Anxiety pathophysiology
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];Template:AeVindhya BellamKonda, M.B.B.S [2]
Overview
Pathophysiology
Various theories have been implicated in the pathogenesis of anxiety which are as follows:
- Biologic component:
- There is an increased sympathetic tone
- There is a surge of catecholamines
- Decreased levels of Gamma -aminobutyric acid(GABA)
- Alterations in serotonergic and dopaminergic system
- In anxiety states like panic attacks, the locus ceruleus is hyperactive
- Hyperactivity of amygdala has been implicated in social anxiety
- Psychoanalytic component:
- Freud described that anxiety is developmentally related to childhood fears of disintegration that derive from the fear of actual or imagined loss of a love object or fear of bodily harm.
- He used the term "signal anxiety" to describe anxiety that triggers defense mechanisms used by the person to cope with the potential threat, but anxiety infact, is not consciously experienced.
- learning theory
- Anxiety is produced due to continued stress.
- The anxiety eventually becomes a conditioned response to stress ful situations of less severity
- Genetic studies
- About 5% individuals with anxiety have polymorphic variant of the gene associated with serotonin transporter metabolism.