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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

error processing, general anxiety disorder, GAD, electrical signals

College

Life Sciences

Department

Neuroscience

Abstract

General anxiety disorder (GAD) affects approximately 5% of the U.S. population (Stein, 2009) and is the second-most frequent psychiatric disorder, after depression, in primary care settings (Wittchen & Hoyer, 2001). Although diagnosis requirements for GAD are extensive, common characteristics are hyper-vigilance, which is manifested as excessive or unreasonable worry, along with tension, fatigue and headaches (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). These symptoms of excessive anxiety have been associated with increased rates of physical illness (Bowen, Barale, & Senthilselvan, 2000), a decline in cognitive processing abilities (Castaneda, Lonnqvist, Marttunen, Suvisaari, & Tuulio-Henriksson, 2008), and can become disabling (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). The National Institute of Mental Health indicates that close to 40 million American adults are affected by anxiety disorders each year (Kessler, Chiu, Demler, & Walters, 2005); however, despite its serious nature and prevalence, as of yet, no physiological marker exists for diagnosis and little is known about the neural processes underlying GAD. This study tested the hypothesis that individuals with GAD would show a hyperactive electrophysiological response to error commission relative to demographically-matched controls.

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