Non-invasive recording from the human cerebellum during a classical conditioning paradigm using the otolith-evoked blink reflex

Freezing to impending threat is a core defensive response. It has been studied primarily using fear-conditioning in non-human animals, thwarting advances in translational human anxiety-research. Here we examine postural freezing as a human conditioning-index for translational anxiety-research. We show (n=28) that human freezing is highly sensitive to fear-conditioning, generalizes to ambiguous contexts, and amplifies with threat-imminence. Intriguingly, stronger parasympathetically-driven freezing under threat, but not sympathetically-mediated skin conductance, predicts subsequent startle magnitude. These results demonstrate that humans show fear-conditioned animal-like freezing responses, known to aid in active preparation for unexpected attack, and that freezing captures real-life anxiety-expression. Conditioned freezing offers a promising new, non-invasive, and continuous, readout for human fear-conditioning, paving the way for future translational studies into human fear and anxiety.

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Classical conditioning of a flexor nerve response in spinal cats: Effects of tibial nerve CS and a differential conditioning paradigm.

Behavioral Neuroscience ◽

10.1037/0735-7044.99.3.496 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 99 (3) ◽

pp. 496-508 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Alvin L. Beggs ◽

Joseph E. Steinmetz ◽

Michael M. Patterson

Keyword(s):

Classical Conditioning ◽

Differential Conditioning ◽

Tibial Nerve ◽

Conditioning Paradigm ◽

Nerve Response

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Classical Conditioning of Beginning Reading Responses

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1988.67.2.611 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 67 (2) ◽

pp. 611-621 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Alberto Montare

Keyword(s):

Classical Conditioning ◽

Incremental Learning ◽

Trace Conditioning ◽

Beginning Reading ◽

Learning Curves ◽

System Level ◽

Conditioning Paradigm ◽

Signalling System ◽

Learning Trials ◽

Classically Conditioned

The present study describes the first demonstration that laboratory-controlled experimental procedures can lead to the successful acquisition and subsequent retention of classically conditioned beginning reading responses (CCBRRs) in children of both sexes and mean age of 4 yr. Anticipatory instructions combined with higher-order classical conditioning temporally arranged into a trace conditioning paradigm presented for 10 trials for each response to be learned led to beginning reading responses being successfully acquired by 20 children during 95% of the 2,220 total acquisition learning trials and subsequently correctly recalled on 114 of the 222 retention test trials. Findings support the view that perhaps the relatively sudden and sustained acquisition learning curves for reading responses on the second-signalling-system level of behavior in the present study may be quite different from the relatively slow and incremental learning curves usually obtained in classical conditioning of the autonomic type which occur on the first-signalling-system level.

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