"Cold" Cognitive Control and Attentional Symptoms in Anxiety: Perceptions Versus Performance

Area of Science:

• Cognitive psychology
• Clinical neuroscience
• Neuropsychology

Background:

• Anxiety disorders feature significant attentional symptoms, yet neuropsychological evidence for underlying cognitive deficits remains inconsistent.
• Established clinical theories of attention, like Attentional Control Theory, are being integrated with neurobiological models such as Dual Mechanisms of Control Theory.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interplay between cognitive control (proactive and reactive), task effort, and subjective attentional symptoms in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• To examine how clinical status influences the relationship between attentional symptoms and cognitive control mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• A mixed clinical sample (GAD/OCD) and healthy controls were assessed on "cold" cognitive control, task effort, and attentional symptoms (difficulty concentrating, unwanted thought, trait worry).
• Statistical analyses, including moderation and conditional effects, were used to compare clinical and control groups.

Main Results:

• Clinical status moderated the link between attentional symptoms (attentional focusing, trait worry) and proactive cognitive control response time.
• Trait worry's association with proactive control and task effort differed significantly between clinical participants and healthy controls.
• Healthy controls showed potentially more accurate self-appraisals of attentional focusing, though this finding was not robust after multiple comparisons.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive control and task effort exhibit distinct patterns in individuals with GAD/OCD compared to healthy individuals, particularly concerning trait worry.
• Subjective attentional symptoms in GAD and OCD may be linked to variations in task effort, suggesting potential therapeutic targets.