Research from Radboud University may have broadened our current understanding of anxiety. According to the research team, led by Bob Bramson and Sjoerd Meijer at the Donders Institute of Radboud University, anxiety levels can impact decision-making. It was demonstrated in comparative brain scans of anxious vs. non-anxious people.
1. The Heart of the Matter:
Anxiety isn’t just a feeling; it’s a neural process. And it appears that when anxious people are faced with social decisions, they’re actually using a different part of their brain than non-anxious people. This difference can make it challenging for anxious individuals to make certain decisions in social situations, especially when it comes to balancing potential risks and rewards.
2. A Simple Scenario:
Imagine you bump into someone you’ve had feelings for. It’s a nerve-wracking experience for most of us. Do you approach them? Or do you pretend not to notice to dodge any potential embarrassment? For someone without anxiety, they might feel the tension but decide to go ahead and talk to the person anyway. They can override that initial emotional response. But for someone with anxiety, this decision becomes much more complicated. Their brain doesn’t use the most efficient pathway for these decisions. This makes them more likely to avoid such situations altogether.
3. The Science Behind the Scene:
In a non-anxious person, the prefrontal cortex—a crucial part of the brain responsible for decision-making and balancing threats with rewards—plays a significant role in making this choice. However, the researchers found that anxious people are using a different, less efficient section of the brain. The brain scans confirmed it.
In their study, participants were shown different facial expressions (both positive and negative) and were asked to respond using a joystick. The aim was to see how people’s brains worked when they had to control their automatic reactions. Anxious participants did just as well as non-anxious ones, but the brain regions they activated were different. For non-anxious people, the communication happens between the prefrontal cortex and the motor cortex (which tells your body to act). In contrast, anxious people used a different, less efficient path, possibly because the “usual” pathway gets overwhelmed.
4. The Real-world Implication:
This research could help explain why anxious people often find social situations more daunting and tend to avoid them. By sidestepping these situations, they never get the chance to realize that these events aren’t as negative as they initially thought.
5. Towards a Brighter Tomorrow:
Understanding these distinct neural pathways gives us an invaluable insight into the workings of an anxious brain. And with this knowledge, we might be closer to developing more targeted and effective treatments for people with anxiety.
In working within the neurofeedback community for the past 11 years have shown me this to be true. And how effective neurofeedback therapy can be in assisting the brain into a healthier and more appropriate state of operation for anxious people.
If you’re curious, you can dive deeper into the study: Bramson B, et al. published in Nat Commun. 2023.
-A Balanced Brain is a Better Brain for a Happier Life-