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Related Concept Videos

Generalized Anxiety Disorder01:30

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a chronic condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry that persists for at least six months, significantly interfering with daily functioning. Unlike situational anxiety, which arises in response to specific stressors, GAD often occurs without a clear cause. Individuals may experience disproportionate worry about work, health, or relationships. For instance, a person might continuously fear poor health despite normal medical evaluations or...
Anxiety: Overview01:18

Anxiety: Overview

Anxiety is a common mental disorder featuring excessive worry, fear, and apprehension, significantly affecting daily life. People with anxiety disorders experience persistent and intense anxiety, interrupting their everyday functioning.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Panic Disorder01:27

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent and sudden minutes-long episodes of intense fear, known as panic attacks. These attacks may feel like heart attacks and often happen without warning or a specific cause. They can include symptoms such as rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, chest pain, trembling, sweating, dizziness, and a sense of helplessness. During a panic attack, individuals may feel as though they are experiencing a heart attack or are in a...
Social Anxiety Disorder01:28

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is characterized by an intense fear of social situations where one might face humiliation, rejection, embarrassment, or negative evaluation. This disorder leads individuals to avoid activities like casual conversations, public speaking, or seemingly simple tasks such as eating, signing documents, or swimming, in public settings. Its impact extends beyond discomfort, often significantly interfering with daily functioning and quality of life.
Stress Response System01:21

Stress Response System

The stress response system, also known as the fight-or-flight response, is the body's automatic physiological reaction to perceived threats. Hans Selye introduced the concept of General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) to describe the predictable pattern of changes that occur in response to stress. GAS consists of three sequential stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. This model helps explain how chronic stress can contribute to health problems.
Alarm stage
In the alarm stage, the body's initial...
Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview01:26

Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview

Anxiolytic drugs are vital in managing anxiety disorders by effectively alleviating symptoms such as excessive fear, tachycardia, and tremors. There are several classes of anxiolytic medications, each with unique mechanisms of action and potential side effects.
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic circuitry.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance
08:17

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance

Published on: July 19, 2017

Startle response in generalized anxiety disorder.

William J Ray1, Christine Molnar, Deane Aikins

  • 1Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA. wjr@psu.edu

Depression and Anxiety
|December 24, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) exhibit a heightened startle reflex, particularly when experiencing negative emotions. Attentional focus, rather than autonomic nervous system activity, significantly influences this response.

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Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat
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Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance
08:17

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance

Published on: July 19, 2017

Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat
11:18

Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat

Published on: September 12, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Psychophysiology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by heightened anxiety and worry.
  • The startle reflex is a basic defensive response that can be modulated by various factors.
  • Understanding the psychophysiology of GAD can inform treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the startle reflex in individuals with GAD compared to controls.
  • To examine the influence of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activation and attentional focus on the startle reflex.
  • To determine the relationship between emotional states and startle response magnitude.

Main Methods:

  • Administered experimental tasks to elicit sympathetic and parasympathetic activation.
  • Required participants to adopt internal and external attention foci.
  • Included nine individuals with GAD and nine healthy controls.

Main Results:

  • Individuals with GAD demonstrated a greater startle reflex than controls during worry or relaxation tasks.
  • Startle responses were modulated by attentional focus, but not ANS activity.
  • Self-reported negative emotionality correlated significantly with startle response magnitude.

Conclusions:

  • Negative emotionality is a key determinant of the startle response magnitude.
  • Attentional focus plays a more significant role in startle modulation than ANS activity.
  • The startle response may serve as a valuable measure of therapeutic change in psychotherapy for GAD.