EVIDENCE OF ALTERED FEAR EXTINCTION LEARNING IN INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGH VACCINE HESITANCY DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Carmelo M Vicario; STERGIOS MAKRIS; Laura Culicetto; Chiara Lucifora; A Falzone; G Martino; F Ferraioli; MA Nitsche; A Avenanti; G Craparo

EVIDENCE OF ALTERED FEAR EXTINCTION LEARNING IN INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGH VACCINE HESITANCY DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Carmelo M Vicario^*, STERGIOS MAKRIS, Laura Culicetto, Chiara Lucifora, A Falzone, G Martino, F Ferraioli, MA Nitsche, A Avenanti, G Craparo

^*Corresponding author for this work

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (journal) › peer-review

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Abstract

Objectives: A relevance of fear and concerns about vaccine development and its
side effects are suggested to explain COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. However, evidence
supporting the phobic origin hypothesis of hesitancy for COVID-19 and other
vaccinations remains indirect and elusive.
Method: We addressed this issue by investigating the existence of a relationship
between fear conditioning, extinction, and the respective vaccination hesitancy and
anxiety scores in a group of 25 individuals.
Results: Overall, we show that the general mechanism of fear extinction learning
is impaired in individuals with high vaccine hesitancy. State and trait anxiety scores
do not account for this result.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that attitudes against vaccination could be
linked to an altered inhibitory learning process.

Original language	English
Journal	Clinical Neuropsychiatry
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 31 Jul 2023

Keywords

vaccine hesitancy
pavlovian fear conditioning
fear extinction learning
anxiety
inhibitory learning process

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Clinical23_4_VicarioetalAccepted author manuscript, 913 KBLicence: CC BY

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title = "EVIDENCE OF ALTERED FEAR EXTINCTION LEARNING IN INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGH VACCINE HESITANCY DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC",

abstract = "Objectives: A relevance of fear and concerns about vaccine development and itsside effects are suggested to explain COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. However, evidencesupporting the phobic origin hypothesis of hesitancy for COVID-19 and othervaccinations remains indirect and elusive.Method: We addressed this issue by investigating the existence of a relationshipbetween fear conditioning, extinction, and the respective vaccination hesitancy andanxiety scores in a group of 25 individuals.Results: Overall, we show that the general mechanism of fear extinction learningis impaired in individuals with high vaccine hesitancy. State and trait anxiety scoresdo not account for this result.Conclusions: These findings suggest that attitudes against vaccination could belinked to an altered inhibitory learning process.",

keywords = "vaccine hesitancy, pavlovian fear conditioning, fear extinction learning, anxiety, inhibitory learning process",

author = "Vicario, {Carmelo M} and STERGIOS MAKRIS and Laura Culicetto and Chiara Lucifora and A Falzone and G Martino and F Ferraioli and MA Nitsche and A Avenanti and G Craparo",

year = "2023",

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day = "31",

language = "English",

journal = "Clinical Neuropsychiatry",

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publisher = "Giovanni Fioriti Editore",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - EVIDENCE OF ALTERED FEAR EXTINCTION LEARNING IN INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGH VACCINE HESITANCY DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

AU - Vicario, Carmelo M

AU - MAKRIS, STERGIOS

AU - Culicetto, Laura

AU - Lucifora, Chiara

AU - Falzone, A

AU - Martino, G

AU - Ferraioli, F

AU - Nitsche, MA

AU - Avenanti, A

AU - Craparo, G

PY - 2023/7/31

Y1 - 2023/7/31

N2 - Objectives: A relevance of fear and concerns about vaccine development and itsside effects are suggested to explain COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. However, evidencesupporting the phobic origin hypothesis of hesitancy for COVID-19 and othervaccinations remains indirect and elusive.Method: We addressed this issue by investigating the existence of a relationshipbetween fear conditioning, extinction, and the respective vaccination hesitancy andanxiety scores in a group of 25 individuals.Results: Overall, we show that the general mechanism of fear extinction learningis impaired in individuals with high vaccine hesitancy. State and trait anxiety scoresdo not account for this result.Conclusions: These findings suggest that attitudes against vaccination could belinked to an altered inhibitory learning process.

AB - Objectives: A relevance of fear and concerns about vaccine development and itsside effects are suggested to explain COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. However, evidencesupporting the phobic origin hypothesis of hesitancy for COVID-19 and othervaccinations remains indirect and elusive.Method: We addressed this issue by investigating the existence of a relationshipbetween fear conditioning, extinction, and the respective vaccination hesitancy andanxiety scores in a group of 25 individuals.Results: Overall, we show that the general mechanism of fear extinction learningis impaired in individuals with high vaccine hesitancy. State and trait anxiety scoresdo not account for this result.Conclusions: These findings suggest that attitudes against vaccination could belinked to an altered inhibitory learning process.

KW - vaccine hesitancy

KW - pavlovian fear conditioning

KW - fear extinction learning

KW - anxiety

KW - inhibitory learning process

UR - https://www.clinicalneuropsychiatry.org/

M3 - Article (journal)

SN - 1724-4935

JO - Clinical Neuropsychiatry

JF - Clinical Neuropsychiatry

ER -

EVIDENCE OF ALTERED FEAR EXTINCTION LEARNING IN INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGH VACCINE HESITANCY DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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