LOS ANGELES, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- A new study of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found overactivation in many brain regions, including the frontal and parietal lobes and the amygdala, in unmedicated children with anxiety disorders.

       NIH research also showed that treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) led to improvements in clinical symptoms and brain functioning.

       CBT, which involves changing dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors through gradual exposure to anxiety-provoking stimuli, is the current gold standard for treating anxiety disorders in children, according to NIH.

       The findings illuminate the brain mechanisms underlying the acute effects of CBT to treat one of the most common mental disorders, according to the study published Wednesday in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

       "The findings can help our understanding of how and for which children CBT works, a critical first step in personalizing anxiety care and improving clinical outcomes," said senior author Melissa Brotman, chief of the Neuroscience and Novel Therapeutics Unit in the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health.