A window of vulnerability: impaired fear extinction in adolescence.

摘要: There have been significant advances made towards understanding the processes mediating extinction of learned fear. However, despite being clear theoretical and clinical significance, very few studies examined fear in adolescence, which is often described as a developmental window vulnerability to psychological disorders. This paper reviews relatively small body research examining adolescence. A prominent finding this work that adolescents, both humans rodents, exhibit marked impairment relative younger (e.g., juvenile) older adult) groups. We then review some potential mechanisms could produce striking deficit observed For example, one neurobiological candidate mechanism for impaired adolescence involves changes functional connectivity within circuit, particularly between prefrontal cortical regions amygdala. In addition, we on emotion regulation attention suggests bias threatening cues may be cognitive mediates age-related differences learning. also examine how differential reaction chronic stress impacts upon retention during well later life. Finally, consider findings several illustrating promising approaches overcome typically-observed impairments adolescent rodents translated human adolescents.