Gender Differences in the Neurobiology of Childhood Anxiety: The Need for a Developmental Perspective
Recent evidence suggests that many or most anxiety disorders emerge as a result of altered neurodevelopment. The median age at onset of anxiety disorders is between 6 and 12 years, and variation in brain function during childhood, infancy, and even near birth has been associated with risk for developing an anxiety disorder (1). While the specific brain alterations linked to risk for and expression of anxiety are varied and not completely understood, many models are centered on excessive amygdala activity