anxiety Flashcards
Is anxiety good for us?
Yes, in moderate amounts.
Do we perform better when we are a little anxious?
Yes.
Anxiety is a …. oriented mood state.
“future”
Sudden overwhelming reaction
panic
Immediate alarm reaction to danger
fear
Can fear be good for us?
yes.
Do fear and anxiety differ psychologically and physiologically?
Yes.
How is fear different to anxiety?
It is an immediate emotional reaction to current danger characterised by strong escapist action tendencies, and often a surge in the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system.
What is the difference between a cued and a uncued panic attack?
Cued - you know you are afraid of high places or of driving over long bridges (panic attacks specific to this cue)
Uncued - don’t know when next panic attack will occur
Panic attacks involve surges in muscle tension and finger temperature lasting…
3 minutes.
Panic involves which brain systems and neurotransmitters?
Depleted GABA
Noradrenergic system
Seretonergic system
What does CRF stand for and what is it’s role in anxiety?
Corticotropin-releasing factor - central to the expression of anxiety (and depression) and groups of genes that increase the likelihood that this system will be turned on.
What does CRF activate?
the HPA (Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical) axis
Which areas of the brain does the CRF system impact?
The amygdala and hippocampus
What is the area of the brain most associated with anxiety?
The Limbic System.
What does the limbic system d?
Acts as a mediator between the brain stem and the cortex.
What is the BIS activated by?
Signals from the brainstem of unexpected events, such as major changes in body functioning that might signal danger. It can also receive signals from the cortex to the septal-hippocampal system.
What happens when the BIS is activated?
We freeze, experience anxiety, and apprehensively evaluate the situation to confirm that danger is present.
Is the BIS circuit the same as or distinct rom the circuit involved in panic?
it is distinct!
What is the FFS activated by?
deficiencies in serotonin.
What activity is associated with greatly increased risk for developing anxiety disorders as an adult, particularly panic disorder and generalised anxiety disorder?
teenage smoking.
What may contribute to a sense of uncontrolability?
Upbringing and other disruptive or traumatic environmental factors.
What is a feature among patients with panic?
tendency to respond fearfully to anxiety symptoms (anxiety sensitivity)
What is anxiety sensitivity?
A tendency to respond fearfully to anxiety problems. It is a personality trait.
How is panic a conditioned fear response considered to be a “false alarm”?
A strong fear response initially occurs during extreme stress or maybe resulting from a dangerous situation. Cues (conditioned stimuli - both internal and external) provoke the fear response and an assumption of danger, even if the danger is not actually present.
Are you always aware of these cues?
Not necessarily. Most likely because these cues may travel from the eyes directly to the amygdala in the emotional brain without going through the cortex (the source of awareness)
If you have panic attacks, is it probable other family members do too?
Yes.
What is the triple vulnerability theory?
Generalised biological vulnerability (uptight or highly strung), generalised psychological vulnerability (believing the world is dangerous), specific psychological vulnerability (learn from early experience that certain things are dangerous) .