Negar Fani|Erin Mcclure-Tone|Justine Phifer|Seth D. Norrholm|Bekh Bradley|Kerry J. Ressler|Asante R. Kamkwalala|Tanja Jovanovi?
Attention bias toward threat is associated with exaggerated fear expression and impaired extinction in PTSD
Georgia State University
posttraumatic stress disorder ptsd develops minority traumatized individuals attention biases threat abnormalities fear learning extinction processes likely play critical role creation andor maintenance ptsd symptomatology however relationship processes established particularly highly traumatized populations understanding interaction help inform neural network models treatments ptsdattention biases measured using dot probe task modified use population task stimuli included photographs angry facial expressions emotionally salient threat signals fearpotentiated startle paradigm employed measure atypical physiological response acquisition extinction phases fear learning measures administered sample 64 minority largely african american highly traumatized individuals without ptsdparticipants ptsd demonstrated attention biases toward threat attentional style associated exaggerated startle response fear learning early middle phases extinction even accounting effects trauma exposureour findings indicate attentional bias toward threat associated abnormalities fear load ptsd providing seminal evidence interaction two processes future research combining behavioral psychophysiological techniques neuroimaging useful toward addressing one process may modulate understanding whether phenomena manifestations dysfunction within shared neural network ultimately may serve inform ptsd treatments specifically designed correct atypical processes