Jenni Blackford, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, served as co-author for an article titled "Altered Prefrontal Cortex Function Marks Heightened Anxiety Risk in Children," which was recently published in the Journal of American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Anxiety disorders are prevalent and cause substantial disability. An important risk factor for anxiety disorders is inhibited temperament, the tendency to be shy and to avoid new situations. Inhibited adults have heightened amygdala activation and less flexible engagement of the prefrontal cortex (PFC); however, it remains unknown whether these brain alterations are present in inhibited children before the onset of anxiety disorders.