Neuroanatomical correlates of communication apprehension in young adults using voxel-based morphometry

Communication apprehension is a common fear related to social situations and is thought to be linked to negative self-evaluation. However, the neuroanatomical mechanisms underlying communication apprehension, both in general communication apprehension and in specific communication contexts (such as interpersonal communication, group discussion, meetings and public speaking), have not been fully explored. Our study used voxel-based morphometry to investigate the relationship between gray and white matter volumes and communication apprehension in a large sample of university students (n = 647, age = 19.66 ± 1.35, 468 females). We found that communication apprehension was highest in public speaking compared to the other three communication contexts. General communication apprehension was associated with gray matter volume in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the right anterior temporal gyrus, both of which are part of the default mode network and are believed to be involved in self-referential processing. The four specific contexts also exhibited associations with certain brain regions and shared similarities with general communication apprehension. Additionally, we identified a unique association of communication apprehension in the public speaking with reduced corpus callosum volume. These findings provide insights into the neural correlates of communication apprehension and suggest that interventions aiming at improving self-evaluation may help alleviate communication apprehension in young adults.