Polygenic prediction of learned fear responses mediated by brain connectivity in the human extinction network

Disruptions of extinction learning mechanisms are thought to be involved in the aetiology of several mood- and anxiety related mental disorders. We test the hypothesis that interindividual variation in extinction learning processes is partly attributable to the genetic make-up, which might be associated with mental health risk through effects on extinction learning. Genetic variants may impact the structural and functional connectivity of the extinction network such that genetically driven alterations of network properties give in part rise to the observed individual rates of learning. Hence, we aim to assess the extent to which genetic predisposition for mental disorders are associated with physiological measures of fear learning during acquisition and extinction. Additionally, we investigate whether this association is mediated by structural and connectivity patterns in key regions within the extinction network.