Biobehavioral assessment of the anxiety disorders: Current progress and future directions. 2017

Deah Abbott, and Yasmin Shirali, and J Kyle Haws, and Caleb W Lack
Department of Psychology, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK 73134, United States.

It is difficult to accurately assess and differentially diagnose the anxiety disorders. The current system of assessment relies heavily on the subjective measures of client self-report, clinical observation, and clinical judgment. Fortunately, recent technological advances may enable practitioners to utilize objective, biobehavioral measures of assessment in a clinical setting. The current body of literature on two of these biobehavioral tools (eye-tracking and electrocardiogram devices) is promising, but more validation and standardization research is needed to maximize the utility of these devices. Eye-tracking devices are uniquely capable of providing data that can be used to differentially diagnose anxiety disorders from both other commonly comorbid and misdiagnosed disorders. Both eye-tracking and electrocardiogram devices are able to provide change-sensitive assessment information. This objective, real-time feedback can assist clinicians and researchers in assessing treatment efficacy and symptom fluctuation. Recently developed wearable and highly portable electrocardiogram devices, like the wearable fitness and behavior tracking devices used by many consumers, may be particularly suited for providing this feedback to clinicians. Utilizing these biobehavioral devices would supply an objective, dimensional component to the current categorical diagnostic assessment system. We posit that if adequate funding and attention are directed at this area of research, it could revolutionize diagnostic and on-going assessment practices and, in doing so, bring the field of diagnosis out of the 20th century.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries

Related Publications

Deah Abbott, and Yasmin Shirali, and J Kyle Haws, and Caleb W Lack
December 2012, Journal of anxiety disorders,
Deah Abbott, and Yasmin Shirali, and J Kyle Haws, and Caleb W Lack
April 2017, Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing),
Deah Abbott, and Yasmin Shirali, and J Kyle Haws, and Caleb W Lack
January 1989, Perspectives in biology and medicine,
Deah Abbott, and Yasmin Shirali, and J Kyle Haws, and Caleb W Lack
January 2015, Harvard review of psychiatry,
Deah Abbott, and Yasmin Shirali, and J Kyle Haws, and Caleb W Lack
August 2015, International journal of epidemiology,
Deah Abbott, and Yasmin Shirali, and J Kyle Haws, and Caleb W Lack
March 2012, Tropical plant biology,
Deah Abbott, and Yasmin Shirali, and J Kyle Haws, and Caleb W Lack
August 2010, Current psychiatry reports,
Deah Abbott, and Yasmin Shirali, and J Kyle Haws, and Caleb W Lack
November 2018, Current rheumatology reports,
Deah Abbott, and Yasmin Shirali, and J Kyle Haws, and Caleb W Lack
August 2015, Translational research : the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine,
Deah Abbott, and Yasmin Shirali, and J Kyle Haws, and Caleb W Lack
January 1987, Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique,
Copied contents to your clipboard!