Story perspectives

Amygdala Activity Forecasts Teens' Peer Involvement, Gender-Specific

7/15/2026

Summary

Story summary

UC Davis researchers found heightened amygdala activity when adolescents view emotional faces predicts peer involvement two years later.
The link was positive for girls and negative for boys.
The study used fMRI data from 5,832 children aged 8-11 collected in 2017-2018 and identified clusters: concerning (12.96%), robust (33.95%) and selective (53.09%).
Amygdala activation was the only baseline brain response that forecasted later social-health profiles, indicating sex-specific pathways for early NIH-funded interventions.

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Story summary

UC Davis researchers found heightened amygdala activity when adolescents view emotional faces predicts peer involvement two years later.
The link was positive for girls and negative for boys.
The study used fMRI data from 5,832 children aged 8-11 collected in 2017-2018 and identified clusters: concerning (12.96%), robust (33.95%) and selective (53.09%).
Amygdala activation was the only baseline brain response that forecasted later social-health profiles, indicating sex-specific pathways for early NIH-funded interventions.