Examining the Relationship Between Trait Anxiety, Cortisol, and Fear Extinction
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders in the United States affecting 6.51% of people including men and women (Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, 2019). State anxiety refers to the psychological and physiological reactions based on situations at a specific time. In contrast, trait anxiety refers to a type of anxiety that an individual possesses as a personality trait (Leal et al., 2017). Cortisol dysregulation is strongly associated with fear and anxiety, and individuals who have experienced stress and trauma often show dysregulation of the HPA-axis including cortisol abnormalities (Merz et al., 2018). A way that anxiety disorders are studied is using a Fear-potentiated Startle (FPS) Paradigm. The FPS paradigm is well established as a noninvasive tool to measure amygdala activity and characterize biological correlates of fear learning. The FPS Paradigm includes two phases: Fear Acquisition and Fear Extinction. FPS measures startle amplitude (µV) in the presence of a reinforced conditioned stimulus (CS+), as well as during exposure to a non-reinforced conditioned stimulus (CS-). A psychological process known as Fear Extinction involves a reduction in fear responding after repeated exposure to the threat cue (CS+) without the US (reinforced) pairing. (Myers et al., 2006).
The aims of the current study include 1) examining the relationship among participants’ status of trait-anxiety and their performance on Fear Extinction using the FPS Paradigm, and 2) exploring how the participants’ extinction performance and anxiety status relate to their cortisol levels.
In this study, participants will be divided into high and low groups based on their self-reported trait anxiety status. The participants will complete a self-reported trait anxiety scale (Spielberger, 1983). This relationship will be analyzed with salivary cortisol levels and their performance on fear extinction. Salivary cortisol levels will be analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Shimada et al., 1995). We hypothesize that there will be a significant correlation between participants' trait anxiety status and their performance on fear extinction. We also hypothesize that their cortisol levels will be in trend with their performance.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Psychological Science
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Ebony Glover
Additional Faculty
Sharon Pearcey, Spearcey@kennesaw.edu
Examining the Relationship Between Trait Anxiety, Cortisol, and Fear Extinction
Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders in the United States affecting 6.51% of people including men and women (Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, 2019). State anxiety refers to the psychological and physiological reactions based on situations at a specific time. In contrast, trait anxiety refers to a type of anxiety that an individual possesses as a personality trait (Leal et al., 2017). Cortisol dysregulation is strongly associated with fear and anxiety, and individuals who have experienced stress and trauma often show dysregulation of the HPA-axis including cortisol abnormalities (Merz et al., 2018). A way that anxiety disorders are studied is using a Fear-potentiated Startle (FPS) Paradigm. The FPS paradigm is well established as a noninvasive tool to measure amygdala activity and characterize biological correlates of fear learning. The FPS Paradigm includes two phases: Fear Acquisition and Fear Extinction. FPS measures startle amplitude (µV) in the presence of a reinforced conditioned stimulus (CS+), as well as during exposure to a non-reinforced conditioned stimulus (CS-). A psychological process known as Fear Extinction involves a reduction in fear responding after repeated exposure to the threat cue (CS+) without the US (reinforced) pairing. (Myers et al., 2006).
The aims of the current study include 1) examining the relationship among participants’ status of trait-anxiety and their performance on Fear Extinction using the FPS Paradigm, and 2) exploring how the participants’ extinction performance and anxiety status relate to their cortisol levels.
In this study, participants will be divided into high and low groups based on their self-reported trait anxiety status. The participants will complete a self-reported trait anxiety scale (Spielberger, 1983). This relationship will be analyzed with salivary cortisol levels and their performance on fear extinction. Salivary cortisol levels will be analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Shimada et al., 1995). We hypothesize that there will be a significant correlation between participants' trait anxiety status and their performance on fear extinction. We also hypothesize that their cortisol levels will be in trend with their performance.