MentalHealthDaily

Social Anxiety: Prefrontal Connectivity Differs but Amygdala-PFC Doesn’t

by GLOOM

Stylized fMRI connectivity map showing prefrontal and amygdala circuits during emotion regulation in social anxiety disorder.

The textbook story of social anxiety disorder is broken amygdala-prefrontal regulation — an overactive threat system the prefrontal cortex can’t calm down. A 2026 effective-connectivity study of 102 adults found something different: amygdala-prefrontal connectivity didn’t differ between social anxiety patients and controls, but connectivity between prefrontal regions did, particularly involving the pre-supplementary motor area.1 Research …

Gut Microbiome & Social Anxiety Disorder: Abnormal Bacterial Composition (2023 Study)

by GLOOM

Recent scientific endeavors have unveiled a fascinating link between our gut microbiome and mental health, with a focus on Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). This complex relationship, highlighting the role of microbial inhabitants in our gut in influencing our brain and behavior, marks a significant shift in understanding mental disorders. Highlights: Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) affects …

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

by GLOOM

If you experience depression solely in the winter months, you may have a condition known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also referred to in layman’s terms as “seasonal depression.” Throughout human evolution, it was speculated that mood changes occurred during inclement conditions such as winter months due to the fact that in these conditions, it …