Developmental aspects of fear generalization – A MEG study on neurocognitive correlates in adolescents versus adults
Background: Fear generalization is pivotal for the survival-promoting avoidance of potential danger, but, if too pronounced, it promotes pathological anxiety. Similar to adult patients with anxiety disorders, healthy children tend to show overgeneralized fear responses. Objective: This study aims to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929322001128 |
| _version_ | 1828265577398927360 |
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| author | Kati Roesmann Ida Wessing Sophia Kraß Elisabeth J. Leehr Tim Klucken Thomas Straube Markus Junghöfer |
| author_facet | Kati Roesmann Ida Wessing Sophia Kraß Elisabeth J. Leehr Tim Klucken Thomas Straube Markus Junghöfer |
| author_sort | Kati Roesmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Fear generalization is pivotal for the survival-promoting avoidance of potential danger, but, if too pronounced, it promotes pathological anxiety. Similar to adult patients with anxiety disorders, healthy children tend to show overgeneralized fear responses. Objective: This study aims to investigate neuro-developmental aspects of fear generalization in adolescence – a critical age for the development of anxiety disorders. Methods: We compared healthy adolescents (14–17 years) with healthy adults (19–34 years) regarding their fear responses towards tilted Gabor gratings (conditioned stimuli, CS; and slightly differently titled generalization stimuli, GS). In the conditioning phase, CS were paired (CS+) or remained unpaired (CS-) with an aversive stimulus (unconditioned stimuli, US). In the test phase, behavioral, peripheral and neural responses to CS and GS were captured by fear- and UCS expectancy ratings, a perceptual discrimination task, pupil dilation and source estimations of event-related magnetic fields. Results: Closely resembling adults, adolescents showed robust generalization gradients of fear ratings, pupil dilation, and estimated neural source activity. However, in the UCS expectancy ratings, adolescents revealed shallower generalization gradients indicating overgeneralization. Moreover, adolescents showed stronger visual cortical activity after as compared to before conditioning to all stimuli. Conclusion: Various aspects of fear learning and generalization appear to be mature in healthy adolescents. Yet, cognitive aspects might show a slower course of development. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T04:41:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-37e4c2e39a7a458eabf22b017c8a8702 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1878-9293 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T04:41:19Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-37e4c2e39a7a458eabf22b017c8a87022022-12-22T03:01:59ZengElsevierDevelopmental Cognitive Neuroscience1878-92932022-12-0158101169Developmental aspects of fear generalization – A MEG study on neurocognitive correlates in adolescents versus adultsKati Roesmann0Ida Wessing1Sophia Kraß2Elisabeth J. Leehr3Tim Klucken4Thomas Straube5Markus Junghöfer6Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Siegen, Obergraben 23, 57072 Siegen, Germany; Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University Hospital Münster, Malmedyweg 15, 48149 Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149 Muenster, Germany; Correspondence to: University of Siegen, Institute for Clinical Psychology, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2a, Room AR NB 123, 57076 Siegen, Germany.Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University Hospital Münster, Malmedyweg 15, 48149 Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149 Muenster, Germany; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital Muenster, Schmeddingstraße 50, 48149 Muenster, GermanyInstitute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University Hospital Münster, Malmedyweg 15, 48149 Münster, GermanyInstitute for Translational Psychiatry, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Building A9a, 48149 Münster, GermanyInstitute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Siegen, Obergraben 23, 57072 Siegen, GermanyInstitute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University Hospital Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149 Münster, GermanyInstitute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University Hospital Münster, Malmedyweg 15, 48149 Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149 Muenster, GermanyBackground: Fear generalization is pivotal for the survival-promoting avoidance of potential danger, but, if too pronounced, it promotes pathological anxiety. Similar to adult patients with anxiety disorders, healthy children tend to show overgeneralized fear responses. Objective: This study aims to investigate neuro-developmental aspects of fear generalization in adolescence – a critical age for the development of anxiety disorders. Methods: We compared healthy adolescents (14–17 years) with healthy adults (19–34 years) regarding their fear responses towards tilted Gabor gratings (conditioned stimuli, CS; and slightly differently titled generalization stimuli, GS). In the conditioning phase, CS were paired (CS+) or remained unpaired (CS-) with an aversive stimulus (unconditioned stimuli, US). In the test phase, behavioral, peripheral and neural responses to CS and GS were captured by fear- and UCS expectancy ratings, a perceptual discrimination task, pupil dilation and source estimations of event-related magnetic fields. Results: Closely resembling adults, adolescents showed robust generalization gradients of fear ratings, pupil dilation, and estimated neural source activity. However, in the UCS expectancy ratings, adolescents revealed shallower generalization gradients indicating overgeneralization. Moreover, adolescents showed stronger visual cortical activity after as compared to before conditioning to all stimuli. Conclusion: Various aspects of fear learning and generalization appear to be mature in healthy adolescents. Yet, cognitive aspects might show a slower course of development.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929322001128Fear conditioningFear generalizationEEGMEGEvent-related fieldsAdolescence |
| spellingShingle | Kati Roesmann Ida Wessing Sophia Kraß Elisabeth J. Leehr Tim Klucken Thomas Straube Markus Junghöfer Developmental aspects of fear generalization – A MEG study on neurocognitive correlates in adolescents versus adults Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Fear conditioning Fear generalization EEG MEG Event-related fields Adolescence |
| title | Developmental aspects of fear generalization – A MEG study on neurocognitive correlates in adolescents versus adults |
| title_full | Developmental aspects of fear generalization – A MEG study on neurocognitive correlates in adolescents versus adults |
| title_fullStr | Developmental aspects of fear generalization – A MEG study on neurocognitive correlates in adolescents versus adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Developmental aspects of fear generalization – A MEG study on neurocognitive correlates in adolescents versus adults |
| title_short | Developmental aspects of fear generalization – A MEG study on neurocognitive correlates in adolescents versus adults |
| title_sort | developmental aspects of fear generalization a meg study on neurocognitive correlates in adolescents versus adults |
| topic | Fear conditioning Fear generalization EEG MEG Event-related fields Adolescence |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929322001128 |
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