Conditioned fear extinction and reinstatement in a human fear-potentiated startle paradigm

Learn Mem. 2006 Nov-Dec;13(6):681-5. doi: 10.1101/lm.393906.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze fear extinction and reinstatement in humans using fear-potentiated startle. Participants were fear conditioned using a simple discrimination procedure with colored lights as the conditioned stimuli (CSs) and an airblast to the throat as the unconditioned stimulus (US). Participants were extinguished 24 h after fear conditioning. Upon presentation of unsignaled USs after extinction, participants displayed significant fear reinstatement. In summary, these procedures produced robust fear-potentiated startle, significant CS+/CS- discrimination, within-session extinction, and significant reinstatement. This is the first demonstration of fear extinction and reinstatement in humans using startle measures.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Conditioning, Classical / physiology*
  • Discrimination Learning / physiology
  • Extinction, Psychological / physiology*
  • Fear / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Psychopharmacology / methods
  • Psychophysics / methods*
  • Reflex, Startle / physiology*
  • Set, Psychology