Anxiety Disorders

Flashcards about Anxiety Disorders.

What is the difference between anxiety and fear?

Fear is a response to a real or perceived imminent threat associated with autonomic arousal, while anxiety is a diffuse sense of apprehension about a future threat, associated with muscle tension and vigilance.

List the anxiety disorders included in DSM V

Specific phobia, Social anxiety disorder, Panic disorder, Generalised anxiety disorder

What are the three categories of disorders included in DSM V?

Anxiety, Obsessive-compulsive and related, and Trauma- and stressor-related disorders

What are common treatments for Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Benzodiazepines, SSRIs, venlafaxine, buspirone, cognitive/behavioural therapy

What is the heritability of anxiety disorders?

40-50% (panic disorder)

What is the genetic influence on human psychiatric disorders?

First-degree relatives are most likely to have the same anxiety disorder as the proband but are also at increased risk for other anxiety disorders; the environment is critical.

Briefly describe Mowrer's two-factor theory.

Fear to a stimulus is acquired through classical conditioning. Instrumental conditioning allows escape from the aversive stimulus. Avoidance maintains anxiety.

What is a key implication of two-factor theory regarding fear and avoidance?

Fear leads to avoidance; newer conceptualizations emphasize a bidirectional relationship where avoidance can also lead to fear.

What is the role of the amygdala in fear and anxiety?

The amygdala is involved in the fear reaction to a threat and is found to be overactive in anxiety states, part of the fear network rather than a single structure

Briefly describe the roles of the amygdala and vmPFC in extinction.

The vmPFC signal increases as extinction progresses, while the signal in the amygdala reduces over extinction.

What is the relationship between amygdala activation and trait anxiety?

Individuals high in trait anxiety showed increased amygdala responsivity to phasic fear cues.

What is the relationship between vmPFC activation and trait anxiety?

Individuals high in trait anxiety showed impoverished pre-extinction Ventral Prefrontal Cortical (vPFC) Activity.

Describe amygdala activity in phobics.

Spider phobics show greater amygdala responses compared to controls to phobic pictures as well as fear and disgust pictures.

What is the function of Benzodiazepines?

Anxiolytic use mainly in Generalized Anxiety Disorder and acute stress reactions also used as anti-convulsants and as hypnotics.

What are common side effects of Benzodiazepines?

Induction of dependence and associated withdrawal syndrome, impairment of cognitive performance e.g. anterograde amnesia

What are the functions of Serotonin 5-HT 1a Receptor agonists?

May act here to reduce 5-HT neuron activity (e.g. in the Amygdala)

How does SSRI treatment affect the amygdala response to fearful faces in patients with depression?

In patients with depression, the amygdala response to fearful faces is reduced by 8 week SSRI treatment (compared to placebo).

What is the first line of treatment in the UK for anxiety disorders?

Exposure based therapies and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

What is Safety behavior fading?

A technique that is being trialled to diminish safety behaviours.