Fear and Avoidance in PTSD Patients

This study aims to study the neural correlates of avoidance learning using a recently validated conditioning and active avoidance paradigm (CAAP). The overarching objective is to measure the neural correlates of active avoidance, and how fear extinction learning and monetary cost modulate these avoidance responses. Participants will include healthy controls (HC), trauma-exposed healthy controls (TEHC), and participants with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Avoidance is common and often hinders the progression and success of extinction-based exposure therapy in PTSD. The data to be gathered in this study will enable us to probe neural mechanisms of avoidance, extinction, and decision-making to avoid or not, in addition to understanding the impact of cost on avoidance decision-making. These data will provide a more integrated platform for the understanding of the mechanisms of avoidance in both trauma-exposed healthy controls and PTSD psychopathology, which has important implications for treatment.