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The effects of sex and stress hormones on classical fear conditioning have been subject of recent experimental studies. A correlation approach between basal cortisol concentrations and neuronal activation in fear-related structures seems to be a promising alternative approach in order to foster our understanding of how cortisol influences emotional learning. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging study, participants with varying sex hormone status (20 men, 15 women taking oral contraceptives, 15 women tested in the luteal phase) underwent an instructed fear conditioning protocol with geometrical figures as conditioned stimuli and an electrical stimulation as unconditioned stimulus. Salivary cortisol concentrations were measured and afterwards correlated with fear conditioned brain responses. Results revealed a positive correlation between basal cortisol levels and differential activation in the amygdala in men and OC women only. These results suggest that elevated endogenous cortisol levels are associated with enhanced fear anticipation depending on current sex hormone availability.
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Findings from animal as well as human neuroimaging studies suggest that reward delivery is associated with the activation of subcortical limbic and prefrontal brain regions, including the thalamus, the striatum, the anterior cingulate and the prefrontal cortex. The aim of the present study was to explore if these reward-sensitive regions are also activated during the anticipation of reinforcers that vary with regard to their motivational value. A differential conditioning paradigm was performed, with the presentation of a rewarded reaction time task serving as the unconditioned stimulus (US). Depending on their reaction time, subjects were given (or not given) a monetary reward, or were presented with a verbal feedback consisting of being fast or slow. In a third control condition no task needed to be executed. Each of the three conditions was introduced by a different visual cue (CS). Brain activation of 27 subjects was recorded using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging. The results showed significant activation of the substantia nigra, thalamic, striatal, and orbitofrontal brain regions as well as of the insula and the anterior cingulate during the presentation of a CS signalling a rewarded task. The anticipation of a monetary reward produced stronger activation in these regions than the anticipation of positive verbal feedback. The results are interpreted as reflecting the motivation-dependent reactivity of the brain reward system with highly motivating stimuli (monetary reward) leading to a stronger activation than those less motivating ones (verbal reward).
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- Vaitl (2)
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Thema
- Conditioning, Operant/*physiology
- Adult (2)
- Analysis of Variance (1)
- Brain/blood supply/*physiology (1)
- *Brain Mapping (1)
- Brain/*physiology (1)
- Conditioning, Classical/*physiology (1)
- Electric Stimulation (1)
- Fear/*psychology (1)
- Feedback/physiology (1)
- Female (2)
- Galvanic Skin Response/physiology (1)
- Gonadal Steroid Hormones/*blood (1)
- Gyrus Cinguli/physiology (1)
- Humans (2)
- Image Processing, Computer-Assisted (1)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (1)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods (1)
- Male (2)
- Neostriatum/physiology (1)
- Occipital Lobe/physiology (1)
- Prefrontal Cortex/physiology (1)
- Psychomotor Performance/physiology (1)
- Reaction Time (1)
- *Reward (1)
- Young Adult (1)