From cognitive biases to panic: Modeling the mechanisms of anxiety disorders Eva Hudlicka Psychometrix Associates / U.Mass - Amherst Amherst, VA psychometrixassociates.com Workshop on “Computational Modeling of Cognition-Emotion Interactions” CogSci 2014, Quebec City, Canada

Outline Affective biases on cognition  anxiety disorders Modeling Context: –Cognitive-Affective Symbolic Architecture –Search & rescue task Approach: Affective biases as architecture parameters Example Implications for p sychotherapy 2

3 Affective Biases Emotion effects on cognition can improve …or degrade performance e.g., Anxiety-induced threat bias –Adaptive: vigilance –Maladaptive:anxiety & panic

4 Modeling Anxiety Effects: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly Anxiety effects on cognition: –Attentional narrowing –Bias toward detection of threatening stimuli –Bias toward interpretation of ambiguous stimuli as threats –Promotion of self-focus the Good the Badthe Ugly Anxiety disorders & panic attacks Trait-anxious over-protective behavior Adaptive vigilance same underlying mechanisms?

5 Benefits of Modeling Enable construction of alternative mechanisms for observed effects Understand etiology of affective disorders Facilitate mechanism-based diagnosis (beyond DSM-5 descriptions) More customized / targeted treatment –Computer-based tools (serious games) –Modeling the ‘patient’ ?

Context Symbolic cognitive-affective architecture Models high-level decision-making Models both emotion generation & emotion effects Emotion effects modeled in terms of parameters controlling architecture processing Architecture controls agent behavior … within a search & rescue team task 6

7 Task Context -Search & rescue task in Arctic terrain -Snowcat drivers (starting in lower left) trying to reach “Lost Party” (red, upper right) -Supply stations along routes -Emergency tasks create obstacles & trigger stress

8 Task Context Snow Cat Supply Station Lost Party Emergency Task

9 MAMID Architecture: Semantics & Data FlowCues Actions Attention Situation Assessment Expectation Generation Emotion Generation Goal Manager Action Selection Cues: State of the world (“Emergency task within range” “Resources adequate”) Situations: Perceived state ( “Able to process task” ) Expectations: Expected state (“Task successfully completed”; “Game points gained”; “Game won”) Goals: Desired state (“Game points = high”) Actions: to accomplish goals (“Process Emergency Task”) Affective state & emotions : Happiness: High Anxiety: Low

10 Modeling Emotion Effects via Parameters Controlling Cognition Traits Extraversion Neuroticism Conscientiousness Aggressiveness EMOTIONS / TRAITS Emotions Anxiety Anger Sadness Joy ARCHITECTURE PARAMETERS COGNITIVE ARCHITECTURE Attention Action Selection Situation Assessment Goal Manager Expectation Generation Emotion Generation Processing Structural Module Parameters Construct parameters Architecture topology Long-term memory speed, capacity Cue selection & delay …. Data flow among modules Content & structure

11 Modeling Threat Bias TRAITS / STATES COGNITIVE ARCHITECTURE PARAMETERS COGNITIVE ARCHITECTURE Attention Action Selection Situation Assessment Goal Manager Expectation Generator Affect Appraiser Emotions Higher Anxiety / Fear Predisposes towards Processing Parameters Module & Construct parms. - Cue selection - Interpretive biases... Preferential processing of Threatening stimuli Threat constructs rated more highly Process threat cues Process threatening interpretations Traits Neuroticism Traits Neuroticism

12 Modelling Panic Attack High state of anxiety induces a “perfect storm” of biases –Extreme threat bias –Extreme self bias –Reduced attention capacity Limited capacity precludes processing of useful cues & derivation of alternative interpretations of situations No goals or actions generated Resulting behavioral paralysis further increases anxiety

13 Internal Processing During a Panic Attack -Snowcat driver encounters an “Emergency Task” while running low on supplies

14 Internal Processing During a Panic Attack ANXIETY Anxiety level is high High anxiety level causes low processing capacity

15 Internal Processing During a Panic Attack: Mental Constructs in Architecture Module Buffers Attention: High threat & emotion cues only SA: Negative situations only Goal Manager: No goals selected Behavior Selection: No action selected due to (a) extreme self focus; (b) no goals

16 Reduced attention capacity Modelling Alternative Mechanisms of Anxiety & Panic Attacks Multiple, interacting causal pathways … for each type of bias Parameter values are linear combinations of weighted factors –(W factor1 * factor1) + (W factor2 * factor2) … High Anxiety Intensity Higher Sensitivity to Anxiety Lower baseline attention capacity

17 Alternative Mechanisms for Increasing Attention Capacity Increased attention capacity Lower Anxiety Intensity Lower Sensitivity to Anxiety Increase fundamental attention capacity Modify emotion generation to derive lower anxiety intensity: - Replace anxiety-generating belief net cluster with a cluster from ‘Happy’ agent - Change agent’s ‘beliefs’ – e.g., cognitive therapy - Quantify contributions of specific beliefs - Lower anxiety intensities--> Higher capacity values --> More Cues

18 Alternative Mechanisms for Increasing Attention Capacity Increased attention capacity Lower Anxiety Intensity Lower Sensitivity to Anxiety Increase fundamental attention capacity Reduce sensitivity to anxiety via physiological manipulations -Psychotropic medications -Exercise -Mindfulness Lower sensitivity  Lower anxiety  Higher capacity  More cues

Implications for Psychotherapy Identify pathway(s) contributing to anxiety –Specific (distorted?) beliefs? –Increased baseline sensitivity? Target specific pathways.. via customized treatment environments –Virtual reality –Serious games …possibly?… build model of patient within a particular context (e.g., serious gaming) (Dis)confirm mechanism-based diagnosis via modeling 19

20 Parting Thought