New Study Links Anxiety in Young Women to Brain Chemical Imbalance

A University of Surrey study suggests anxiety in young women may be due to imbalances between brain chemicals GABA and glutamate, offering new avenues for targeted treatments.

A new study from the University of Surrey reveals that the development of anxiety in girls and young women may stem from an imbalance between two crucial brain chemicals, Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) and Glutamate. This finding offers new avenues for targeted treatments focusing on these chemicals, especially during significant growth stages like adolescence. The research has been published in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.

Study Methodology and Participant Demographics
The research used 81 participants from two age groups:

49 participants aged 10-12 years
32 participants aged 18-25 years