Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 24, 2026
11:18
Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat
Published on: September 12, 2014
15.9K
Testing an anxiety process biomarker: Generalisation from an auditory to a visual stimulus.
Shabah M Shadli1, Melissa J Smith1, Paul Glue2
1Dept. Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Biological Psychology
|March 6, 2016
Summary
A new visual stop signal task (SST) detects an anxiolytic-sensitive biomarker, goal conflict specific rhythmicity (GCSR), in EEG. While promising for hearing-impaired individuals, further development is needed for quantitative equivalence with auditory tasks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychopharmacology
Background:
- An anxiolytic-sensitive human EEG biomarker, goal conflict specific rhythmicity (GCSR), was previously identified using an auditory stop signal task (SST).
- The need exists to adapt GCSR assessment for individuals with hearing impairments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the feasibility of using a visual SST to measure GCSR.
- To determine if a visual SST can elicit an anxiolytic-sensitive GCSR response.
Main Methods:
- A visual stop signal task (SST) was administered.
- Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded to measure GCSR.
- Participants received anxiolytic medications (buspirone, triazolam) or placebo.
- Correlations with neuroticism, trait anxiety, and Behavioural Inhibition System scores were assessed.
Main Results:
- The visual SST successfully generated GCSR in the 4-12Hz band at the F8 site, indicating an anxiolytic-sensitive biomarker.
- GCSR was less pronounced than in auditory SSTs, potentially due to response instability.
- Positive GCSR was reduced by buspirone and triazolam, while negative GCSR increased.
- Contrary to predictions, neuroticism, trait anxiety, and BIS scores did not consistently correlate with GCSR.
Conclusions:
- A visual SST can elicit an anxiolytic-sensitive GCSR, offering a potential alternative for individuals with hearing impairments.
- The visual SST requires further refinement to enhance the extent of GCSR and clarify its relationship with personality traits for quantitative equivalence with auditory SSTs.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Generalized Anxiety Disorder
1.1K
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...
1.1K
01:18Anxiety: Overview
1.3K
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.
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.
1.3K
01:09Preparedness and Phobias
433
Human fear responses to certain stimuli, such as darkness, heights, deep water, and blood, can often arise despite the absence of direct negative experiences. This phenomenon is rooted in evolutionary psychology, which posits that humans have developed a predisposition to fear stimuli that historically posed significant survival threats. This predisposition, known as preparedness, suggests that early humans who developed a fear of potentially dangerous entities, such as venomous snakes and...
433
01:28Social Anxiety Disorder
731
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.
731
01:27Panic Disorder
1.0K
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...
1.0K
01:22Behavior Therapy
919
Behavior therapy incorporates diverse techniques rooted in classical conditioning principles to address maladaptive behaviors and anxiety disorders. These methods aim to reduce avoidance behaviors, foster adaptive coping mechanisms, and alter associations between stimuli and responses, making them effective in a wide range of therapeutic contexts.
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
919