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A more generalized fear response after a daytime nap

Davidson, Per LU ; Carlsson, Ingegerd LU ; Jönsson, Peter and Johansson, Mikael LU orcid (2018) In Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 151. p.18-27
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine how a daytime nap affected the consolidation of fear learning. Participants first underwent fear conditioning during which they were exposed to a large and a small circle. One of these was repeatedly paired with an electric shock (making it the CS+), whereas the other circle was never paired with the shock (the CS−). After a delay interval containing either a nap or wake, participants again viewed the CS+ and the CS− intermixed with eight novel circles that varied in size between the two stimuli seen before, as well as a blue triangle that served as a novel stimulus without prior fear relevance. We examined both fear retention (the difference between the CS+ and the CS−) and fear generalization... (More)
The aim of this study was to examine how a daytime nap affected the consolidation of fear learning. Participants first underwent fear conditioning during which they were exposed to a large and a small circle. One of these was repeatedly paired with an electric shock (making it the CS+), whereas the other circle was never paired with the shock (the CS−). After a delay interval containing either a nap or wake, participants again viewed the CS+ and the CS− intermixed with eight novel circles that varied in size between the two stimuli seen before, as well as a blue triangle that served as a novel stimulus without prior fear relevance. We examined both fear retention (the difference between the CS+ and the CS−) and fear generalization (responses to the novel stimuli based on their similarity to the original CS+). Contrary to previous studies, results from the participants who acquired a differentiated fear response during the acquisition phase revealed that the wake group showed significantly larger skin conductance responses to the CS+ compared to the CS−, whereas no such difference was present in the sleep group. These results were not driven by differences in explicit memory or by differences in general reactivity. Analyzing responses to the novel stimuli revealed a tendency towards a more generalized response in the sleep group, with no differences between the CS+ and any other stimulus, whereas the wake group showed increased responses to the stimuli depending on their similarity to the original CS+. This effect was however only present when controlling for baseline differences in worry. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
volume
151
pages
18 - 27
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85044786724
  • pmid:29551602
ISSN
1074-7427
DOI
10.1016/j.nlm.2018.03.005
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2d48c4a4-abbe-49f3-9041-81644ad91cb2
date added to LUP
2018-03-09 13:04:45
date last changed
2022-03-09 17:32:25
@article{2d48c4a4-abbe-49f3-9041-81644ad91cb2,
  abstract     = {{The aim of this study was to examine how a daytime nap affected the consolidation of fear learning. Participants first underwent fear conditioning during which they were exposed to a large and a small circle. One of these was repeatedly paired with an electric shock (making it the CS+), whereas the other circle was never paired with the shock (the CS−). After a delay interval containing either a nap or wake, participants again viewed the CS+ and the CS− intermixed with eight novel circles that varied in size between the two stimuli seen before, as well as a blue triangle that served as a novel stimulus without prior fear relevance. We examined both fear retention (the difference between the CS+ and the CS−) and fear generalization (responses to the novel stimuli based on their similarity to the original CS+). Contrary to previous studies, results from the participants who acquired a differentiated fear response during the acquisition phase revealed that the wake group showed significantly larger skin conductance responses to the CS+ compared to the CS−, whereas no such difference was present in the sleep group. These results were not driven by differences in explicit memory or by differences in general reactivity. Analyzing responses to the novel stimuli revealed a tendency towards a more generalized response in the sleep group, with no differences between the CS+ and any other stimulus, whereas the wake group showed increased responses to the stimuli depending on their similarity to the original CS+. This effect was however only present when controlling for baseline differences in worry.}},
  author       = {{Davidson, Per and Carlsson, Ingegerd and Jönsson, Peter and Johansson, Mikael}},
  issn         = {{1074-7427}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  pages        = {{18--27}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Neurobiology of Learning and Memory}},
  title        = {{A more generalized fear response after a daytime nap}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2018.03.005}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.nlm.2018.03.005}},
  volume       = {{151}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}