The influence of serotonin on fear learning.
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The influence of serotonin on fear learning. / Hindi Attar, Catherine; Finckh, Barbara; Büchel, Christian.
In: PLOS ONE, Vol. 7, No. 8, 8, 2012, p. 42397.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The influence of serotonin on fear learning.
AU - Hindi Attar, Catherine
AU - Finckh, Barbara
AU - Büchel, Christian
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Learning of associations between aversive stimuli and predictive cues is the basis of Pavlovian fear conditioning and is driven by a mismatch between expectation and outcome. To investigate whether serotonin modulates the formation of such aversive cue-outcome associations, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and dietary tryptophan depletion to reduce brain serotonin (5-HT) levels in healthy human subjects. In a Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigm, 5-HT depleted subjects compared to a non-depleted control group exhibited attenuated autonomic responses to cues indicating the upcoming of an aversive event. These results were closely paralleled by reduced aversive learning signals in the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex, two prominent structures of the neural fear circuit. In agreement with current theories of serotonin as a motivational opponent system to dopamine in fear learning, our data provide first empirical evidence for a role of serotonin in representing formally derived learning signals for aversive events.
AB - Learning of associations between aversive stimuli and predictive cues is the basis of Pavlovian fear conditioning and is driven by a mismatch between expectation and outcome. To investigate whether serotonin modulates the formation of such aversive cue-outcome associations, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and dietary tryptophan depletion to reduce brain serotonin (5-HT) levels in healthy human subjects. In a Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigm, 5-HT depleted subjects compared to a non-depleted control group exhibited attenuated autonomic responses to cues indicating the upcoming of an aversive event. These results were closely paralleled by reduced aversive learning signals in the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex, two prominent structures of the neural fear circuit. In agreement with current theories of serotonin as a motivational opponent system to dopamine in fear learning, our data provide first empirical evidence for a role of serotonin in representing formally derived learning signals for aversive events.
KW - Adult
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Time Factors
KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging
KW - Brain Mapping
KW - Learning/physiology
KW - Amygdala/physiology
KW - Autonomic Nervous System
KW - Drinking Behavior
KW - Fear/physiology
KW - Serotonin/metabolism
KW - Tryptophan/metabolism
KW - Adult
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Time Factors
KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging
KW - Brain Mapping
KW - Learning/physiology
KW - Amygdala/physiology
KW - Autonomic Nervous System
KW - Drinking Behavior
KW - Fear/physiology
KW - Serotonin/metabolism
KW - Tryptophan/metabolism
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0042397
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0042397
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
VL - 7
SP - 42397
JO - PLOS ONE
JF - PLOS ONE
SN - 1932-6203
IS - 8
M1 - 8
ER -