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Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Published on: January 9, 2015

A cognitive model of pathological worry.

Colette R Hirsch¹, Andrew Mathews

¹King's College London, UK. colette.hirsch@kcl.ac.uk

Behaviour Research and Therapy

|August 7, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Pathological worry stems from a blend of automatic threat detection and conscious control. Understanding these processes offers new avenues for treating excessive worry.

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Cognitive Neuroscience
Clinical Psychology

Background:

Pathological worry is a core feature of anxiety disorders.
Existing models often focus on either cognitive biases or executive functions.

Purpose of the Study:

To present an evidence-based model of pathological worry.
To elucidate the interplay between bottom-up and top-down processes in worry.
To identify implications for novel treatment strategies.

Main Methods:

Review and synthesis of existing empirical evidence.
Development of an integrated cognitive model.
Examination of pre-conscious and conscious processing influences.

Main Results:

Pathological worry arises from the interaction of involuntary (bottom-up) and voluntary (top-down) cognitive processes.
Attentional and interpretative biases favor threat detection.
Attentional control and conscious processing modulate worry development.

Conclusions:

The proposed model provides a framework for understanding pathological worry.
Evidence supports the causal role of identified component processes.
The model suggests new targets for therapeutic interventions in pathological worry.