Threat-induced anxiety during goal pursuit disrupts amygdala–prefrontal cortex connectivity in posttraumatic stress disorder

摘要

Participants performed five runs of the task. In each run, there were four threat (represented in red) and four nonthreat (represented in blue) blocks presented in alternating order. In each block, a text cue signaling block type was displayed for 2 s, then followed by a computer game lasting for 30 s, and ended by a fixation cross exhibiting for 12 s. During the computer game, participants were asked to move an avatar (black square) within a 2D maze on the screen through operating joystick to capture prey (green squares) and to avoid capture by a predator (purple square). Prey capture by the avatar and avatar capture by the predator were associated with monetary gain and loss, respectively. No shock was accompanied with the nonthreat block, while there was zero shock in some threat blocks, and one or two shocks in the other threat blocks (at least one shock per run, and on average 0.35 shocks per threat block). The onset of a shock was randomized relative to the onset of the embedded block. The participants had no way to distinguish between threat blocks without shock and threat blocks with unpredictable shocks before the shock delivery.