Understanding how social anxiety affects cognitive control in teens
Official title: Ecological Assessment of Cognitive Control in Individuals with Social Anxiety
Funded at Florida International University · NIH-10740262 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how social anxiety affects young people, especially during their teenage years, by testing a new way to see how their brains and behaviors respond in everyday situations, which could help create better support for those dealing with social anxiety.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Florida International University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Miami, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $405,625 |
| NIH project number | 1R21MH131928-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-10740262 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adolescents aged 12 to 20 who experience symptoms of social anxiety.
✕Less likely to help
Patients outside the age range of 12 to 20 or those without social anxiety may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates social anxiety disorder, which commonly begins in adolescence and impacts around 10% of young people. It aims to develop and validate a new task that measures brain activity and behavior related to social anxiety in real-world settings. By using a mixed-methods approach, the study will optimize a Natural Reading task to better understand how cognitive control is affected by social anxiety. This could lead to more effective interventions tailored for adolescents experiencing these challenges.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved therapeutic strategies for adolescents struggling with social anxiety.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using cognitive neuroscience approaches to understand and treat anxiety, making this a potentially impactful continuation of those efforts.
Where this research is happening
-
Florida International University
Miami, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Buzzell, George Arthur — Florida International University
- Study coordinator: Buzzell, George Arthur
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Doula support to improve mood and anxiety health for rural mothers
A rural-focused program tests whether birth doulas can boost confidence, support, and maternal health for new mothers with mood and anxiety concerns.
-
Understanding how heavy drinking and anxiety relate in emerging adults
This grant studies how heavy alcohol use and anxiety symptoms interact in young adults (ages 18–34) and what biological stress markers might reveal about that relationship.
-
Molecular and brain circuits linked to anxiety disorders
A researcher is studying a specific brain circuit to understand what drives anxiety and how it could be treated for people with anxiety disorders.
-
Expressive Writing to Help Sexual Minority Veterans with Depression and Anxiety
A brief writing program to help sexual minority veterans feel less depression and anxiety.
-
Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy for Veterans with Social Anxiety and PTSD Symptoms
A clinical trial tests whether a flexible brain-behavior therapy helps veterans with social anxiety and PTSD symptoms feel better and engage more in daily life.
-
How parents' emotions shape young children's anxiety
This project explores how parents' moment-by-moment emotions and bodily signals shape anxiety in children from infancy through age 11.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.