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Contextual control over expression of fear is affected by cortisol
- Source :
- Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 6:67. Frontiers Media S.A., Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Vol 6 (2012)
- Publication Year :
- 2012
- Publisher :
- Frontiers Research Foundation, 2012.
-
Abstract
- At the core of anxiety disorders is the inability to use contextual information to modulate behavioral responses to potentially threatening events. Models of the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders incorporate stress and concomitant stress hormones as important vulnerability factors, while others emphasize sex as an important factor. However, translational basic research has not yet investigated the effects of stress hormones and sex on the ability to use contextual information to modulate responses to threat. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was threefold: first, we aimed at developing an experimental paradigm specifically capable of capturing contextual modulation of the expression of fear. Second, we tested whether cortisol would alter the contextualization of fear expression. Third, we aimed at assessing whether alterations in contextualization due to cortisol were different for men and women. Healthy participants (n = 42) received placebo or hydrocortisone (20 mg) prior to undergoing a newly developed differential contextual fear-conditioning paradigm. The results indicated that people rapidly acquire differential contextual modulation of the expression of fear, as measured by fear potentiated startle (FPS) and skin conductance responses (SCR). In addition, cortisol impaired the contextualization of fear expression leading to increased fear generalization on FPS data in women. The opposite pattern was found in men. Finally, as assessed by SCR, cortisol impaired differential conditioning in men. The results are in line with models suggesting heightened vulnerability in women for developing anxiety disorders after stressful events. ispartof: Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience vol:6 issue:67 pages:1-14 ispartof: location:Switzerland status: published
- Subjects :
- sex differences
Cognitive Neuroscience
Context (language use)
Fear conditioning
cortisol
Fear-potentiated startle
Developmental psychology
lcsh:RC321-571
context
fear-potentiated startle
03 medical and health sciences
Behavioral Neuroscience
fear-conditioning
0302 clinical medicine
anxiety disorders
Generalization (learning)
medicine
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
050102 behavioral science & comparative psychology
Original Research Article
lcsh:Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
fear potentiated startle
Hydrocortisone
Fear processing in the brain
05 social sciences
Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
Anxiety
medicine.symptom
Psychology
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
medicine.drug
Hormone
Neuroscience
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 16625153
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 6:67. Frontiers Media S.A., Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Vol 6 (2012)
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....1cc777f4c1a142db7224cf30a28a76e4