How Fear Works In the Brain

Is there a way to differentiate or to specify the elimination of the memory of fear in one kind of emotional response without also eliminating that memory in other fear responses? The secondary fear that's learned in phobic avoidance such as agoraphobia would disappear in short order if one stopped having panic attacks. Perhaps time and money would be better spent doing further research using fMRI technology, studying the feedback loop between the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex. Additionally, it is just plain frightening to think how the knowledge could be used--as others have posted above.

Michael Smith of FL 9:53PM July 15, 2010

This research would be good for people with PTSD(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). I as well as thousands of other veterans suffer from PTSD and something besides addictive medicine to help with anxiety attacks, flashback, and paranoia would be a gift.

Daniel of SC 3:20PM March 01, 2010

Unwarranted fears such as phobias are due to confusion, except for people who suffer from physical brain damage (either from external trauma or internal chemical alterations).

We live in a world where it is difficult to make sense of our own reasons and motives and how those apply to interactions with others.

The resulting confusion about why something is or should be compared to why something is not and should not be is very confusing to most people.

Those 'most people' use coping skills based in instinctual reactions to stimuli by either pushing out from or adding into one's attentions where self preservation depends upon whom they allow in their midst.

Since it is difficult to determine another's state of congealed understanding with environmental circumstances and situations as they may coincide, or not, with one's personally developed comfort areas, there comes a socially structured habit to rate and categorize people.

Trying to tackle these personal/social issues of security and well being by working to alter the functions of the brain's natural ways to process its information will only lead to more confusion hidden under the numbing of the alarms giong off for help to understand what one or another is doing to cause overwhelming fears.

Too many decisions, too many various "walks of life", too many hardship pressures to do more to make more to have more to be more while we know those who do not have the abilities or capacities to carry the intellectual/emotional loads the best of the successful do builds unfathomable tension that automatically creates pressed down and seething internal fears.

But, hey! As we understand what is going on... we are less fearful about what is causing the fear and can realize that a moment into the next is all we have to live and do with what we have as best we can.

And, that's is enough. (oh, but what about the bils?)

Martin of KS 11:37AM February 27, 2010

Such a drug could provide much needed relief to some patients. Fear is known to trigger schizophrenic episodes. Schizophrenia is found in children who have been severely traumatized since infancy. Perhaps this could be their chance to approximate normalcy. The possible downside is that the track record of psychotropic drugs is a trade-off between beneficial and negative side-effects.

carol of NY 7:36PM February 25, 2010