Better cognitive efficiency is associated with increased experimental anxiety.

ABSTRACT: There is increased interest in the development of cognitive training targeting working memory (WM) to alleviate anxiety symptoms, but the effectiveness of such an approach is unclear. Improved understanding of the effect of cognitive training on anxiety may facilitate the development of more effective cognitive training treatment for anxiety disorders. This study uses an experimental approach to examine the interplay of WM and anxiety following WM training. Previous studies show that increased demand on WM reduces concurrent anxiety evoked by threat of shock (induced anxiety). However, improving WM pharmacologically or via exercise prevents this anxiolytic effect. Conceivably, improving WM frees up cognitive resources to process threat information, thereby increasing anxiety. The present s

SUBMITTER: Grillon C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7437543 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature