Observation of others' threat reactions recovers memories previously shaped by firsthand experiences

TY - JOUR

T1 - Observation of others' threat reactions recovers memories previously shaped by firsthand experiences

AU - Haaker, Jan

AU - Diaz-Mataix, Lorenzo

AU - Guillazo-Blanch, Gemma

AU - Stark, Sara A

AU - Kern, Lea

AU - LeDoux, Joseph E

AU - Olsson, Andreas

N1 - Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

PY - 2021/7/27

Y1 - 2021/7/27

N2 - Information about dangers can spread effectively by observation of others' threat responses. Yet, it is unclear if such observational threat information interacts with associative memories that are shaped by the individual's direct, firsthand experiences. Here, we show in humans and rats that the mere observation of a conspecific's threat reactions reinstates previously learned and extinguished threat responses in the observer. In two experiments, human participants displayed elevated physiological responses to threat-conditioned cues after observational reinstatement in a context-specific manner. The elevation of physiological responses (arousal) was further specific to the context that was observed as dangerous. An analogous experiment in rats provided converging results by demonstrating reinstatement of defensive behavior after observing another rat's threat reactions. Taken together, our findings provide cross-species evidence that observation of others' threat reactions can recover associations previously shaped by direct, firsthand aversive experiences. Our study offers a perspective on how retrieval of threat memories draws from associative mechanisms that might underlie both observations of others' and firsthand experiences.

AB - Information about dangers can spread effectively by observation of others' threat responses. Yet, it is unclear if such observational threat information interacts with associative memories that are shaped by the individual's direct, firsthand experiences. Here, we show in humans and rats that the mere observation of a conspecific's threat reactions reinstates previously learned and extinguished threat responses in the observer. In two experiments, human participants displayed elevated physiological responses to threat-conditioned cues after observational reinstatement in a context-specific manner. The elevation of physiological responses (arousal) was further specific to the context that was observed as dangerous. An analogous experiment in rats provided converging results by demonstrating reinstatement of defensive behavior after observing another rat's threat reactions. Taken together, our findings provide cross-species evidence that observation of others' threat reactions can recover associations previously shaped by direct, firsthand aversive experiences. Our study offers a perspective on how retrieval of threat memories draws from associative mechanisms that might underlie both observations of others' and firsthand experiences.

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.2101290118

DO - 10.1073/pnas.2101290118

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 34301895

VL - 118

SP - e2101290118

JO - P NATL ACAD SCI USA

JF - P NATL ACAD SCI USA

SN - 0027-8424

IS - 30

ER -