Neural circuitry underlying effects of context on human pain-related fear extinction in a renewal paradigm.

摘要: Objectives The role of context in pain-related extinction learning remains poorly understood. We analyzed the neural mechanisms underlying context-dependent and renewal a clinically relevant model conditioned abdominal fear. Experimental design: In this functional magnetic resonance imaging study, two groups healthy volunteers underwent differential fear conditioning with painful rectal distensions as unconditioned stimuli (US) visual (CS+; CS−). The was changed an experimental group (context group), which subsequently returned into original to test for renewal. No changes occurred control group. Group differences CS-induced activation were along skin conductance responses (SCR), CS valence CS-US contingency ratings. Principal observations: During extinction, observed dorsolateral (dlPFC) ventromedial (vmPFC) prefrontal cortex amygdala, mainly driven by enhanced response CS− renewal, dlPFC orbitofrontal (OFC) resulted primarily from modulation absence CS+ or SCR. Conclusion The affects processing nonpain predictive safety cues, supporting memory processes. Hum Brain Mapp 36:3179–3193, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.