ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the biological underpinning to cognitive changes that occur during an emergency situation and considers the role of individual differences and the impact of environmental pressures that might explain why some people survive whilst others perish. There are three cognitive components that underpin behaviour during an emergency. During our everyday life, the brain continually scans the environment for signs of danger and, if detected, passes the sensory input to the amygdala, which processes emotional information. The sympathomedullary (SAM) pathway and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis elicit a physical response to the perceived threat from an emergency. The impact of environmental pressures, such as cold and hunger, are minimal; however, as an emergency enters the recoil phase, the human body can be put under pressure from several prolonged factors, such as exposure to the elements, potential dehydration, hunger, sleep deprivation and acute withdrawal from drugs.
