Neural correlates of appetitive extinction processes

在临床心理学的背景下，条件反射和消退过程及其长期稳定性是治疗成瘾和恐惧障碍的重要模型。尽管人们已经对恐惧消退进行了相当详细的研究，并且研究结果影响了治疗，但对食欲消退的研究相对较少。在这种情况下，记忆消退被认为是重要的，因为不同的研究可以证明治疗效果随着时间的推移而降低，复发增加。本研究的目的是探讨食欲消退与长期回忆的神经关系。计划进行一项纵向研究，以调查为期6个月的食欲消退过程。第一天将进行食欲条件反射范式，其中中性刺激（CS+）与积极刺激（金钱）反复配对，而第二个中性刺激预测没有奖励。在第二天，将进行一个消退范式，其中两种刺激（CS+和CS-）都将在没有强化的情况下呈现。消失回忆将在第三天和六个月后进行，这两个刺激将在没有强化的情况下再次呈现。每天同时测量皮肤电导反应、主观评分和bold活性。此外，由于多巴胺能Taq1a多态性（DRD2）与学习和奖励过程的关系以及与成瘾障碍和复发的关系，我们将对其进行探索性分析。提交的项目将提供有关食欲灭绝过程及其长期稳定性的宝贵信息。此外，该项目还可以确定与长期成功灭绝有关的具体因素。这可能会进一步深入了解食欲条件刺激的消退过程。此外，可以开发成瘾障碍治疗和复发预防的临床模型。因此，潜在的研究结果可以通过调查灭绝过程的稳定性和确定潜在的影响因素，促进关于复发的理论和实践知识。

In the context of clinical psychology, conditioning and extinction processes and their long-term stability serve as important models for the treatment of addiction and fear disorders. Whereas fear extinction has been already investigated in considerable detail and findings have influenced treatment, relatively few studies have investigated appetitive extinction. In this context, the recall of extinction is assumed to be important, because different studies could demonstrate that the treatment outcome decreases over time and relapses increase. The aim of the present research project is to investigate the neural correlates of appetitive extinction and the long-term recall.It is planned to conduct a longitudinal study to investigate appetitive extinction processes over a period of six months. An appetitive conditioning paradigm will be conducted on the first day, in which a neutral stimulus (CS+) is repeatedly paired with a positive stimulus (money), while a second neutral stimulus predicts the absence of the reward. On day two, an extinction paradigm will be conducted, in which both stimuli (CS+ and CS-) will be presented without reinforcement. The extinction recall will be conducted on the third day and after six months, in which both stimuli will again be presented without reinforcement. Skin conductance responses, subjective ratings, and BOLD-activity will be measured simultaneously on each day. In addition, the dopaminergic Taq1a polymorphism (DRD2) will be analyzed exploratively, due to its relationship with learning and reward processes as well as its association with addiction disorders and relapses. The submitted project will provide valuable missing information concerning appetitive extinction processes and their long-term stability. In addition, the project allows the identification of specific factors that are associated with long-term extinction success. It may further a more in-depth understanding of extinction processes with appetitive conditioned stimuli. In addition, clinical models for treatment and relapse prevention in addiction disorders can be developed. Potential findings could thus contribute to the theoretical and the practical knowledge on relapses by investigating the stability of extinction processes and the identification of potential influencing factors.