Translation of fear reflex into impaired cognitive function mediated by worry

Published online:25 October 2016óScience China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016Anxiety is generally characterized by cognitive impairment.In particular,the worry dimension of anxiety

Anxiety is generally characterized by cognitive impair- ment. In particular, the worry dimension of anxiety is closely related to impaired cognitive performance [1, 2]. Worry interferes with the transmission of signal from action-monitoring to post-error adjustments, which leads to unimproved behavioral performance [3]. Additionally, if worry refers to the cognitive dimension of anxiety, fear can be considered as emotional and psychological arousal. The relationship between fear and worry has been explored in numerous studies. Individuals in fear are more sensitive to emotional stimuli than those in worry, which shows the distinction between fear and worry in attention engagement [4]. Besides, worry, as the contrast avoidance, may attempt to inhibit the fear experience [5].