催产素影响恐惧习得和消退的认知神经机制

恐惧是一种基本的情绪, 在人类的生存和适应中发挥着重要作用。先前的研究表明, 杏仁核、背侧前扣带回、脑岛等脑区是条件化恐惧习得的认知神经基础, 杏仁核、海马和腹内侧前额叶等脑区在恐惧消退过程中发挥重要作用。研究发现, 催产素与恐惧习得和恐惧消退过程密切相关。恐惧习得过程中, 催产素影响杏仁核、背侧前扣带回的活动, 影响杏仁核与背侧前扣带回和脑干间的功能连接, 促进或抑制恐惧习得过程; 恐惧消退过程中, 催产素影响了杏仁核和腹内侧前额叶的活动, 并且影响杏仁核与内侧前额叶和海马间的功能连接, 促进或抑制恐惧消退过程。未来研究应从性别差异、神经网络模型、身心发育和病理研究等角度展开, 力图深入理解催产素影响恐惧情绪加工的认知神经机制。

Cognitive neural mechanisms underlying the impact of oxytocin on fear acquisition and extinction

Fear is a basic emotion that plays an important role in human survival and adaptation.The amygdala,dorsal anterior cingulate cortex(dACC)and insula play important roles in fear acquisition,and the amygdala,hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex are required for fear extinction.Oxytocin serves a crucial role in the processes of fear acquisition and extinction.Oxytocin can effect fear acquisition,not only by effecting the amygdala and dACC activity,but also by effecting the functional connectivity between amygdala and dACC and brainstem.Moreover,oxytocin can effect fear extinction through effecting the activity of ventromedial prefrontal cortex(vmPFC)and the functional coupling between amygdala and vmPFC as well as regulating the activity of amygdala.Future studies should focus on gender differences,neural network model and the cognitive neural mechanisms underlying the impact of oxytocin on fear consolidation and reconsolidation to further reveal how oxytocin influences fear processing.