The influence of acoustic startle probes on fear learning in humans.
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Authors
de Haan, Michelle IC
van Well, Sonja
Visser, Renée M
Scholte, H Steven
van Wingen, Guido A
Kindt, Merel
Publication Date
2018-09-28Journal Title
Sci Rep
ISSN
2045-2322
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Volume
8
Issue
1
Pages
14552
Language
eng
Type
Article
This Version
VoR
Physical Medium
Electronic
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
de Haan, M. I., van Well, S., Visser, R. M., Scholte, H. S., van Wingen, G. A., & Kindt, M. (2018). The influence of acoustic startle probes on fear learning in humans.. Sci Rep, 8 (1), 14552. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-32646-1
Abstract
Even though human fear-conditioning involves affective learning as well as expectancy learning, most studies assess only one of the two distinct processes. Commonly used read-outs of associative fear learning are the fear-potentiated startle reflex (FPS), pupil dilation and US-expectancy ratings. FPS is thought to reflect the affective aspect of fear learning, while pupil dilation reflects a general arousal response. However, in order to measure FPS, aversively loud acoustic probes are presented during conditioning, which might in itself exert an effect on fear learning. Here we tested the effect of startle probes on fear learning by comparing brain activation (fMRI), pupil dilation and US-expectancy ratings with and without acoustic startle probes within subjects. Regardless of startle probes, fear conditioning resulted in enhanced dACC, insula and ventral striatum activation. Interaction analyses showed that startle probes diminished differential pupil dilation between CS+ and CS- due to increased pupil responses to CS-. A trend significant interaction effect was observed for US-expectancy and amygdala activation. Startle probes affect differential fear learning by impeding safety learning, as measured with pupil dilation, a read-out of the cognitive component of fear learning. However, we observed no significant effect of acoustic startle probes on other measures of fear learning.
Keywords
Adult, Brain, Conditioning, Classical, Fear, Female, Humans, Learning, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Pupil, Reflex, Startle, Young Adult
Sponsorship
European Commission Horizon 2020 (H2020) Marie Sk?odowska-Curie actions (705641)
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-32646-1
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/287918
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