Cortisol enhances neural differentiation during fear acquisition and extinction in contingency aware young women.
Previously, we observed cortisol induced enhancement of neural fear acquisition in women. Yet, less is known about cortisol effects on neural fear extinction. Via differential fear conditioning, we explored cortisol effects on acquisition and extinction. Twenty contingency aware women taking monophasic oral contraceptives were included; 10 received placebo, 10 cortisol before conditioning. Group differences emerged in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), hippocampus, and--as trend--in insula and thalamus during acquisition and in hippocampus, thalamus, and--as trend--in amygdala, insula, and ACC during extinction. During acquisition group differences were due to higher responses to the CS+ than to the CS- in the cortisol group. Notably, during extinction, group differences were due to higher responses to the CS- than to the CS+ in this group. Thus, cortisol induced a fear acquisition and extinction specific enhanced neural differentiation.
Tabbert
Katharina
K
Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, University of Giessen, Otto-Behaghel-Strasse 10H, 35394 Giessen, Germany. tabbert@bion.de
Merz
Christian J
CJ
Klucken
Tim
T
Schweckendiek
Jan
J
Vaitl
Dieter
D
Wolf
Oliver T
OT
Stark
Rudolf
R
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D001364:Awareness / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D006854:Hydrocortisone