Inhibition of Fear by Learned Safety Signals: A Mini-Symposium Review

• Authors: John P. Christianson, University of Colorado; Anushka B. P. Fernando, University of Cambridge; Andrew Kazama, Emory University; Tanja Jovanovic, Emory University; Linnaea E. Ostroff, New York University; Susan Sangha, University of California San Francisco
• Journal Title: Journal of Neuroscience Nursing
• Volume: Volume 32, Number 41
• Publisher: Society for Neuroscience | 2012-10-10, Pages 14118-14124
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3340-12.2012
• Subjects: Biology, Neuroscience; Psychology, Behavioral
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Neurosciences; Neurosciences & Neurology; POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER; POTENTIATED STARTLE PARADIGM; MEDIAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX; FEATURE-NEGATIVE DISCRIMINATION; SENSORY INSULAR CORTEX; CONDITIONED INHIBITION; ORBITOFRONTAL CORTEX; BASOLATERAL AMYGDALA; INESCAPABLE SHOCK; AVERSIVE STIMULI

Abstract

Safety signals are learned cues that predict the nonoccurrenceofanaversive event. As such, safety signals are potent inhibitorsof fear and stress responses. Investigations of safety signal learning have increased over the last few years due in part to the finding that traumatized persons are unable to use safety cues to inhibit fear, making it a clinically relevant phenotype. The goal of this review is to present recent advances relating to the neural and behavioral mechanisms of safety learning, and expression in rodents, nonhuman primates, and humans.