Sensing fear: fast and precise threat evaluation in human sensory cortex

Rapid withdrawal from a threatening animal is movement-specific and mediated by reflex-like neural processing

“…The main source of the P1 localizes to early visual cortices (Carretié et al, 2022; di Russo et al, 2002), suggesting that that relatively low-level visual processes signaled the presence of a potentially threatening stimulus when a snake was presented. In line with this, while rapid unconscious responses to threat-relevant stimuli are sometimes attributed to subcortical structures(Evans et al, 2018; Salay et al, 2018; Wei et al, 2015), recent studies indicate that rapid cortical processing also plays a key role in threat processing (Carretié et al, 2022; Li & Keil, 2023; Miskovic & Keil, 2012; West et al, 2011). Given that the present stimuli were not designed to measure the C1 wave, it remains open whether the initial wave of visual stimulus driven cortical activity is sensitive to threat-relevance and predicts behavioral responding, as suggested by fear conditioning studies (Hintze et al, 2014; Sperl et al, 2021; Stolarova et al, 2006; Thigpen et al, 2017).…”

“…The main source of the P1 localizes to early visual cortices 33,34 , suggesting that that relatively low-level visual processes signaled the presence of a potentially threatening stimulus when snakes were presented. In line with this, while rapid unconscious responses to threat-relevant stimuli are sometimes attributed to subcortical structures [35][36][37] , recent studies indicate that rapid cortical processing also plays a key role in threat processing 9,34,38,39 . The P1 response is typically assumed to precede the earliest correlate of conscious visual perception 40 , suggesting that snake detection may be mediated by unconscious perception.…”

“…Research on monkeys shows that the pulvinar responds rapidly and strongly to pictures of snakes 5,6 . Other studies suggest that in addition to subcortical mechanisms, threat detection also depends on cortical areas that help detect the threat-relevant stimulus, focus attention on the stimulus, and determine the behavioral relevance of the perceived stimulus [7][8][9] .…”

“…Indeed, research on monkeys shows that the pulvinar responds rapidly and strongly to pictures of snakes (Le et al, 2013, 2016), and consistent with the proposed evolutionary basis of snake detection, primates seem to be innately “prepared” to develop change-resistent fear towards animals such as snakes and spiders (Kawai & Koda, 2016; Öhman & Mineka, 2001; Seligman, 1971). Other studies suggest that in addition to subcortical “threat detection pathways”, threat detection also depends on cortical areas that enable participants to learn to detect threat-relevant stimuli, and determine the adequate behavioral response to it depending on the context (Li & Keil, 2023; Lobue & Adolph, 2019; Pessoa, 2010; Pessoa & Adolphs, 2010).…”

Characterizing affiliative touch in humans and its role in advancing haptic design

“…An emerging perspective in affective cognitive neuroscience extends beyond the view that such affective coloring of perception is always the result of appraisal processes mediated by the central nervous system. This emerging perspective looks to evidence that perception can be emotionally valenced from the point of contact with the world 1–3 . As illustrated above, a paradigmatic example of a sensory system that carries valenced information from the periphery is the human tactile system.…”