SFB 1280 Extinction learning

Project A09: Stress hormone effects on contextualized extinction memories

During the first funding period of the SFB 1280, we investigated the impact of stress hormones on extinction consolidation and extinction retrieval. Our results indicate that stress hormones timing-dependently modulate the strength and context-dependency of extinction memories, resulting in either return of fear or not (Stress Timing affects Relapse/STaR model; Meir Drexler et al., 2019). The identification of novel viable, stress hormone-associated strategies to enhance the long-term expression of extinction memories and to reduce the return of fear remains an important endeavor.
In the second funding period, we will systematically compare the timing-dependent effects of psychosocial stress vs. physical exercise on extinction memories, renewal and context generalization and elucidate the mechanisms by which these effects occur. Thus, these studies will critically expand our STaR model to more ecologically valid as well as to healthier, more positively experienced situations and to more contextualized and thus clinically more relevant retrieval processes. In order to reduce the cortisol-associated return of fear as proposed in the STaR model, we will examine the effects of multiple extinction contexts during fear extinction training. In addition, we aim to elucidate the neural correlates of cortisol effects on contextualized retrieval of categories in a virtual reality task using functional magnetic resonance imaging.
Taken together, these studies will enhance our mechanistic understanding of the modulation of extinction memories by stress hormones, an area of high relevance for basic science and clinical applications alike.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Oliver Wolf, Prof. Dr. Christian Merz, Dr. Valerie Jentsch, Katharina Beck, Lianne Wolsink, Jael Caviola

FOR 2812 Constructing Scenarios of the Past

Project P4: The Competition of Semantic Information and Episodic Experiences and it’s Modulation by Stress

The main prediction of the scenario model proposed in the framework of the research unit FOR2812 is that a scenario of an episode is constructed by retrieving the gist of the episodic memory and supplementing missing information from semantic memory. The neural correlates, as well as the underlying mechanisms of the balance between the two memory systems are incompletely understood. The goal of the present project is to test the prediction of the scenario model experimentally and provide a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying scenario reconstruction. By the use of a virtual environment with an implemented memory task we will induce a realistic episodic memory. As stress is well known to modulate episodic memory formation and retrieval, it allows us to disentangle the relative contribution of the two memory system during scenario construction. Using fMRI, the effects of the stress hormone cortisol on the memory task and their neural correlates will be investigated.

Contact: Nicole Klein, Henry Soldan, Carina Zöllner, Nurten Genc, Prof. Dr. Oliver T. Wolf

FOR 2974: Affective and cognitive mechanisms of specific Internet-use disorders (ACSID)

The Research Unit focuses on the most prominent predominantly online addictive behaviors, namely gaming, pornography use, buying-shopping, and social-networks use. Based on a theoretical model, we aim to investigate the involvement of the (bio)psychological processes, in particular affective and cognitive mechanisms, involved in the development and maintenance of predominantly online addictive behaviors. A cross-sectional comparison of individuals with recreational/non-problematic use, risky use, and pathological use of specific Internet applications together with a follow-up investigation, will allow for the identification of concomitants of the development of a predominantly online addictive behavior. One central characteristic of the Research Unit is that we will investigate participants at several sites using the same core battery of experimental paradigms, neuropsychological tasks, questionnaires, biomarkers, and ambulatory assessment, and including a follow-up survey. By investigating the hypotheses regarding the involvement of affective and cognitive mechanisms in Internet-use disorders (IUD) in the Research Unit, we will not only contribute to a better scientific understanding of the psychological processes of IUD, but we can also contribute to clinical applications.

The Department of Cognitive Psychology (OT Wolf) contributes to two sub-projects (RP4 & RP5) were we investigate in collaborations with colleagues from Bochum, Duisburg and Hannover the impact of stress on addiction related behavior.

Contact Person: Prof. Dr. Oliver T. Wolf

Current DFG Projects

DFG-ORA Project (396877307): Stress effects on Memory Accuracy versus Generalisation

Stress is known to enhance memory consolidation, but there is no good understanding of how it affects the quality of memories. Human studies have reported both, enhanced generalization and enhanced accuracy of emotional memories. In close collaboration with our colleagues from the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour in Nijmegen (Profs Roozendaal, Henckens, and Hermans) we test a new model postulating differential effects of the stress hormones noradrenaline and cortisol. For this purpose, we combine in this interdisciplinary project human behavioural, pharmacological and neuroimaging studies with mechanistic studies in rodents.

Contact: Lianne Wolsink, Dr. Lisa Wirz, Prof. Dr. Oliver T. Wolf

DFG-Project (551671001): Effects of acute stress on emotion regulation flexibility: The moderating role of working memory capacity

Emotion regulation (ER) skills are especially needed under stress, enabling individuals to adapt to and recover from emotional challenging situations. Previous research indicates that acute stress may both impair and enhance abilities to apply certain ER strategies via neuroendocrine mechanisms that influence the cognitive resources required for emotional control. Preliminary findings from our laboratory further suggest that stress affects strategy choice behavior. Effective ER, however, not only depends on the ability to select appropriate strategies, but also on the capacity to flexibly switch between them - an ability referred to as ER flexibility. This project therefore examines the effects of acute stress on ER flexibility, encompassing strategy selection, switching, and their interaction, as well as the extent to which these processes contribute to overall ER performance. Working memory (WM) capacity has been proposed as a potential moderator of these effects, given that both ER and WM rely on the fronto-parietal executive control network. For the first time, this project thus investigates whether and how WM capacity may moderate the impact of stress on ER flexibility. The findings will broaden our understanding of adaptive emotional functioning in stressful situations and underlying physiological mechanisms.

Contact: Katja Langer

DFG-Project (540649511): Neuroendocrine modulation of cognitive emotion regulation – Exploring the role of stress system dominance

Emotion regulation (ER) is indispensable for healthy psychological adaptation, while deficient ER is associated with the development and maintenance of mental disorders. ER influences how individuals respond to and recover from stressful events, but in turn can also be altered by stress. Despite its crucial clinical relevance, research on acute stress effects on cognitive ER is still relatively scarce and somewhat inconsistent, revealing either beneficial, impairing, or null effects.
With the current research project, Valerie Jentsch will now explore whether the dominance of one stress system over the other (SNS vs. HPA axis) determines the direction of stress effects on cognitive ER using a combination of different methodological approaches, including different stress and exercise protocols as well as distinct temporal delays. The knowledge gained from this project will contribute to a better understanding of how different stressors (psychosocial vs. physical) alter ER processes and will provide new insights into their underlying neuroendocrine.

Contact: Valerie Jentsch