社交焦虑以对社会线索和新奇事物自动觉醒的提高为特征。恐惧过程受杏仁核的调节,神经影像学检查显示当暴露在新奇面部刺激时,此皮层区激活增加。[16]Etkin A, Wager TD. Functional neuroimaging of anxiety: a meta-analysis of emotional processing in PTSD, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobia. Am J Psychiatry. 2007;164:1476-1488.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3318959/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17898336?tool=bestpractice.com 神经影像学检查显示在药物治疗和心理治疗之后,大脑前额叶区域(负责恐惧活动)的活动降低。[17]Freitas-Ferrari MC, Hallak JE, Trzesniak C, et al. Neuroimaging in social anxiety disorder: a systematic review of the literature. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2010;34:565-580.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20206659?tool=bestpractice.com 同样,在行为抑制的气质类型个体,也注意到在新异刺激后杏仁核激活。[18]Schwartz CE, Wright CI, Shin LM, et al. Inhibited and uninhibited infants "grown up": adult amygdalar response to novelty. Science. 2003;300:1952-1953.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12817151?tool=bestpractice.com 其他病理生理学模型提示,环境刺激时,下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺反应增加可能与社交恐惧症相关。[19]Condren RM, O'Neill A, Ryan MC, et al. HPA axis response to a psychological stressor in generalised social phobia. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2002;27:693-703.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12084662?tool=bestpractice.com[20]van West D, Claes S, Sulon J, et al. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal reactivity in prepubertal children with social phobia. J Affect Disord. 2008;111:281-290.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18455240?tool=bestpractice.com 新兴的基因组研究提示,16号染色体可能是负责社交焦虑的潜在候选区域。[21]Gelernter J, Page GP, Stein MB, et al. Genome-wide linkage scan for loci predisposing to social phobia: evidence for a chromosome 16 risk locus. Am J Psychiatry. 2004;161:59-66.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14702251?tool=bestpractice.com 在选择性社交刺激时,高级视觉皮层的激活似乎会影响对行为治疗的效果。[22]Doehrmann O, Ghosh SS, Polli FE, et al. Predicting treatment response in social anxiety disorder from functional magnetic resonance imaging. JAMA Psychiatry. 2013;70:87-97.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22945462?tool=bestpractice.com