• Psychiatry investigation
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.1079-1086
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• 2018

Objective The pathophysiology of social anxiety disorder (SAD) is not yet well understood, but previous research has suggested that oxytocin is associated with social behavior and may play a role in human anxiety states and anxiety-related traits. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible relationship between social anxiety symptoms and plasma oxytocin levels. Methods Twenty-three male patients with SAD and 28 healthy male controls participated in this study. All participants were assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS). Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify associations between plasma oxytocin levels and SAD. Results In multiple regression models, after controlling for age and years of education, we found that higher oxytocin levels were significantly associated with higher total LSAS scores ($R^2=0.157$, coefficient=0.145, 95% CI=-0.0005-0.291, p=0.051) and fear subscale scores ($R^2=0.134$, coefficient=0.083, 95% CI=0.007-0.159, p=0.034) in the SAD group. Conclusion In this study, increased plasma oxytocin levels were associated with higher social anxiety symptoms among SAD patients, but not among controls. This might be because among SAD patients, higher oxytocin (OT) secretion is an insufficient compensatory attempt to reduce social anxiety symptoms.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.106-112
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• 2020

Objective : Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by fear of social threat and exhibits limbic hyper-reactivity toward social stimuli such as emotional faces. A previous study identified the uncinate fasciculus (UF) sub-tract as particularly related to facial memory. To explore the white matter tract relating to face-specific brain regions, we investigated the UF sub-tract in SAD. Methods : The diffusion tensor images of 22 patients with SAD and 20 healthy controls were analyzed with tractography. The UF sub-tract was delineated using the regions of interest of face patches in the anterior temporal lobe and the orbitofrontal cortex, and fractional anisotrophy (FA) and total number of streamlines (ST) were analyzed. We examined the group comparison of FA and ST of the UF sub-tract and correlations of FA and ST with the social anxiety symptoms such as the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and the Fear of Negative Evaluation scale (FNE) in SAD. Results : There were no group differences in FA and ST of the UF sub-tract. However, negative correlations were observed between ST of the right UF sub-tract and severity of social anxiety symptoms (LSAS, r_s=-0.480, p=0.024; SIAS, r_s=-0.580, p=0.005; SPS, r_s=-0.590, p=0.004; FNE, r_s=-0.675, p=0.001) in patients with SAD. Conclusion : Although patients with SAD did not show quantitative abnormalities in the UF sub-tact connecting face-specific brain regions, this structure seems to play a role in the symptom severity of SAD.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2011

Objective : Social anxiety disorder (SAD) has been characterized by a marked sense of anxiety provoked by exposure to one or more social situations. It has been well-known that the cultural characteristics of a society strongly affect the expression of SAD symptoms. The current study attempted to explore clinical and cultural characteristics of social anxiety symptoms in the Korean nonclinical population. Methods : 801 volunteers who participated in the national social anxiety screening day, which was held by Korean academy of anxiety disorders, were invited to complete the self-report version of Liebowitz social anxiety scale (LSAS-SR). A total of 691 participants completed the LSAS-SR and other information related to this study. Results : Social anxiety symptoms were reported by a great percentage of subjects, as displayed by the relatively high mean LSAS scores (44.58 ; SD=25.60). There were no significant differences in total LSAS score according to sex, education, or marital status. The three most fearful or avoided situations for participants, as measured by the percentage of subjects who had a score of more than 3 on each LSAS item were as follows: item 6 (acting, performing, or giving a talk in front of an audience ; 29.67% for fear and 22.72% for avoidance), item 16 (speaking up in a meeting ; 25.62% for fear and 21.56% for avoidance), and item 15 (being the center of attention; 13.89% for fear and 9.70% for avoidance). Conclusion : The Korean participants in this study demonstrated a high level of SAD symptoms. Our subjects reported that they were more likely to be fearful or avoid passive situations such as being the center of attention as compared with results from a study of western society which indicated that western people were more likely to be fearful or avoid active situations. These findings emphasize the importance of considering a patient's cultural background when evaluating SAD symptoms.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.106-114
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• 2007

Objective : It is suggested that disturbance of dopaminergic system might be related to the possible mechanism of social phobia. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association of DRD2 TaqI polymorphism and social phobia. Method : Fifty-one patients with social phobia and 200 comparison subjects were tested for DRD2 TaqI A polymorphism. The severity of social phobic symptoms was measured by self-report version of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale(LSAS-SR) and Hamilton anxiety scale(HAM-A). Results : There was no signigicant difference in the genotype, allele frequency, A1 carrier frequency, and heterozygote frequency DRD2 TaqI A polymorphism between the social phobia patients and the control groups. However, we found significant decrease in somatic anxiety of the HAM-A in the patients having A2A2 homozygotes(p=0.014). In addition, patients having A1A2 heterozygotes showed more anxiety in two subscales (p=0.042 in anxiety, p=0.019 in performance) of the LSAS-SR. Conclusion : These results suggest that DRD2 A2 homozygote might have a protective role against somatic anxiety, and molecular heterosis of DRD2 TaqI A polymorphism might be related with more severe anxiety in social phobia.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.62-67
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• 2008

Objectives : Gender differences in demographic characteristics, symptom presentation, and severity may influence the selection of target behaviors as well as the course and outcome of therapeutic interventions for patients with social phobia. The purpose of this study was to explore the gender differences in the symptomatic characteristics of Korean patients with social phobia. Methods : A total of 256 outpatients with social phobia at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital were included in this study. All subjects were evaluated using the Korean version of the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus. Potential differences in demographic characteristics, severity of anxiety, and situational fear and avoidance were examined. Self-report questionnaires and interviewer-administered instruments, including the Social Phobia Scale (SPS), Social Phobia subscale of the Fear Questionnaire (FQ-social), Appraisal of Social Concerns (ASC), and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), were used to evaluate the severity of the patients' symptoms. Results : There were no gender differences in demographic characteristics, age, age at onset of social phobia, total SPS score, FQ-Social score, ASC score, and LSAS score. In addition, there was no gender difference in the severity of fear in specific social situations. However, women reported significantly higher total scores on the social helplessness category of the ASC than men (p=0.009). Conclusion : Previous studies reported that the severity of social phobia symptoms is greater in women than in men, but our results suggest that there are no significant gender differences in the severity of social phobia symptoms. Thus, gender differences among patients with social phobia are discussed in the context of traditional sex-role expectations.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.111-122
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to develop a computer-based cognitive bias modification program (CBM-I) and to test the efficacy of CBM-I for college students with social anxiety. Forty socially anxious individuals were randomly assigned to the CBM-I(n=21) or a waiting list condition(n=19). Both groups were assessed at the beginning and the end of the program with interpretation bias and social anxiety symptoms(e.g. B=FNE=Brief-Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, LSAS=Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale). The CBM-I modified interpretation by providing positive feedback when participants made benign interpretations and negative feedback in response to threat interpretations. Participants in CBM-I completed three computer sessions over three weeks. The CBM-I successfully decreased social anxiety symptoms compared to the control condition(t=2.35, p<.05; t=4.70, p<.001). This result suggests that interpretation modification may have clinical utility when applied as a multi-session intervention.