Altered gray matter volume and structural co-variance in adolescents with social anxiety disorder: evidence for a delayed and unsynchronized development of the fronto-limbic system

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a prevalent mental disorder diagnosed in childhood and adolescence. Theories regarding brain development and SAD suggest a close link between neurodevelopmental dysfunction at the adolescent juncture and SAD, but direct evidence is rare. This study aims to examine brain structural abnormalities in adolescents with SAD.High-resolution T1-weighted images were obtained from 31 adolescents with SAD (15-17 years) and...