- FRIDAY, July 4 (HealthDay News) — The brains of people who
suffer from anxiety and severe shyness may respond more strongly to stress
and show signs of being anxious even in situations considered safe by
others, say researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine
and Public Health.

They studied brain activity, anxious behavior and stress hormones in
adolescent rhesus monkeys. Those with the most anxious temperaments showed
higher activity in a part of the brain called the amygdala, which
regulates emotion and triggers reactions to anxiety.

The anxious monkeys had more activity in the amygdala in both secure
and threatening situations, the study found. When the monkeys were tested
again 18 months later, the results were the same.

“The brain machinery underlying the stress response seems to be always
on in these individuals, even in situations that others perceive as safe
and secure,” Dr. Ned Kalin, chairman of the department of psychiatry and
HealthEmotions Research Institute, said in a prepared statement.

It has long been known that children with an anxious temperament are at
increased risk for developing anxiety disorders, depression and substance
abuse. The findings indicate a brain mechanism that's present early in
life predisposes people to anxious temperament, and that it's difficult
for someone with this temperament to be calm because their brain is wired
in a way that keeps them tense and anxious.

The study was published July 2 in the online journal PLoS
One.

More information

The Center for Mental Health Services has more about anxiety disorders.