A1 Journal article (refereed)
Common and separable behavioral and neural mechanisms underlie the generalization of fear and disgust (2022)

Wang, J., Sun, X., Becker, B., & Lei, Y. (2022). Common and separable behavioral and neural mechanisms underlie the generalization of fear and disgust. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 116, Article 110519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110519

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Wang, Jinxia; Sun, Xiaoying; Becker, Benjamin; Lei, Yi

Journal or series: Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry

ISSN: 0278-5846

eISSN: 1878-4216

Publication year: 2022

Volume: 116

Article number: 110519

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Publication country: Netherlands

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110519

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access: 

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/80131

Abstract

Generalization represents the transfer of a conditioned responses to stimuli that resemble the conditioned stimulus (CS). Previous studies on generalization of defensive avoidance responses have primarily focused on fear and have neglected disgust generalization, which represents a key pathological mechanism in some anxiety disorders. In the present study we examined common and distinct mechanisms of fear and disgust generalization by means of a fear or disgust multi-CS conditioning and generalization paradigm with concomitant event-related potential (ERPs) acquisition in n = 62 subjects. We demonstrate that compared to fear, disgust-relevant generalized stimuli (GS) elicited larger expectancy ratings and longer reaction times (RTs) reflecting stronger ratings of ‘risk’. On the electrophysiological level, increased P2 amplitudes were found in response to conditioned CS+ versus CS− across both domains, possibly reflecting higher motivational and attentional salience of aversive conditioned stimuli per se. Contingent negative variation (CNV) amplitude was significantly larger for disgust-CS+ than disgust-CS−, showing stronger preparation of the disgust US. Additionally, we found that the contingent negative variation (CNV) fear generalization gradient, and CNV amplitude were increased with similarity to CS+. In contrast the CNV to disgust-GS did not differ and did not reflect disgust generalization. Together this may indicate that the CNV represents a highly fear-specific index for generalization learning. This study provides the first neurobiological evidence for common and distinct generalization learning in fear versus disgust suggesting that dysregulations in separable defensive avoidance mechanisms may underly different anxiety disorder subtypes.

Keywords: aversion; fear (emotions); generalisation; conditioning (passive); stimuli (role related to effect); defence mechanisms (mental phenomena); anxiety disorders

Free keywords: multi-conditioned stimulus conditioning; fear; disgust; event-related potentials; defensive responses

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2022

JUFO rating: 1