International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology
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Int J Psychophysiol · May 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialPreexposure to (un)predictable shock modulates discriminative fear learning between cue and context: an investigation of the interaction between fear and anxiety.
It has been suggested that prior experiences with unpredictable/uncontrollable stressors facilitate subsequent fear learning and the development of anxiety disorders. However, animal research documents that preexposure to unpredictable stressors (USs) impede later fear conditioning with that US. These differential predictions were tested in a human experimental model of clinical anxiety. ⋯ Fear responding was assessed through startle modulation and online shock-expectancy ratings. Results showed retarded fear learning in the unpredictable groups compared to the predictable group. We argue that prior experiences of unpredictability may still contribute to the development of clinical anxiety, by impeding adaptive fear learning and perpetuating the perception of unpredictability/uncontrollability.