Fear conditioning and extinction: Emotional states encoded by distinct signaling pathways

Natalie C. Tronson; Kevin A. Corcoran; Vladimir Jovasevic; Jelena Radulovic

doi:10.1016/j.tins.2011.10.003

Fear conditioning and extinction: Emotional states encoded by distinct signaling pathways

Natalie C. Tronson, Kevin A. Corcoran, Vladimir Jovasevic, Jelena Radulovic^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

76 Scopus citations

Abstract

Conditioning and extinction of fear have traditionally been viewed as two independent learning processes for encoding representations of contexts or cues (conditioned stimuli, CS), aversive events (unconditioned stimuli, US), and their relationship. Based on the analysis of protein kinase signaling patterns in neurons of the fear circuit, we propose that fear and extinction are best conceptualized as emotional states triggered by a single CS representation with two opposing values: aversive and non-aversive. These values are conferred by the presence or absence of the US and encoded by distinct sets of kinase signaling pathways and their downstream targets. Modulating specific protein kinases thus has the potential to modify emotional states, and hence, may emerge as a promising treatment for anxiety disorders.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	145-155
Number of pages	11
Journal	Trends in Neurosciences
Volume	35
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2011.10.003
State	Published - Mar 2012

Funding

We would like to thank Anita L. Guedea, Yomayra F. Guzman and Katherine L. Leaderbrand for their helpful comments on the manuscript, Ivan Jovasevic for helping us with the graph design, and Dan Sylvester for assistance with the manuscript preparation. This review was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Mental Health (R01MH073669, R01MH078064 to J.R., K99MH093459 to N.C.T. and K12GM088020 to K.A.C.) and Dunbar Funds (to J.R.).

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Neuroscience

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10.1016/j.tins.2011.10.003

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title = "Fear conditioning and extinction: Emotional states encoded by distinct signaling pathways",

abstract = "Conditioning and extinction of fear have traditionally been viewed as two independent learning processes for encoding representations of contexts or cues (conditioned stimuli, CS), aversive events (unconditioned stimuli, US), and their relationship. Based on the analysis of protein kinase signaling patterns in neurons of the fear circuit, we propose that fear and extinction are best conceptualized as emotional states triggered by a single CS representation with two opposing values: aversive and non-aversive. These values are conferred by the presence or absence of the US and encoded by distinct sets of kinase signaling pathways and their downstream targets. Modulating specific protein kinases thus has the potential to modify emotional states, and hence, may emerge as a promising treatment for anxiety disorders.",

author = "Tronson, {Natalie C.} and Corcoran, {Kevin A.} and Vladimir Jovasevic and Jelena Radulovic",

note = "Funding Information: We would like to thank Anita L. Guedea, Yomayra F. Guzman and Katherine L. Leaderbrand for their helpful comments on the manuscript, Ivan Jovasevic for helping us with the graph design, and Dan Sylvester for assistance with the manuscript preparation. This review was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Mental Health (R01MH073669, R01MH078064 to J.R., K99MH093459 to N.C.T. and K12GM088020 to K.A.C.) and Dunbar Funds (to J.R.). ",

year = "2012",

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T2 - Emotional states encoded by distinct signaling pathways

AU - Tronson, Natalie C.

AU - Corcoran, Kevin A.

AU - Jovasevic, Vladimir

AU - Radulovic, Jelena

N1 - Funding Information: We would like to thank Anita L. Guedea, Yomayra F. Guzman and Katherine L. Leaderbrand for their helpful comments on the manuscript, Ivan Jovasevic for helping us with the graph design, and Dan Sylvester for assistance with the manuscript preparation. This review was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Mental Health (R01MH073669, R01MH078064 to J.R., K99MH093459 to N.C.T. and K12GM088020 to K.A.C.) and Dunbar Funds (to J.R.).

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AB - Conditioning and extinction of fear have traditionally been viewed as two independent learning processes for encoding representations of contexts or cues (conditioned stimuli, CS), aversive events (unconditioned stimuli, US), and their relationship. Based on the analysis of protein kinase signaling patterns in neurons of the fear circuit, we propose that fear and extinction are best conceptualized as emotional states triggered by a single CS representation with two opposing values: aversive and non-aversive. These values are conferred by the presence or absence of the US and encoded by distinct sets of kinase signaling pathways and their downstream targets. Modulating specific protein kinases thus has the potential to modify emotional states, and hence, may emerge as a promising treatment for anxiety disorders.

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Fear conditioning and extinction: Emotional states encoded by distinct signaling pathways

Abstract

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ASJC Scopus subject areas

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