Arousal modulation of memory and amygdala-parahippocampal connectivity: A PET-psychophysiology study in specific phobia

Fredrik Åhs; Åsa Michelgård Palmquist; Anna Pissiota; Lieuwe Appel; Örjan Frans; Israel Liberzon; Tomas Furmark; Mats Fredrikson

doi:10.1111/j.1469-8986.2011.01231.x

Arousal modulation of memory and amygdala-parahippocampal connectivity: A PET-psychophysiology study in specific phobia

Fredrik Åhs, Åsa Michelgård Palmquist, Anna Pissiota, Lieuwe Appel, Örjan Frans, Israel Liberzon, Tomas Furmark, Mats Fredrikson

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Phobic fear is accompanied by intense bodily responses modulated by the amygdala. An amygdala moderated psychophysiological measure related to arousal is electrodermal activity. We evaluated the contributions of electrodermal activity to amygdala-parahippocampal regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during phobic memory encoding in subjects with spider or snake phobia. Recognition memory was increased for phobia-related slides and covaried with rCBF in the amygdala and the parahippocampal gyrus. The covariation between parahippocampal rCBF and recognition was related to electrodermal activity suggesting that parahippocampal memory processes were associated with sympathetic activity. Electrodermal activity further mediated the amygdala effect on parahippocampal activity. Memory encoding during phobic fear therefore seems contingent on amygdala's influence on arousal and parahippocampal activity.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1463-1469
Number of pages	7
Journal	Psychophysiology
Volume	48
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.2011.01231.x
State	Published - Nov 2011

Keywords

Amygdala
Anxiety
Electrodermal
FMRI/PET/MRI
Learning/Memory
Parahippocampal gyrus

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
Physiology
Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Physiology (medical)

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10.1111/j.1469-8986.2011.01231.x

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title = "Arousal modulation of memory and amygdala-parahippocampal connectivity: A PET-psychophysiology study in specific phobia",

abstract = "Phobic fear is accompanied by intense bodily responses modulated by the amygdala. An amygdala moderated psychophysiological measure related to arousal is electrodermal activity. We evaluated the contributions of electrodermal activity to amygdala-parahippocampal regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during phobic memory encoding in subjects with spider or snake phobia. Recognition memory was increased for phobia-related slides and covaried with rCBF in the amygdala and the parahippocampal gyrus. The covariation between parahippocampal rCBF and recognition was related to electrodermal activity suggesting that parahippocampal memory processes were associated with sympathetic activity. Electrodermal activity further mediated the amygdala effect on parahippocampal activity. Memory encoding during phobic fear therefore seems contingent on amygdala's influence on arousal and parahippocampal activity.",

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AU - Palmquist, Åsa Michelgård

AU - Pissiota, Anna

AU - Appel, Lieuwe

AU - Frans, Örjan

AU - Liberzon, Israel

AU - Furmark, Tomas

AU - Fredrikson, Mats

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KW - Amygdala

KW - Anxiety

KW - Electrodermal

KW - FMRI/PET/MRI

KW - Learning/Memory

KW - Parahippocampal gyrus

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Arousal modulation of memory and amygdala-parahippocampal connectivity: A PET-psychophysiology study in specific phobia

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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