Researchers Have Figured Out How To Get Your Brain To Overcome Fear
Fear is hardwired into our brains from the moment we’re born. Loud noises and creepy-crawly insects just naturally give us the chills.
While fear might be instinctual, it does not have to be in charge. What if we could overcome our instincts and conquer our fears?
Researchers at the University College London’s Sainsbury Wellcome Center (SWC) have figured out which regions of the brain can suppress fear responses in mice, allowing them to overcome instinctive fears.
The findings could have implications for developing therapeutics for people with phobias, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“Humans are born with instinctive fear reactions, such as responses to loud noises or fast-approaching objects,” said Dr. Sara Mederos, a neuroscientist at the SWC.
“However, we can override these instinctive responses through experience—like children learning to enjoy fireworks rather than fear their loud bangs. We wanted to understand the brain mechanisms that underlie such forms of learning.”
The research team repeatedly exposed around 100 mice to a shadow that mimicked an approaching bird. Initially, the mice sought shelter from the perceived threat. Then, they installed a barrier that prevented the mice from escaping.
With repeated exposure, the mice eventually learned that there was no real danger and remained calm. Even when the barrier was removed, most of the mice did not try to escape. The experiment provided researchers with a model to study how fear responses can be suppressed.
In some cases, the researchers used a technique called optogenetics to silence certain neurons in the brain while the mice were exposed to the shadow of the bird. They discovered that two parts of the brain contributed to the suppression of visual fears.
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One of them was the visual cortex, which was significant in learning that some stuff was not a threat. The other was the ventrolateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN). It stored memories related to ignoring fears.
“Our results challenge traditional views about learning and memory,” said Sonja Hofer, the senior author of the study and a neuroscientist at SWC.
“While the cerebral cortex has long been considered the brain’s primary center for learning, memory, and behavioral flexibility, we found the subcortical vLGN and not the visual cortex actually stores these crucial memories.”
In addition, the researchers uncovered the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for suppressing fears.
Learning happens when certain neurons in the vLGN become more active, thanks to endocannabinoids, which are natural brain chemicals that regulate mood and memory.
These chemicals make the vLGN neurons more active when a threat appears. As a result, fear responses are weakened, helping the brain manage fear better.
Overall, the findings could improve treatment surrounding fear-related disorders. The research team plans to collaborate with clinical researchers to further study the brain circuits in humans, with the hope of developing new treatments someday.
The research was published in the journal Science.
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