RAASC

Informally known as "zonking" or "zonking out," a RAASC (often said as word that rhymes with flask) is a state of mind that Z-virus infected may fall into. Some Z-virus infected will cycle into this state involuntarily with no known trigger, while others only enter this state when sufficiently startled. This is the most infamous aspect of the Z-virus and the main reason for its comparison to zombie stories of popular culture.
RAASC stands for "Rumase-Associated Altered State of Consciousness."

Causes

It is well-known that the Z-virus modulates the fight-or-flight response in infected. It is this modulation that can lead to a RAASC, however, the exact mechanism is unknown. It is thought to involve the release of cortisol and adrenaline.
For infected who do not cycle and are not permazonked, the most common triggers are:

• Sudden loud noises
• Low blood sugar (due to fasting or diabetic complications) that does not occur alongside ketosis
• Fasting for >36 hours regardless of blood sugar level
• Smelling raw meat
• Unexpected flashes of light
• Overexertion
• Amphetamine usage, even at therapeutic levels
• Head injury
• Kidney disease

Infected who have PTSD often report that their PTSD triggers can cause a RAASC. Patient self-reporting indicates that a RAASC having nothing to do with their triggers, a PTSD flashback, and a RAASC combined with a PTSD flashback are all separate experiences with the latter being the most severe.
It is not uncommon for athletes to zonk out. Depending on the sport, this may give them an advantage, but may result in biting the other team, which is usually considered a foul.

Treatment

It is generally advised not to attempt to bring permazonked infected or cyclers out of their state, as doing so can be near-impossible and might just agitate all involved parties. Infected who do not cycle, however, can usually be brought out of the state by simply waiting a few hours.
The following framework has been developed to bring infected out of a RAASC, but it does not have a perfect success rate, even on infected who do not cycle:

1. If the patient is injured or starving, take care of that before attempting anything else. However, do not attempt to feed the patient if they are just peckish or have eaten in the last 24 hours, as the sight and smell of food will just reinforce the RAASC.
2. Remove all possible stressors.
3. Get the patient to break their stereotyped behavior loop. If the patient is stiff, gently encourage them to wander. If the infected is wandering, gently coax them into sitting or lying down.
4. If the patient does not have social anxiety, bring lot of infected in the area who are not in a RAASC, but do not have them directly interact with the patient.
5. Ask the infected questions about themselves, but not about their current emotional state or food, in a gentle but firm voice. Name, occupation, favorite color, etc.
6. Bring someone or something comforting to the infected -- a trusted family member, a favorite stuffed animal, etc.

Prognosis

There are few lingering effects of RAASC once the state of mind has ended, other than embarrassment that may come out of the patient's conduct and memory loss for events transpiring during the RAASC. However, infected who remain in a RAASC for longer than six weeks have the chance of long-term effects -- assuming they ever come out of the RAASC. Such infected will often suffer cognitive decline, "mental fog," speech difficulties, and dulled emotions. Less commonly, psychosis and inability to feel fear has been reported, but this is usually only seen in those with a family history of schizophrenia or amphetamine usage, leading researchers to believe that long-term RAASC has some effect on dopamine receptors. This risk of serious side effects is much higher if the RAASC coincided with traumatic brain injury, although it is difficult to untangle which parts are caused by long-term RAASC and which parts are caused by the brain injury.

Epidemiology

While not a disease in the traditional sense, a RAASC has an associated set of pheromones involved in it. Infected who are surrounded by other infected in RAASC are more likely to develop a RAASC themselves.
Drugs are currently being tested in cyclers to reduce the length of their RAASC or prevent it altogether, but results are mixed. Sedatives have shown some promise, and it has been observed that alcoholics are much less prone to RAASCs.
For non-cyclers, RAASCs can be prevented by eating regularly, staying healthy, avoiding other infected in a RAASC state, and avoiding potential triggers. However, most non-cyclers do enter a RAASC at least once a year, so preventing them completely is difficult.

Type

Neurological