ABSTRACT

Physical touch in the form of holding a loved one’s hand attenuates the neural response to threat. Speculation regarding the neural mediation of this effect points to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), which is known to have inhibitory connections with threat responsive brain regions such as the amygdala. Despite the attractiveness of this hypothesis, a link between the vmPFC and diminished threat during handholding has been difficult to demonstrate empirically. Here we report that in a sample of 110 participants no evidence for vmPFC mediation of the handholding effect was obtained. Indeed, results indicated that connectivity patterns between threat responsive salience network structures and the vmPFC were in the opposite direction one would predict if the vmPFC mediated reductions in neural threat-responding caused by partner handholding. Our findings suggest that the vmPFC does not mediate the regulating effect of physical contact on neural threat responses.

摘要

握住亲人的手形式的身体接触会减弱对威胁的神经反应。关于这种效应的神经调节的推测指向腹内侧前额叶皮层（vmPFC），已知它与杏仁核等威胁反应性大脑区域有抑制性联系。尽管这一假设具有吸引力，但 vmPFC 与手持期间威胁减少之间的联系很难通过经验证明。在这里，我们报告在 110 名参与者的样本中，没有获得 vmPFC 调解手持效应的证据。确实，结果表明，威胁响应显着网络结构和 vmPFC 之间的连接模式与预测 vmPFC 是否介导由合作伙伴牵手引起的神经威胁响应减少的方向相反。我们的研究结果表明，vmPFC 不会介导身体​​接触对神经威胁反应的调节作用。