Latent class growth analyses reveal overrepresentation of dysfunctional fear conditioning trajectories in patients with anxiety-related disorders compared to controls

• DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102361
• Publication Date: 2021-01-19T01:51:54Z
• Authors: Puck Duits; Johanna M.P. Baas; Iris M. Engelhard; Jan Richter; Hilde M. Huisman ...; Anke Limberg-Thiesen; Ivo Heitland; Alfons O. Hamm; Danielle C. Cath
• Keywords: Dysfunctional family; Extinction (optical mineralogy); Fear-potentiated startle; Phobic disorder

Recent meta-analyses indicated differences in fear acquisition and extinction between patients with anxiety-related disorders comparison subjects. However, these effects are small may hold for only a subsample of patients. To investigate individual trajectories across (N = 104; before treatment) subjects 93), data from previous study (Duits et al., 2017) were re-analyzed using data-driven latent class growth analyses. In this explorative study, subjective ratings, shock expectancy ratings startle responses used as outcome measures. Fear but not data, yielded distinct conditioning participants. Patients were, compared to controls, overrepresented two dysfunctional trajectories: impaired safety learning poor danger cues. The profiling patterns allowed determine that whereas subset showed conditioning, significant proportion (≥50 %) did not. strength trajectory analyses opposed group is it allows the identification individuals conditioning. Results suggested also be associated treatment outcome, further research larger samples needed address question.