Low estradiol is linked to increased skin conductance, but not subjective anxiety or affect, in response to an impromptu speech task

Anxiety disorders are characterized by impaired fear regulation. Exposure therapy is the most effective psychotherapeutic treatment for anxiety (Vervliet et al., 2013), involving exposure to situations that evoke fear, leading to a reduction in this emotion. Evidence suggests sex hormones modulate fear extinction, the laboratory basis of exposure therapy, which involves repeated non-reinforced exposure to a fear-eliciting conditioned stimulus (CS; i.e., a stimulus that was previously paired with an aversive unconditioned stimulus; US, like shock).

Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - July 25, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Emily C White, Bronwyn M Graham Source Type: research