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Lower estradiol predicts increased reinstatement of fear in women

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-20, 23:32 authored by Kim FelminghamKim Felmingham, Caruana, JM, Miller, LN, Ney, LJ, Daniel ZujDaniel Zuj, Chia-Ming HsuChia-Ming Hsu, Emma Nicholson, To, A, Bryant, RA
Low levels of estradiol in women have been associated with impaired fear extinction recall, with suggestions this may promote the return of fear and heighten the female vulnerability for anxiety disorders. A particularly important measure for the return of fear is reinstatement, but no human studies to date have examined the impact of estradiol on fear reinstatement. Forty-two healthy females completed a differential fear conditioning, extinction and reinstatement task with skin conductance response (SCR) amplitude indexing level of conditioned fear. Saliva samples were taken to measure estradiol and progesterone. To examine fear reinstatement, SCR amplitude was compared between the last trial of the late extinction phase to the first re-extinction trial following the unsignaled presentation of two aversive electric shocks. No significant effects of estradiol were found for acquisition of fear conditioning or fear extinction learning. Lower estradiol predicted a significantly larger generalized SCR amplitude at re-extinction (post-reinstatement) in women. This provides novel evidence suggesting a protective role of estradiol in potentially reducing the relapse of fear following re-exposure to aversive stimuli, although further research is necessary in clinical populations to clarify this effect.

History

Publication title

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Volume

142

Article number

103875

Number

103875

Pagination

1-7

ISSN

0005-7967

Department/School

School of Psychological Sciences

Publisher

Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd

Place of publication

The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, England, Ox5 1Gb

Rights statement

© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Mental health

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