Time Unpredictability Increases BNST and Amygdala Activity During Threat Processing

Introduction Both animal studies and human studies suggest that the processing of aversive stimuli, from anticipation to confrontation, leads to an initial phasic response in the amygdala and an additional sustained response in the extended amygdala, in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Furthermore, these effects seem to be modulated by the predictability of the aversive stimuli. However, there are few studies in humans that investigate these modulating effects of predictability in the confrontation with threatening stimuli on the activation of the amygdala and the BNST. In addition, no study has yet investigated a possible modulatory effect of the neuropeptide S receptor genotype (NPSR1) on susceptibility to temporal predictability.