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Slow Down, You Think Too Fast 

Does decision-making paralyze you? 

For the millions of people who suffer from the effects of anxiety disorders, a CU-Boulder study could lead to improved treatments.

Researchers have long struggled to determine why people with anxiety can become paralyzed when faced with many choices. But psychology professor Yuko Munakata and her team of colleagues and students believe they know why.

The answer lies in “neural inhibition,” a process that occurs when one nerve cell suppresses activity in another. Munakata believes people with anxiety have decreased neural inhibition in their brain, which leads to difficulty making decisions.

To test the hypothesis, the researchers examined the effects of increased and decreased inhibition in people’s brains. They increased inhibition by using a drug called midazolam and found people got better at making hard choices, although the drug did not affect other aspects of their thinking. They also investigated the effects of decreased inhibition by looking at people with anxiety.

“We found that the worse their anxiety was, the worse they were at making decisions, and the activity in their left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex was less typical,” Munakata says.

This research could transform treatment in two ways. First, the medications currently being used to treat the emotional symptoms of anxiety disorders could be helpful in treating those who suffer from indecision and anxiety. Second, understanding the specific cognitive hurdles each patient faces could lead to therapy that helps patients learn to structure their environment to avoid being bombarded with too many choices.

Lawyers Bills Cute By Donor's Gifts 

There’s a public-service lawyer shortage, and hard times make it even more difficult to pursue careers in nonprofit and public service sectors. However, an $84,000 gift from the Donnell Initiative Fund supports CU law students’ work in these areas.

The gift pays for the administration of the law school’s Public Service Pledge, which commits students to 50 hours annually of volunteer public service law work. During 2010-11, 98 percent of first-year law students signed it.

In addition, a Donnell fund gift of $250,000 supports Colorado Law’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program to help graduates entering public service law. The fund honors Cathlin Donnell, a Colorado lawyer who died in 2004 after dedicating her career to solving social problems.

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By the Numbers 

14 Percent increase in square footage of campus facilities since 2005. 23 Percent slash in campus energy use since 2005. 2006 Year the campus signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. $65,000 Amount three campus buildings — Hellems, Math and Norlin — saved in utility costs last year. 645,000 Number of kilowatt-hours cut in those three buildings during the 2009-10 year. 1 million Number of pounds in carbon dioxide emissions the three buildings reduced last year.

Photo by imagestock