A neurocognitive model of high anxiety trait in victims with post disasters experience

• Main Author: Azeez, Kamal Ademola
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
• Online Access: http://etd.uum.edu.my/5279/

People with disasters experience are the most vulnerable victims of high anxiety trait. This behavior could develop overtime to pure anxiety if the individuals do not have any means of support. Hence, understanding this behaviour in the individuals is an essential means of unveiling anxiety emergence. Anxiety has been a phenomenon of focus over the years. Its manifestations have been extensively studied at the lower level of human functioning system (the body). Also, some researches have extended to the higher level of cognitive functions. Still, evidences showed that a precise approach have not been provided to elicit its emergence in human behavior. Meanwhile, extant literatures showed that anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychological problems the world is facing today. More so, numerous numbers of people around the globe were suffering from these disorders. Therefore, this study examines how individuals with post disasters experience could develop anxiety by virtue of exposure to further events in the environment. This is a proactive measure to cater for wider emergence of anxiety disorders that might arise through disasters occurrence which is now a worldwide affair. This aspect was achieved through consideration for the role of neurocognitive mechanisms in the emergence of anxiety. The outcome of the investigation shows that, neurocognitive mechanisms play role in the emergence of anxiety. This was demonstrated through computational modeling concept to simulate those mechanisms identified through literatures and expert opinions. Increased activation of amygdala is observed to favor the development of anxiety while that of the prefrontal cortex favor the prevention of anxiety and vice versa. In addition, possible transformation of the individuals’ conditions was assessed using mathematical equations to show the possible changes overtime