Verbal and Visuospatial Working Memory Performance During the CO₂ Challenge Model of Anxiety

Area of Science:

• Neuropsychology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Psychophysiology

Background:

• Anxiety is known to affect cognitive functions, particularly working memory.
• The impact of induced anxiety on standardized clinical neuropsychological assessments of working memory remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of experimentally induced anxiety on working memory and executive function using clinical neuropsychological tests.
• To determine if anxiety influences performance accuracy and processing efficiency in working memory tasks.

Main Methods:

• A single-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover design was employed.
• Anxiety was induced using a 7.5% carbon dioxide (CO2) challenge.
• Participants completed standardized clinical neuropsychological tests of working memory and executive function.

Main Results:

• The CO2 challenge significantly reduced accuracy in both spatial and verbal working memory tasks, especially under high task demands.
• Processing efficiency decreased across all working memory tasks following the CO2 challenge.
• Increased subjective effort was reported during working memory tasks after the CO2 challenge.

Conclusions:

• Induced anxiety leads to significant decrements in working memory performance and processing efficiency.
• Findings suggest the importance of considering anxiety levels during the administration and interpretation of neuropsychological working memory assessments.
• Routine assessment of anxiety is encouraged in clinical neuropsychology practice to ensure accurate evaluation of working memory function.