Towards More Valid Experimental Fear Conditioning Paradigms for Exposure Therapy in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Two experiments were conducted in healthy participants (N=157) using a trauma film conditioning paradigm, and a modified conditioning paradigm. Temporally proximal stimuli were more relevant for PTSD-like intrusions compared to stimuli that preceded and predicted an aversive stimulus. This supports the warning signal hypothesis in a fear conditioning framework.