BRAIN SCAN CAN PREDICT THERAPY RESPONSE FOR ANXIOUS KIDS

Experts say a brain scan can predict which kids with anxiety disorders will respond to one form of psychotherapy. As a consequence, Georgetown University neuroscientists say the use of psychiatric medication is not necessary for certain children.

Their study, presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego, utilized functional Magentic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to map regions of brain activity. The results showed that children and adolescents, ages 8 to 16, who show fear when looking at happy faces on a screen were those who had least success with an eight-week course of cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Conversely, children who showed fear while looking at fearful faces benefitted from the treatment, the researchers found.

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People Who Stutter Show Abnormal Brain Activity When Reading and Listening

A new imaging study finds that people who stutter show abnormal brain activity even when reading or listening. The results suggest that individuals who stutter have impaired speech due to irregular brain circuits that affect several language processing areas -- not just the ones for speech production.

The research was presented at Neuroscience 2010, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, held in San Diego.

Stuttering affects about one in every 20 children; most grow out of it, but one in five continues to struggle. While the particular cause of stuttering is still unknown, previous studies showed reduced activity in brain areas associated with listening, and increased activity in areas involved in speech and movement. In the new study, researchers considered whether irregular activity would also be apparent when stuttering speakers silently read.

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Functional MRI Predicts Outcome to Talk Therapy in Children With an Anxiety Disorder

A brain scan with functional MRI (fMRI) is enough to predict which patients with pediatric anxiety disorder will respond to "talk therapy," and so may not need to use psychiatric medication, say neuroscientists from Georgetown University Medical Center.

Their study, being presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego, showed that children and adolescents, ages 8 to16, who show fear when looking at happy faces on a screen inside an fMRI scanner were those who had least success with an eight-week course of cognitive behavioral therapy.

Conversely, children who showed fear while looking at fearful faces benefitted from the treatment, which is also known as talk therapy, the researchers found.

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