Deficient fear extinction memory in posttraumatic stress disorder

• Published in: Neurobiology of learning and memory Vol. 136; pp. 116 - 126
• Main Authors: Wicking, Manon, Steiger, Frauke, Nees, Frauke, Diener, Slawomira J., Grimm, Oliver, Ruttorf, Michaela, Schad, Lothar R., Winkelmann, Tobias, Wirtz, Gustav, Flor, Herta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier BV 01.12.2016
• Subjects: Adult; Amygdala - diagnostic imaging; Amygdala - physiopathology; Conditioning, Classical - physiology; Extinction, Psychological - physiology; Fear & phobias; Fear - physiology; Female; Galvanic Skin Response - physiology; Hippocampus - diagnostic imaging; Hippocampus - physiopathology; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Memory; Mental Recall - physiology; Middle Aged; Post traumatic stress disorder; Prefrontal Cortex - diagnostic imaging; Prefrontal Cortex - physiology; Psychological Trauma - diagnostic imaging; Psychological Trauma - physiopathology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnostic imaging; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - physiopathology; Amygdala; Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); Safety learning; Hippocampus; Renewal; Fear conditioning
• ISSN: 1074-7427; 1095-9564; 1095-9564
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.09.016

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) might be maintained by deficient extinction memory. We used a cued fear conditioning design with extinction and a post-extinction phase to provoke the return of fear and examined the role of the interplay of amygdala, hippocampus and prefrontal regions. We compar...