Contextual control over expression of fear is affected by cortisol
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 emph...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2012-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2012.00067/full |
| _version_ | 1811313482735288320 |
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| author | Vanessa Anna Van Ast Bram eVervliet Merel eKindt |
| author_facet | Vanessa Anna Van Ast Bram eVervliet Merel eKindt |
| author_sort | Vanessa Anna Van Ast |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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 and skin conductance responses. In addition, cortisol impaired the contextualization of fear expression leading to increased fear generalization on fear potentiated startle data in women. The opposite pattern was found in men. Finally, as assessed by skin conductance responses, 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T10:54:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-95010981a19b43fbade6948317d7b8c9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5153 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T10:54:44Z |
| publishDate | 2012-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-95010981a19b43fbade6948317d7b8c92022-12-22T02:49:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience1662-51532012-10-01610.3389/fnbeh.2012.0006732921Contextual control over expression of fear is affected by cortisolVanessa Anna Van Ast0Bram eVervliet1Merel eKindt2University of AmsterdamUniversity of LeuvenUniversity of AmsterdamAt 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 and skin conductance responses. In addition, cortisol impaired the contextualization of fear expression leading to increased fear generalization on fear potentiated startle data in women. The opposite pattern was found in men. Finally, as assessed by skin conductance responses, 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.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2012.00067/fullAnxiety DisorderscortisolFear conditioningcontextsex differencesfear-potentiated startle |
| spellingShingle | Vanessa Anna Van Ast Bram eVervliet Merel eKindt Contextual control over expression of fear is affected by cortisol Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience Anxiety Disorders cortisol Fear conditioning context sex differences fear-potentiated startle |
| title | Contextual control over expression of fear is affected by cortisol |
| title_full | Contextual control over expression of fear is affected by cortisol |
| title_fullStr | Contextual control over expression of fear is affected by cortisol |
| title_full_unstemmed | Contextual control over expression of fear is affected by cortisol |
| title_short | Contextual control over expression of fear is affected by cortisol |
| title_sort | contextual control over expression of fear is affected by cortisol |
| topic | Anxiety Disorders cortisol Fear conditioning context sex differences fear-potentiated startle |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2012.00067/full |
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