social anxiety may be accompanied by a heightened sensitivity to the social context when learning. This sensitivity may be helpful when learning is relatively easy, but could become disadvantageous as learning demands increase, potentially disrupting how different brain regions communicate and work together." 

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About JNeurosci 

JNeurosci was launched in 1981 as a means to communicate the findings of the highest quality neuroscience research to the growing field. Today, the journal remains committed to publishing cutting-edge neuroscience that will have an immediate and lasting scientific impact, while responding to authors' changing publishing needs, representing breadth of the field and diversity in authorship. 

About The Society for Neuroscience 

The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 35,000 members in more than 95 countries.