RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Fear learning sculpts functional brain connectivity at rest beyond the traditional fear network in humans
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2020.05.26.115840
DO 10.1101/2020.05.26.115840
A1 Christoph Fraenz
A1 Dorothea Metzen
A1 Christian J. Merz
A1 Helene Selpien
A1 Patrick Friedrich
A1 Sebastian Ocklenburg
A1 Nikolai Axmacher
A1 Erhan Genç
YR 2020
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/05/28/2020.05.26.115840.abstract
AB Neuroscientific research has identified specific brain networks involved in the acquisition of fear memories. Using fMRI to assess changes in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) induced by fear acquisition, single brain regions from these networks have also been linked to fear memory consolidation. However, previous studies only examined RSFC changes within restricted sets of brain regions or without a proper control group, leaving our knowledge about fear consolidation outside of traditional fear networks incomplete. Here, we tested a group of 84 healthy participants in a differential fear conditioning paradigm and quantified RSFC changes between 358 cortical and 16 subcortical brain areas. Subsequent to fear learning, 21 functional connections exhibited significant RSFC changes. Importantly, these connections were not restricted to the traditional fear networks but also comprised various frontal and visual areas. Our findings indicate that fear memory consolidation is a complex process that integrates relevant information across the entire brain.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.