1
|
Sjouwerman R, Lonsdorf TB. Systematically investigating the role of context on effect replicability in reinstatement of fear in humans. Behav Res Ther 2023; 162:104256. [PMID: 36736196 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2023.104256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Context is crucial in guiding behavior in an ever-changing world and contextual information plays a crucial role in associative learning processes. For instance, the return of fear (RoF) after successful extinction, which is used to study the mechanisms underlying relapse phenomena in fear- and stress-related disorders in an experimental model, is known to be context dependent as evident from phenomena such as renewal (contextual change) and reinstatement (re-exposure to an aversive event). Human adaptions of reinstatement paradigms have resulted in mixed findings: CS specific as well as unspecific RoF or unexpected "reinstated" conditioned responding in no reinstatement US control groups. Here, we systematically investigate the role of context (i.e., cue-context compound) on reinstatement-induced RoF in a human differential fear conditioning paradigm using subjective and psychophysiological measures in a large sample (N = 212) including reinstatement and control groups. Overall, response patterns in reinstatement-groups mirrored results from single-cue rodent work. Yet, only generalized, not differential RoF was observed. Remarkably, depending on outcome measure RoF was also observed under identical experimental context conditions without US-re-exposure, underlining effects of contextual change beyond the reinstatement-US and challenging reinstatement research in human subjects and highlight that future reinstatement work should focus on the operationalization of context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Sjouwerman
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Systems Neuroscience, Hamburg, Germany; Maastricht University, Research Group Experimental Health Psychology, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - T B Lonsdorf
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Systems Neuroscience, Hamburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Stegmann Y, Schiele MA, Schümann D, Lonsdorf TB, Zwanzger P, Romanos M, Reif A, Domschke K, Deckert J, Gamer M, Pauli P. Individual differences in human fear generalization-pattern identification and implications for anxiety disorders. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:307. [PMID: 31740663 PMCID: PMC6861247 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0646-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous research indicates that anxiety disorders are characterized by an overgeneralization of conditioned fear as compared with healthy participants. Therefore, fear generalization is considered a key mechanism for the development of anxiety disorders. However, systematic investigations on the variance in fear generalization are lacking. Therefore, the current study aims at identifying distinctive phenotypes of fear generalization among healthy participants. To this end, 1175 participants completed a differential fear conditioning phase followed by a generalization test. To identify patterns of fear generalization, we used a k-means clustering algorithm based on individual arousal generalization gradients. Subsequently, we examined the reliability and validity of the clusters and phenotypical differences between subgroups on the basis of psychometric data and markers of fear expression. Cluster analysis reliably revealed five clusters that systematically differed in mean responses, differentiation between conditioned threat and safety, and linearity of the generalization gradients, though mean response levels accounted for most variance. Remarkably, the patterns of mean responses were already evident during fear acquisition and corresponded most closely to psychometric measures of anxiety traits. The identified clusters reliably described subgroups of healthy individuals with distinct response characteristics in a fear generalization test. Following a dimensional view of psychopathology, these clusters likely delineate risk factors for anxiety disorders. As crucial group characteristics were already evident during fear acquisition, our results emphasize the importance of average fear responses and differentiation between conditioned threat and safety as risk factors for anxiety disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Y Stegmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Center for Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - M A Schiele
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - D Schümann
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - T B Lonsdorf
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - P Zwanzger
- kbo-Inn-Salzach-Hospital, Wasserburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich, München, Germany
| | - M Romanos
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - A Reif
- Center for Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - K Domschke
- Center for Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for NeuroModulation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - J Deckert
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - M Gamer
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Center for Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - P Pauli
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- Center for Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lueken U, Kuhn M, Yang Y, Straube B, Kircher T, Wittchen HU, Pfleiderer B, Arolt V, Wittmann A, Ströhle A, Weber H, Reif A, Domschke K, Deckert J, Lonsdorf TB. Modulation of defensive reactivity by GLRB allelic variation: converging evidence from an intermediate phenotype approach. Transl Psychiatry 2017; 7:e1227. [PMID: 28872638 PMCID: PMC5639239 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2017.186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Representing a phylogenetically old and very basic mechanism of inhibitory neurotransmission, glycine receptors have been implicated in the modulation of behavioral components underlying defensive responding toward threat. As one of the first findings being confirmed by genome-wide association studies for the phenotype of panic disorder and agoraphobia, allelic variation in a gene coding for the glycine receptor beta subunit (GLRB) has recently been associated with increased neural fear network activation and enhanced acoustic startle reflexes. On the basis of two independent healthy control samples, we here aimed to further explore the functional significance of the GLRB genotype (rs7688285) by employing an intermediate phenotype approach. We focused on the phenotype of defensive system reactivity across the levels of brain function, structure, and physiology. Converging evidence across both samples was found for increased neurofunctional activation in the (anterior) insular cortex in GLRB risk allele carriers and altered fear conditioning as a function of genotype. The robustness of GLRB effects is demonstrated by consistent findings across different experimental fear conditioning paradigms and recording sites. Altogether, findings provide translational evidence for glycine neurotransmission as a modulator of the brain's evolutionary old dynamic defensive system and provide further support for a strong, biologically plausible candidate intermediate phenotype of defensive reactivity. As such, glycine-dependent neurotransmission may open up new avenues for mechanistic research on the etiopathogenesis of fear and anxiety disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- U Lueken
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - M Kuhn
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Y Yang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Phillips-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - B Straube
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Phillips-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - T Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Phillips-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - H-U Wittchen
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - B Pfleiderer
- Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - V Arolt
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - A Wittmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - A Ströhle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - H Weber
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - A Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - K Domschke
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - J Deckert
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - T B Lonsdorf
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|