Fear activation and habituation patterns as early process predictors of response to prolonged exposure treatment in PTSD
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 28, 2026

Biomarkers in an Animal Model for Revealing Neural, Hematologic, and Behavioral Correlates of PTSD
Published on: October 10, 2012
Agnes van Minnen1, Muriel Hagenaars
1Department of Clinical Psychology and Personality, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands. minnen@psych.kun.nl
Abstract:
Improved (n = 21) and nonimproved (n = 13) PTSD patients (a mixed trauma population) were compared for fear activation and habituation patterns during and between the 1st and 2nd prolonged exposure sessions. Drop-outs (n = 11) were also evaluated. Nonimproved patients had significantly higher ratings of anxiety at the start of the first exposure session. Improved patients showed more within-session habituation during the self-exposures at home and more between-session habituation. Even after controlling for initial PTSD and depression symptom severity, habituation between the first and second exposure sessions was significantly related to treatment outcome. Patients who dropped out of the treatment were found not to differ from completers on fear activation and within-session habituation during the first exposure session.
Related Concept Videos
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Behavior Therapy
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
Preparedness and Phobias
Traumatic Memory
Classical Conditioning in Daily Life
John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner famously demonstrated the development of fear through classical conditioning in their experiment with Little Albert. They paired the...
Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
