ANXIETY AND GROWTH DISTURBANCE - IS THERE A CONNECTION - A REVIEW OF BIOLOGICAL STUDIES IN SOCIAL PHOBIA

Current knowledge of the neurobiology of social anxiety and social pho bia is reviewed within the framework of chemical models of anxiety. Pr eliminary evidence for noradrenergic. serotonergic, and adenosinergic systems in the neurobiology of social phobia is presented and discusse d within the context of medical model versus continuum theories of anx iety. The clinical and theoretical implications of a hypothesized link age between anxiety disorders and hypothalamic-growth hormone dysfunct ion are presented. The author recommends that additional research stra tegies be developed to examine growth patterns and the function of gro wth hormone and other growth factors in children and adults with anxie ty disorders; moreover, the rationale for additional longitudinal inve stigations of children with growth hormone deficiency short stature an d psychosocial short stature is presented. It is hypothesized that ind ividuals with growth hormone deficiency may be at high risk for the de velopment of anxiety disorders.