A novel paradigm to study interpersonal threat-related learning and extinction in children using virtual reality.

ABSTRACT: Disruptions in fear-extinction learning are centrally implicated in a range of stress-related disorders, including anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. Given that these disorders frequently begin in childhood/adolescence, an understanding of fear-extinction learning in children is essential for (1) detecting the source of developmental susceptibility, (2) identifying mechanisms leading to pathology, and (3) informing the development and/or more judicious application of treatments for youth. Here, we offer and validate a novel virtual reality paradigm to study threat-related learning and extinction in children that models real-world cues, environments, and fear-inducing events that children are likely to experience, and are linked to the development of fear- and stress-related patholo

SUBMITTER: Marusak HA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5715118 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature