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; Alessandra Falzone; Gabriella Martino; Francesca Ferraioli; Michael A Nitsche; Alessio Avenanti; Giuseppe Craparo

doi:10.36131/cnfioritieditore20230417

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, Alessandra Falzone, Gabriella Martino, Francesca Ferraioli, Michael A Nitsche, Alessio Avenanti, Giuseppe Craparo

^*Corresponding author for this work

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

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Abstract

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. 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. 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. These findings suggest that attitudes against vaccination could be linked to an altered inhibitory learning process.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	364-369
Number of pages	6
Journal	Clinical Neuropsychiatry
Volume	20
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.36131/cnfioritieditore20230417
Publication status	Published - 19 Sept 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 = "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. 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. 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. These findings suggest that attitudes against vaccination could be linked to an altered inhibitory learning process.",

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AU - Vicario, Carmelo M

AU - MAKRIS, STERGIOS

AU - Culicetto, Laura

AU - Lucifora, Chiara

AU - Falzone, Alessandra

AU - Martino, Gabriella

AU - Ferraioli, Francesca

AU - Nitsche, Michael A

AU - Avenanti, Alessio

AU - Craparo, Giuseppe

PY - 2023/9/19

Y1 - 2023/9/19

N2 - 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. 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. 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. These findings suggest that attitudes against vaccination could be linked to an altered inhibitory learning process.

AB - 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. 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. 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. These findings suggest that attitudes against vaccination could be linked 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/

U2 - 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20230417

DO - 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20230417

M3 - Article (journal)

SN - 1724-4935

VL - 20

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JF - Clinical Neuropsychiatry

IS - 4

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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