Identifying Decision Making Parameters in Healthy Volunteers (HV) and Anxiety Patients (AD)

Detailed Summary

Background: Research has shown that anxiety affects more than feelings. It also affects behavior. Researchers want to learn how the brain and body respond to unexpected threats. They want to see if probable pleasant or unpleasant events change decisions. Objective: To better understand how changes in anxiety are associated with changes in decision-making. Eligibility: Adults aged 18-50 with generalized anxiety disorder, seasonal affective disorder, or panic disorder. Healthy volunteers are also needed. Design: Participants will be screened under protocol #01-M-0254. Participants will complete surveys about their anxiety, risk-taking, and curiosity. Participants will complete a computer task. They will be given different choices. They will make a choice. They will receive an unpleasant or pleasant stimulus based on their choice. They will repeat this task many times. Most participants will do the task in the clinic. The unpleasant stimulus will be electric shock and acoustic startle. They will receive electric shocks through electrodes placed on their arm or fingers. They may hear loud noises through headphones. Their eyeblinks will be recorded with electrodes placed under their eye. Their heart rate and skin conductance activity will be collected with electrodes as well. Some healthy volunteers will do the task during a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. They will lie on a table that slides in and out of a scanner. A coil will be placed over their head. The unpleasant stimulus will be electric shock, given as stated above. The scanner will record their brain activity. Their breathing and pulse rate will be recorded as well. Participation will last for 3-4 hours.

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