Dopamine function in adolescent social anxiety: Insights from neuromelanin-sensitive MRI

Journal of mood and anxiety disorders Pub Date : 2025-04-23 DOI:10.1016/j.xjmad.2025.100124

Margherita L. Calderaro , Ronan M. Cunningham , Megan Quarmley , Tessa Clarkson , Helen Schmidt , Clifford M. Cassidy , Johanna M. Jarcho

{"title":"Dopamine function in adolescent social anxiety: Insights from neuromelanin-sensitive MRI","authors":"Margherita L. Calderaro , Ronan M. Cunningham , Megan Quarmley , Tessa Clarkson , Helen Schmidt , Clifford M. Cassidy , Johanna M. Jarcho","doi":"10.1016/j.xjmad.2025.100124","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Social anxiety typically onsets in adolescence as salience of peer feedback increases. While dopamine system function has been linked to social anxiety, such mechanisms are rarely tested in youth due to the invasiveness of traditional methods. Neuromelanin-sensitive MRI (NM-MRI), a non-invasive proxy measure of central dopamine system function in the substantia nigra (SN), offers a novel approach.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Adolescents (N = 43; M = 12.40 ± 1.45 years) with varying levels of social anxiety underwent NM-MRI. Relations between NM signal intensity in SN and symptom severity were assessed. Effect specificity was tested with generalized anxiety symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Higher NM signal intensity was associated with more severe symptoms of social (p = .03) but not generalized anxiety (p = .93).</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>These preliminary results suggest specificity for neural mechanisms associated with adolescent social and generalized anxiety and provide a new avenue for testing symptom etiology and developing targeted treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73841,"journal":{"name":"Journal of mood and anxiety disorders","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100124"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of mood and anxiety disorders","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950004425000215","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Social anxiety typically onsets in adolescence as salience of peer feedback increases. While dopamine system function has been linked to social anxiety, such mechanisms are rarely tested in youth due to the invasiveness of traditional methods. Neuromelanin-sensitive MRI (NM-MRI), a non-invasive proxy measure of central dopamine system function in the substantia nigra (SN), offers a novel approach.

Methods

Adolescents (N = 43; M = 12.40 ± 1.45 years) with varying levels of social anxiety underwent NM-MRI. Relations between NM signal intensity in SN and symptom severity were assessed. Effect specificity was tested with generalized anxiety symptoms.

Results

Higher NM signal intensity was associated with more severe symptoms of social (p = .03) but not generalized anxiety (p = .93).

Discussion

These preliminary results suggest specificity for neural mechanisms associated with adolescent social and generalized anxiety and provide a new avenue for testing symptom etiology and developing targeted treatment.

查看原文本刊更多论文

多巴胺在青少年社交焦虑中的功能：来自神经黑色素敏感MRI的见解

社交焦虑通常在青少年时期开始，因为同伴反馈的显著性增加。虽然多巴胺系统功能与社交焦虑有关，但由于传统方法的侵入性，这种机制很少在青少年中进行测试。神经黑色素敏感MRI （NM-MRI）是一种非侵入性的黑质（SN）中枢多巴胺系统功能的替代测量方法，提供了一种新的方法。MethodsAdolescents (N = 43;M = 12.40 ± 1.45岁)，不同程度的社交焦虑患者行核磁共振检查。评估鼻窦炎患者的神经信号强度与症状严重程度的关系。用广泛性焦虑症状测试效果特异性。结果脑神经信号强度越高，社交症状越严重（p = .03），广泛性焦虑症状越严重（p = .93）。这些初步结果提示了与青少年社交焦虑和广泛性焦虑相关的神经机制的特异性，并为检测症状病因和制定针对性治疗提供了新的途径。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Journal of mood and anxiety disorders Applied Psychology, Experimental and Cognitive Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry and Mental Health, Psychology (General), Behavioral Neuroscience

自引率

0.00%

发文量