From Pavlov to Pain: Extinction learning in visceral pain (A10)

• Subject Area: Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience
• Term: since 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 316803389

Building on research into the neural and behavioral foundations of visceral pain-related fear learning and extinction, our work examines how the biological salience and Preparedness conditioned stimuli (CS) influence excitatory and inhibitory learning, including fear extinction. Using a novel interoceptive conditioning paradigm with olfactory or auditory CS and visceral pain as the unconditioned stimulus, we aim to deepen mechanistic insights. Additionally, we will advance the translation of fear extinction research in IBS patients by investigating the behavioral and neural mechanisms of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy and identifying predictors of treatment efficacy.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1280: Extinction Learning
• Applicant Institution: Ruhr-Universität Bochum
• Project Heads: Professorin Dr. Sigrid Elsenbruch; Dr. Adriane Icenhour, since 7/2021