Differential neural decoding of alarm and avoidance information from vocal alarm calls in humans.

ABSTRACT: Many animals and humans use scream calls to signal imminent threats, which typically evoke alarm and escape responses in recipients. Compared to animals, human scream calls are more diversified with varying levels of alarm signaling. Certain low-alarm human screams thus might not elicit full neural alarm cascades and threat avoidance actions. Here we investigated the neural circuits for decoding alarm and avoid-approach information from positive and negative scream calls in humans. Alarm and avoid-approach decisions showed minimal neural overlap, with alarm decisions recruiting neural cascades of sensory-affective decoding for action preparation, whereas avoid-approach judgments recruited neural systems for spatio-affective decoding for social decision-making. Furthermore, decision pattern

SUBMITTER: Beinnes GK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12117006 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature