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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 18, 2026

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
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Developmental differences in threat learning are associated with changes in frontal-central theta activity.

Gil Shner-Livne1, Nadav Barak2, Ido Shitrit2

  • 1School of Psychological Sciences and the Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Haifa, Abba Hushi 199, Mt Carmel, Haifa, Israel. gilshner.gs@gmail.com.

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
|May 27, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Adolescents show distinct brain activity patterns during threat learning compared to adults, with heightened theta activity suggesting difficulties in inhibiting threat responses. This highlights potential neural mechanisms contributing to anxiety vulnerability in youth.

Keywords:
AdolescenceAlphaAnxietyThetaThreat learning

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Anxiety symptoms are linked to variations in threat learning, particularly during adolescence.
  • Research on adolescent-specific neural responses during threat learning is limited despite neural maturation.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for addressing anxiety vulnerability in youth.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate threat learning mechanisms by examining neural frequency activity (theta and alpha bands) in adolescents and adults.
  • To identify developmental differences in brain activity during threat acquisition and extinction.
  • To explore frontal-central theta activity as a marker for threat learning differences.

Main Methods:

  • Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to measure brain activity in 63 adolescents and 65 adults.
  • Participants underwent a two-day threat acquisition and extinction procedure.
  • Analyses focused on induced and evoked EEG signals within theta (4-7 Hz) and alpha (8-12 Hz) frequency bands.

Main Results:

  • Adolescents exhibited higher induced theta activity to threat and safety cues during acquisition compared to adults.
  • Adults showed decreased evoked theta activity during extinction, indicating effective threat inhibition, while adolescents displayed persistent threat contingencies.
  • Both groups demonstrated consistent alpha suppression towards threat cues, suggesting sustained vigilance.

Conclusions:

  • Frontal-central theta activity effectively differentiates threat learning patterns between adolescents and adults.
  • Adolescents' heightened theta activity during extinction may reflect difficulties in inhibiting threat representations, contributing to anxiety vulnerability.
  • These findings provide mechanistic insights into anxiety development during adolescence.