Part A. MODELS OF THINKING AND EMOTION
What is locus?
"ATMAN" and "RABBIT" model
How to describe psychic phenomena?
Part B. NATURE AND ORIGIN OF ANXIETY
Three kinds of anxiety How to describe psychic phenomena?
Clinical experience on anxiety
Symptoms of anxiety
Part C. TREATMENT OF PSYCHIC TRAUMA
Connection formation to the anxiety locus
How to treat psychic trauma?
Root of fearful event
DISCUSSION
SUMMARY
References
Concept
of psychosis defined by K. Schneider's 1st rank symptoms is clear, and
such kind of definition was adopted by two
classification of psychic diseases (2, 7). In contrast to psychosis, concept
of neurosis seems still ambiguous. Neurosis is classified into several
disorders in DSM-IV (2), but neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorder
are treated as one group in ICD10 (7).
The purpose of this study is to make the concept of neurosis clearer, for better treatment of neurosis. Method of this study is to describe psychic phenomena and clinical observations on the model obtained by the observations on human mind. The model consists of two parts. ATMAN was proposed as a model of human intellectual activity (8), and we attempted to model human emotions by RABBIT (6).
Mind is function of the brain. This fact means
that findings on the brain must be consistent with observations on mind.
Brain science made it clear that intellectual activity is done in the cerebral
cortex, and emotional state is represented in the limbic system. We do
not treat here the definitions of ATMAN and RABBIT as models of mind. We
define ATMAN as a model of the cerebral cortex, and RABBIT as a model of
the limbic system, in this work.
Part A. MODELS
OF THINKING AND EMOTION
Three concepts "locus", "ATMAN", and "RABBIT"
are explained in Part A.
The key concept of the model
was termed "locus（pl. loci)."
A locus is a "component of conscious field." Consciousness
is looked to be a society of agents (5). There are active agents (small
circles) in the conscious field. An agent becomes inactive and goes outside
of consciousness (filled circle), and another agent appears into it (white
circle).
We called the agent in the conscious field locus,
in the sense that it has physical "place" in the brain.
Mind is the activity of the brain. In the brain
only neurons can be active or inactive. This fact tells us that the agent
is "neurons that act in the same fashion." As shown in the right side,
the neurons have the soma (circle) and the axon (arrow) which send signals
to the other neurons, and also locus has unidirectional connection to another
locus.
#N A locus is an assembly of neurons that act
in the same fashion.
Conscious field consists of intellectual
agents and an emotion agent. So we define "ATMAN" and "RABBIT" model by
the following five sentences.
#P Conscious field consists of
activated loci of ATMAN and RABBIT.
In the above figure the upper
square is the cerebral cortex, i.e. ATMAN, and the lower ellipse is the
limbic system, i.e. RABBIT. Signals from ears and eyes go into the cerebral
cortex. The cerebral cortex controls production of voice and actions. The
limbic system sends signals to the body and receive sensory information
from the body, through the autonomic nervous system. Gastrointestinal tract,
heart and vessels, bronchi are under control of the autonomic nervous system.
There are abundant mutual connections between the cerebral cortex and
the limbic system. The figure shows that three loci in the cerebral cortex
are activated under the situation of driving. A blue arrow shows that the
driving situation is connected with anxiety, and a left yellow arrow shows
that the driving situation is connected with pleasure state.
We described psychic phenomena by using the following
principle.
Emotional
state is described as an activated locus of the limbic system, i.e. RABBIT.
Intellectual
activity is written as activated loci of the cerebral cortex, i.e. ATMAN.
In the conscious field there are intellectual
loci (blue circles) and emotional locus (red circle). Inactivated loci
(filled circles) exist outside of the conscious field.
Psychic phenomena described above are the activity
of the cerebral cortex and the limbic system. The description results as
the terminology of "locus" must not contradict the anatomical and physiological
findings known of the brain.
Part B. NATURE
AND ORIGINS OF ANXIETY
Anxiety is an essential concept of neurosis. In
this paper we define anxiety as that "anxiety causes neurosis. "
We can classify these three kinds of anxiety,
by the clinical observations on mind.
#1（Anxiety caused by a specific
reminding）A reminded memory causes anxiety.
So-called sychic trapuma, memory of a painful
event, is a combination of memory and anxiety. Reminding activates smaller
number of loci in the cerebral cortex.
#2（Anxiety caused by a specific
event）A present event causes anxiety.
Agoraphobia, acrophobia, and other phobias are
dependent to the specific situation or event. Specific event are detected
by larger number of loci, including sensory areas of the cerebral cortex.
#3（Anxiety accompanied with
fatigue and malaise） Fatigue and malaise is accompanied with anxiety.
Stomachache, shoulder pain, palpitation, dizziness,
hard respiration, and other symptoms of malaise are observed in fatigue.
These symptoms of malaise and fatigue are called somatoform autonomic dysfunction
in ICD−10 (7). According to the clinical experience, using a Check List
of Subjective Symptoms of malaise and fatigue, it seems plausible to say
that malaise and fatigue often accompanies anxiety.
How is the anxiety locus is activated in fatigue
and malaise state. It is plausible that malaise of the body sends signals
to the limbic system, to the locus of RABBIT.
Past history of cases of driving phobia, phobia
of theatre, and other phobias let us know the following fact plausible.
An event which occurred in highly
anxious state makes psychic trauma.
When the psychic trauma makes a person fearful
under the situation of vehicle driving, it is called driving phobia. In
the severer disorder, mere reminding of driving makes him anxious.
＄Symptoms of
anxiety
Anxiety causes nausea, sweating, hyperventilation.
Downward flow of signals from the limbic system causes activation of the
sympathetic system. In anxiety, we experience raised heart rate or discomfort
in the stomach.
There is upward flow of signals from the limbic
system to the cerebral cortex. Anxiety activates specific loci representing
sensory, motor, or thinking activity in the cerebral cortex. It looks similar
to that in the depressive state. When loci of unpleasant memories of the
cerebral cortex are activated in the anxious state, we tend to be pessimistic.
In a specific case, information processing is disturbed under the activation of anxiety
locus. It is called dissociative state. Obsessive-compulsive state forces
the patient to repeat actions like washing hands or going to the toilet
under the influence of the anxiety locus. In possession state a patient
insists, for example, that he becomes a fox. We only used the term "anxiety
locus", but these various anxiety loci act in the different fashion. These
anxiety loci are considered to be different neuron groups.
Symptoms of malaise and fatigue make many loci
(of conscious field) bound to those body feelings. When many loci are bound
to malaise, ability of information processing reduces. In pleasure state,
we feel our body comfortable, and positively adapt to the environmental
changes. Pleasure does not cause clinical problems.
Part C. TREATMENT
OF PSYCHIC TRAUMA
Anxious state accompanied with malaise and fatigue
(#3) is comparatively easier to treat. Deep sleep and relaxed time, if necessary with medication, reduce
fatigue and malaise. Cure of neurosis looks more difficult when we treat
cases of psychic trauma (#2, #3).
An event which occurred in highly anxious state
makes psychic trauma. Let us now translate the mechanism of trauma into
terms of locus in the ATMAN and RABBIT.
Activated anxiety locus (right circle) receives
signals from activated locus of the cerebral cortex (left circle with an
arrow). At the anxiety locus, invasion of the signal from the cerebral
cortex and the activation of the anxiety locus itself collide. When these
collisions occur repeatedly,
connection from the locus of the cerebral cortex
to the locus in the limbic system
is formed.
Connection formation by such collisions was proposed
by D.O. Hebb, and is called Hebbian rule (1).
Hebbian rule of connection formation suggests
how to treat psychic trauma.
Let us consider the situation of treating a patient
with behavior therapy or catharsis when pleasure locus is active. Loci
of the cerebral cortex form a connection with the pleasure state of the
limbic system, according to Hebbian rule. The connection between the loci
and anxiety would become weaker.
When a patent repeats talking about the painful
memory to the counselor, the new experience of catharsis will make another
new memory. This means that catharsis makes new loci for the past painful
event, which was previously associated with anxiety. New memories can replace
the original memory of painful event. Behavior therapy is an repetition
of experience in the same situation. The re-connection of the loci (of
the cerebral cortex) to pleasure locus can be possible by two mechanisms.
First, the same loci could share connections to both anxiety and pleasure
which do not be active at the same time. Secondly, the loci representing
the event could become different ones during repeated experiencing.
We explained above the
formation of "anxiety caused by a specific reminding" (#1) by "anxiety
caused by a specific event" (#2). But how an original "anxiety caused by
a specific event" (#2), a root of fearful experience is formed? For making
an original fearful experience, activation of anxiety locus of the limbic
system (RABBIT) , like in case of fatigue and malaise, looks essential.
Are results of this work true?
Our methodology is to write down known findings
as constraints. Facts that are clear and self-evident were collected into
a consistent form. Essential constraints were the basis of ATMAN and RABBIT
model. More subtler constraints obtained by the clinical experience are
the results of this study. Physical activity of the brain and clinical
experience must be consistent with the results of our study. Classical
findings of the brain were obtained by stimulation experiments and observations
of patients with focal symptoms. Present technology of brain imaging, like
functional MRI, and magnetic stimulation of he brain gives us more precise
findings about brain and mind. These results are new constraints of our
study.
How to classify anxiety?
In this model, cure of the psychic trauma is re-connecting
the loci of the cerebral cortex from anxiety locus to pleasure locus. For
forming such a new connection, the collision rule of Hebb says that activation
mechanism of anxiety is important. Three types of anxiety proposed in this
paper, anxiety caused by a specific reminding, anxiety caused by a specific
event, and anxiety accompanied with fatigue and malaise, are classified
by its activation mechanism. Our classification looks more informative,
than the previous classification by the symptoms of anxiety i.e. its effect
upon intellectual activity.
Does endogenous activation of
anxiety exist?
In our explanation all kinds of anxiety are activated
by the external signals into the limbic system. But in the present textbooks
of psychiatry write that anxiety is caused without known origin. And clinical
experience may say about the existence of anxiety with no plausible cause.
It is of clinical importance to collect data whether an endogenous activation
of anxiety really exits.
2. Emotional state is described
as an activated locus of the limbic system, i.e. RABBIT. Intellectual activity
was written down as active loci of the cerebral cortex, i.e. ATMAN.
3. Psychic phenomena concerning
anxiety were observed, and these were written down on the ATMAN and RABBIT
model.
4. Anxiety was classified into three
kinds. Anxiety caused by a specific reminding, anxiety caused by a specific
event, and anxiety accompanied with fatigue and malaise.
5. An event which occurred in highly
anxious state makes psychic trauma. This fact was translated on the model.
Connection formation to the anxiety locus follows the collision rule of
Hebb.
6. It is reasonable to treat a case
of psychic trauma by catharsis and behavior therapy, when and only when
pleasure locus is active.
7. Classification of anxiety into
three kinds by its activation mechanism is more informative, than the previous
classification by the symptoms of anxiety.
l）Amari, S., 1978, "A Mathematical Theory of
Neuron Network: Information Processing in the Brain" Sangyo Tosho（in Japanese）,
8.2.1 Hebbian rule of learning.
2）American Psychiatric Association, 1994, "Quick
Reference to the Diagnostic Criteria from DSM−IV" American Psychiatric
Association, 7 Anxiety disorders, 8 Somatoform disorders, 10 Dissociative
disorders.
3）Chusid, J.G., 1970, "Correlative Neuroanatomy
and Functional Physiology", Lange Medical Publications, 13 Aphasia, apraxia,
and agnosia.
4）Ganong, W.F., 1969, "Review of Medical Physiology"
Lange Medical Publications, 15. Neurophysiologic basis of instinctual behavior
and emotions.
5）Minsky, M., 1996, "The Society of Mind", Simon
and Schuster.
6）Shiida T., Hasegawa, 0., Sakaue, K., and Li,
J., 1966 ,Consideration for Modeling Information Processing in the Human
Mind, Proceedings of JCSS96（in Japanese）.
7）W.H.O., 1992, "The ICD-10 Classification of
Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Clinical descriptions and diagnostic
guidelines" W.H.O., F4 Neurotic, Stress-related and somatoform disorders,
F40 Phobic anxiety disorders, F42 0bsessive-compulsive disorders, F43 Reaction
to severe stress, F44 Dissociative（Conversion） disorders, F45 Somatoform
disorders, F45.3 Somatoform autonomic dysfunction.
8）Yamamoto, K., Shiida, T., and Li, J., 1996,
A Virtual System of Human Emotions and Its Experimental Results, Proceedings
of VSMM96 in Gifu.
#A1 The locus of ATMAN exists
in the cerebral cortex.
#A2 Activated loci of ATMAN
represent sensations, thinking, and motor actions.
#R1 The locus of RABBIT exists
in the limbic system.
#R2 An activated locus of RABBIT
represents emotional state. 
＄How
to describe psychic phenomena?
＄
Clinical experience on anxiety
＄
Connection formation to the anxiety locus
＄How
to treat psychic trauma?
1."
ATMAN" and "RABBIT" model obtained by observation of psychic phenomena
must be consistent with the findings on brain. ATMAN and RABBIT model was
defined as functioning of brain. Neurons that act in the same fashion was
termed "locus".
