Human fear-related motor neurocircuitry.

Publication Type Academic Article
Authors Butler T, Pan H, Tuescher O, Engelien A, Goldstein M, Epstein J, Weisholtz D, Root J, Protopopescu X, Cunningham-Bussel A, Chang L, Xie X, Chen Q, Phelps E, Ledoux J, Stern E, Silbersweig D
Journal Neuroscience
Volume 150
Issue 1
Pagination 1-7
Date Published 09/26/2007
ISSN 0306-4522
Keywords Brain Mapping, Fear, Motor Cortex, Neural Pathways
Abstract Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and an experimental paradigm of instructed fear, we observed a striking pattern of decreased activity in primary motor cortex with increased activity in dorsal basal ganglia during anticipation of aversive electrodermal stimulation in 42 healthy participants. We interpret this pattern of activity in motor neurocircuitry in response to cognitively-induced fear in relation to evolutionarily-conserved responses to threat that may be relevant to understanding normal and pathological fear in humans.
DOI 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.09.048
PubMed ID 17980493
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