Neural underpinnings of contingency awareness in human fear conditioning

Abstract

Introduction

The recognition of the conditioned-unconditioned stimulus (CS-US) association in classical conditioning is referred to as contingency awareness. The neural underpinnings of contingency awareness in human fear conditioning are poorly understood.

Objectives

We aimed to explore the EEG correlates of contingency awareness.

Methods

Here, we recorded electroencephalography (EEG) from a sample of 20 participants in a semantic conditioning experiment. In the acquisition phase the participants were presented with sequences of words from two semantic categories paired with tactile stimulation followed by presentation of a neutral sound (US-) ((e.g., animals -> left hand vibration -> US-, clothes -> right hand vibration -> US-). In the test phase the association violated in 50% of trials which followed by a presentation of a loud noise (US+). The participants were only instructed to listen carefully. On the basis of self-reported contingency awareness, twenty participants were divided in aware (N=12) and unaware (N=8) group.

Results

The aware group expressed a non-lateralized effect of alpha-beta (12-23 Hz) suppression along with a more negative CNV at central channels preceding presentation of the vibration (main effect of Group). Also, CNV was more negative in expectation of US+ comparing with expectation of US- in the aware group but not in the unaware group.

Conclusions

The results indicate that contingency awareness is accompanied by neural patterns reflecting expectation as can be seen in the suppression of somatosensory alpha-beta activity before expected presentation of the vibration as well as in CNV in expectation of an aversive event.