scholarly journals Impact of the expectation on memory reconsolidation using a post retrieval extinction paradigm

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Marinos ◽  
Andrea Ashbaugh
Keyword(s):  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Skin Conductance Response ◽  
Conditioned Fear ◽  
Memory Reconsolidation ◽  
Physiological Measures ◽  
Learning Group ◽  
Return Of Fear ◽  
Group A ◽  
Fear Potentiated Startle

AbstractObjectiveThe present study examined if the expectation for learning enhances reconsolidation of conditioned fear memories using the post-retrieval extinction paradigm in an undergraduate sample (n = 48).MethodsThe study took place over three consecutive days. The expectation for learning was manipulated through oral instructions prior to memory reactivation. On day one, participants underwent differential fear conditioning to two spider images (CS+ and CS-). On day two, participants were assigned to either a reactivation with expectation for learning group, a reactivation with no expectation for learning group, or a no reactivation group. On day three, return of fear in response to the CS+ spider image was measured following reinstatement (i.e., four shocks). Fear potentiated startle (FPS) and skin conductance response (SCR) were taken as measures of fear.ResultsThe study found evidence that the expectation for learning may enhanced reconsolidation with FPS as a measure of fear as it was only the expectation for learning group in which FPS to the CS+ remained stable following reinstatement, however this effect was small and non-robust. In contrast, no evidence of reconsolidation was observed for SCR, as all participants exhibited a return of fear following reinstatement.ImplicationsThese findings suggest that a verbal manipulation of the expectation for learning may not be salient enough to induce reconsolidation as measured by SCR but may be sufficient as measured by FPS. Additionally, given in the inconsistent findings between SCR and FPS, the study’s results bring into question whether the post-retrieval extinction paradigm is appropriate to investigate reconsolidation using both physiological measures concurrently.

Fear learning and extinction

2019 ◽  
pp. 113-128
Author(s):  
Tina B Lonsdorf
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Conditioned Fear ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Genetic Association Studies ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Fear Learning ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Return Of Fear

Experimental fear conditioning and extinction represent basic forms of associative learning with considerable clinical relevance and serve as laboratory models for the development and treatment of anxiety disorders, respectively. There is considerable inter-individual variation in the ability to acquire and extinguish conditioned fear reactions as well as the return of fear and approximately one third of the variance in human fear conditioning and in the vulnerability for anxiety disorders can be attributed to genetic factors. The experimental paradigms of fear conditioning and extinction are particularly well suited for genetic association studies as these optimally investigate simple behavioral paradigms with sufficient inter-individual variability and clear heritability that elicit robust behavioral responses which are easy to measure and quantify and rely on a well-defined underlying neural circuitry. Understanding the molecular pathways that mediate conditioning and extinction might therefore make an important contribution to the study of anxiety pathophysiology and resilience. Because a significant proportion of patients do not respond to or tolerate standard treatments, such advances may ultimately open up new perspectives for pharmacological interventions (i.e. pharmacologically enhanced CBT) or the individualization of current prevention and treatment programs. In the future, translational work employing a synergy between molecular genetics, neuroimaging, psychophysiology and psychopharmacology will be powerful in unraveling the neurobiology of fear learning and extinction processes and the investigation of genetic polymorphisms in fear learning and extinction processes represents one avenue along this path.

One night of partial sleep deprivation affects habituation of hypothalamus and skin conductance responses

2014 ◽  
Vol 112 (6) ◽  
pp. 1267-1276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja C. Peters ◽  
Jens Blechert ◽  
Philipp G. Sämann ◽  
Ines Eidner ◽  
Michael Czisch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Deprivation ◽  
Associative Learning ◽  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Conditioned Fear ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Laboratory Model ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Partial Sleep Deprivation

Sleep disturbances are prevalent in clinical anxiety, but it remains unclear whether they are cause and/or consequence of this condition. Fear conditioning constitutes a valid laboratory model for the acquisition of normal and pathological anxiety. To explore the relationship between disturbed sleep and anxiety in more detail, the present study evaluated the effect of partial sleep deprivation (SD) on fear conditioning in healthy individuals. The neural correlates of 1) nonassociative learning and physiological processing and 2) associative learning (differential fear conditioning) were addressed. Measurements entailed simultaneous functional MRI, EEG, skin conductance response (SCR), and pulse recordings. Regarding nonassociative learning, partial SD resulted in a generalized failure to habituate during fear conditioning, as evidenced by reduced habituation of SCR and hypothalamus responses to all stimuli. Furthermore, SCR and hypothalamus activity were correlated, supporting their functional relationship. Regarding associative learning, effects of partial SD on the acquisition of conditioned fear were weaker and did not reach statistical significance. The hypothalamus plays an integral role in the regulation of sleep and autonomic arousal. Thus sleep disturbances may play a causal role in the development of normal and possibly pathological fear by increasing the susceptibility of the sympathetic nervous system to stressful experiences.

scholarly journals Intolerance of uncertainty and threat reversal: A conceptual replication of Morriss et al. (2019)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaëtan Mertens ◽  
Jayne Morriss
Keyword(s):  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Electric Shock ◽  
Skin Conductance Response ◽  
Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽  
Conditioning Phase ◽  
Fear Potentiated Startle ◽  
Threat Cues ◽  
Adaptive Ability ◽  
Current Report

The ability to update responding to threat cues is an important adaptive ability. Recently, Morriss and colleagues (2019) demonstrated that participants scoring high in Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) were more capable of threat reversal. The current report aimed to conceptually replicate these results of Morriss et al. (2019) in an independent sample using a comparable paradigm (n = 102). Following a threat conditioning phase, participants were told that cues associated with threat and safety from electric shock would reverse. Responding was measured with skin conductance and fear potentiated startle. We failed to replicate the results of Morriss et al., (2019). Instead, we found that individuals with lower IU, relative to higher IU, who received contingency instructions prior to acquisition were more capable of threat reversal, indexed via skin conductance response. These results suggest that IU and contingency instructions differentially modulate the course of threat reversal.

scholarly journals Versatility of Fear-Potentiated Startle Paradigms for Assessing Human Conditioned Fear Extinction and Return of Fear

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth D. Norrholm ◽  
Kemp M. Anderson ◽  
Ilana W. Olin ◽  
Tanja Jovanovic ◽  
Cliffe Kwon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conditioned Fear ◽  
Fear Extinction ◽  
Return Of Fear ◽  
Fear Potentiated Startle

scholarly journals Psychophysiological Evidence for Fear Extinction Learning via Mental Imagery

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinrui Jiang ◽  
Steven G Greening
Keyword(s):  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Skin Conductance Response ◽  
Clinical Evidence ◽  
Conditioned Fear ◽  
Fear Extinction ◽  
Autonomic Reactivity ◽  
Current Investigation ◽  
Extinction Learning ◽  
Extinction Process ◽  
Experimental Validations

Imagery-based extinction procedures have long been used in the treatments of fear-related conditions. The assumption here is that imagery can substitute for the perceptual stimuli in the extinction process. Yet, experimental validations of this assumption have been limited in number and some have relied exclusively on measures of autonomic reactivity without consideration of conscious feelings of fear. The current investigation sought to assess whether imagery-based exposure could lead to extinction of conditioned fear to the corresponding perceptual stimulus. Conditioned fear responses were measured by both a physiological (i.e., skin conductance response/SCR) and a subjective (i.e., self-reported fear) measure. Participants (N = 56) first underwent perceptual differential fear conditioning, then imagery extinction, then to perceptual extinction. SCR evidence was found for successful fear conditioning, generalization of fear from viewing to imagery, and most importantly, the absence of differential fear after imagery extinction upon re-exposure to the conditioned perceptual stimulus. Self-reported fear confirmed the acquisition and generalization of fear and provided evidence of a significant reduction in differential fear conditioning across extinction. Consistent with clinical evidence of the efficacy of imagery extinction and the existing limited experimental literature, the current study offers support for fear extinction to perceptual stimuli via imagery exposure.

The role of Anxiety Sensitivity in fear conditioning: a moderation effect

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bianca Gerardo ◽  
Raquel Nunes R. M. Guiomar ◽  
Mariana Moura-Ramos ◽  
Ana Ganho-Ávila
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Anxiety Sensitivity ◽  
Conditioned Fear ◽  
Moderation Effect ◽  
Skin Conductance Responses ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

Anxiety sensitivity (AS; the degree of fear of experiencing or imagining experiencing anxiety symptoms and its possible consequences) is associated with expression of conditioned fear responses. However, findings regarding the relationship between AS and fear acquisition indexed by skin conductance responses are rather conflicting. Here we aim to clarify this interaction. We classified 144 women that underwent fear conditioning procedures as either high-AS or low-AS. We found that high-AS participants show one of two patterns maintained over time: poor stimuli discrimination or good stimuli discrimination. This suggests that different patterns of fear acquisition potentially support the distinction between anxiety disorders.

scholarly journals Distinct Contributions of Median Raphe Nucleus to Contextual Fear Conditioning and Fear-Potentiated Startle

2002 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. B. Silva ◽  
A. P. M. Cruz ◽  
V. Avanzi ◽  
J. Landeira-Fernandez ◽  
M. L. Brandão
Keyword(s):  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Conditioned Fear ◽  
Raphe Nucleus ◽  
Contextual Fear Conditioning ◽  
Median Raphe ◽  
Median Raphe Nucleus ◽  
Contextual Fear ◽  
Electrolytic Lesions ◽  
Fear Potentiated Startle ◽  
Median Raphé

Ascending 5-HT projections from the median raphe nucleus (MRN), probably to the hippocampus, are implicated in the acquisition of contextual fear (background stimuli), as assessed by freezing behavior. Foreground cues like light, used as a conditioned stimulus (CS) in classical fear conditioning, also cause freezing through thalamic transmission to the amygdala. As the MRN projects to the hippocampus and amygdala, the role of this raphe nucleus in fear conditioning to explicit cues remains to be explained. Here we analyzed the behavior of rats with MRN electrolytic lesions in a contextual conditioning situation and in a fear-potentiated startle procedure. The animals received MRN electrolytic lesions either before or on the day after two consecutive training sessions in which they were submitted to 10 conditioning trials, each in an experimental chamber (same context) where they. received foot-shocks (0.6 mA, 1 sec) paired to a 4-sec light CS. Seven to ten days later, the animals were submitted to testing sessions for assessing conditioned fear when they were placed for five shocks, and the duration of contextual freezing was recorded. The animals were then submitted to a fear-potentiated startle in response to a 4-sec light-CS, followed by white noise (100 dB, 50 ms). Control rats (sham) tested in the same context showed more freezing than did rats with pre- or post-training MRN lesions. Startle was clearly potentiated in the presence of light CS in the sham-lesioned animals. Whereas pretraining lesions reduced both freezing and fear-potentiated startle, the post-training lesions reduced only freezing to context, without changing the fear-potentiated startle. In a second experiment, neurotoxic lesions of the MRN with local injections of N-methyl-D-aspartate or the activation of5-HT1Asomatodendritic auto-receptors of the MRN by microinjections of the5-HT1Areceptor agonist 8-hydroxy- 2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) before the training sessions also reduced the amount of freezing and the fear-potentiated startle. Freezing is a prominent response of contextual fear conditioning, but does not seem to be crucial for the enhancement of the startle reflex by explicit aversive cues. As fear-potentiated startle may be produced in posttraining lesioned rats that are unable to freeze to fear contextual stimuli, dissociable systems seem to be recruited in each condition. Thus, contextual fear and fear-potentiated startle are conveyed by distinct 5-HT-mediated circuits of the MRN.

scholarly journals Measuring human trace fear conditioning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelena Wehrli ◽  
Yanfang Xia ◽  
Samuel Gerster ◽  
Dominik R Bach
Keyword(s):  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Pupil Size ◽  
Recall Test ◽  
Trace Fear Conditioning ◽  
Skin Conductance Responses ◽  
Clinical Scenarios ◽  
Fear Potentiated Startle ◽  
Conditioned Responses ◽  
Trace Fear

Trace fear conditioning is an important research paradigm to model aversive learning in biological or clinical scenarios, where predictors (conditioned stimuli, CS) and aversive outcomes (unconditioned stimuli, US) are separated in time. The optimal measurement of human trace fear conditioning, and in particular of memory recall after consolidation, is currently unclear. We conducted two identical experiments with a 15-s trace interval and a recall test 1 week after acquisition, while recording several psychophysiological observables. We explored learning and memory measures in the first experiment and confirmed the most sensitive measures in the second experiment. Retrodictive validity was used as a metric to estimate measurement error. We found that in the recall test without reinforcement, only fear-potentiated startle but not skin conductance, pupil size, heart period, or respiration amplitude, differentiated CS+ and CS-. During acquisition without startle probes, only skin conductance responses and pupil size responses but none of the other measures differentiated CS+ and CS-. We establish the optimal way of quantifying these conditioned responses. As a side finding, there was no evidence for extinction of fear-potentiated startle over 30 trials without reinforcement. These results may be useful to inform future substantive research using human trace fear conditioning protocols.

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