Visuocortical tuning to a threat-related feature persists after extinction and consolidation of conditioned fear.

Scientific Reports
Martin I AntovUrsula Stockhorst

Abstract

Neurons in the visual cortex sharpen their orientation tuning as humans learn aversive contingencies. A stimulus orientation (CS+) that reliably predicts an aversive noise (unconditioned stimulus: US) is selectively enhanced in lower-tier visual cortex, while similar unpaired orientations (CS-) are inhibited. Here, we examine in male volunteers how sharpened visual processing is affected by fear extinction learning (where no US is presented), and how fear and extinction memory undergo consolidation one day after the original learning episode. Using steady-state visually evoked potentials from electroencephalography in a fear generalization task, we found that extinction learning prompted rapid changes in orientation tuning: Both conditioned visuocortical and skin conductance responses to the CS+ were strongly reduced. Next-day re-testing (delayed recall) revealed a brief but precise return-of-tuning to the CS+ in visual cortex accompanied by a brief, more generalized return-of-fear in skin conductance. Explorative analyses also showed persistent tuning to the threat cue in higher visual areas, 24 h after successful extinction, outlasting peripheral responding. Together, experience-based changes in the sensitivity of visual neur...Continue Reading

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Citations

Sep 10, 2020·Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience·Siyang YinMingzhou Ding
May 20, 2020·International Journal of Psychophysiology : Official Journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology·Matthias J Wieser, Andreas Keil
May 26, 2021·Psychophysiology·Javier de Echegaray, Stephan Moratti
Aug 5, 2021·Scientific Reports·Yannik StegmannMatthias J Wieser

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Key Resources (RRID) Mentioned

SCR_002881

Software Mentioned

Psychophysics Toolbox
BrainVision Analyzer
MATLAB
EMEGS

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