University of Portsmouth scientific study ‘maps’ areas of the brain affected by anxiety

A scientific study has pinpointed the area of the brain affected when someone is put in a stressful situation.

It is hoped this could lead to a new way of diagnosing and treating anxiety.

Benjamin Stocker, a PhD student at the University of Portsmouth, measured the brain activity of volunteers as they played a computer game with varying levels of stress-inducing difficulty.

Using electroencephalography (EEG) – a technique that uses sensors to detect electrical signals in different parts of the brain – he was able to locate areas which “lit up” when anxiety levels rose.

A total of 40 young adults aged between 18 and 24 took part in the study by playing the game which involved using a joystick to avoid threatening objects on a screen.

The game involved easy sections with low conflict but also impossible situations where the player had to choose between two bad outcomes.

The results, published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology, showed that when faced with the “no-win” situation, the player’s brain showed a specific pattern of activity.

This involved the right side of the brain’s frontal area becoming more active with theta waves, while different brain areas were also lighting up depending on whether the situation was stressful or manageable.

Mr Stocker said that the results could help lead to the creation of a new method that can measure and diagnose anxiety.

He said: “Think of it like finally having a way to ‘see’ anxiety in the brain, rather than just relying on how someone describes feeling anxious.

“At the moment, there’s no procedure to quickly and properly diagnose someone with a mental health condition.

“If you get a cold or catch the flu, you get prescribed medicine, but if you have a mental health condition, it could be a six to nine month trial-and-error period before getting the right diagnosis and treatment.

“This research helps us understand the biological basis of anxiety.

“This could eventually lead to better ways to diagnose anxiety disorders, new treatments that target these specific brain patterns, and a deeper understanding of why some people struggle more with difficult decisions.”

The study was conducted under the supervision of Dr Roger Moore and Dr Tom Lockhart, who are now helping to devise further studies to test how anxiety medications affect the brain patterns identified in the research.

Dr Moore said: “Ben’s research brings us a step closer to identifying a reliable, individual-level biomarker that could aid diagnosis of clinical anxiety and inform new non-drug based treatments.”

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...