Fear

2024: How fear develops in the brain. Scientific explanation

On March 14, 2024, American experts from the University of California at San Diego released the results of a study shedding light on the mechanism of fear development in the human brain. The findings will help in the development of new therapies for certain mental disorders.

Scientists note that the human nervous system is naturally tuned to a sense of fear. This allows you to remain vigilant and avoid dangerous situations that may pose a threat to health or life. However, people who find themselves in a critical stressful situation can subsequently experience a strong sense of fear even when there is no real threat. This condition can lead to long-term mental ailments such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The mechanisms of fear development in the brain remain poorly understood. In the new work, American researchers identified changes in brain biochemistry and mapped neural circuits that are associated with the appearance of fear.

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Scientists have found that acute stress causes the switching of chemical signals in neurons - from the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate to inhibitory GABAs (an organic compound, a non-theinogenic amino acid that is the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system). Experts also found that blocking the gene responsible for the synthesis of GABA avoids the development of a generalized sense of fear.

The researchers not only determined the location of neurons relevant to the sense of fear, but also demonstrated the connections of these neurons to the amygdala and lateral hypothalamus -- regions of the brain that are associated with the generation of different fear responses. In the future, the results of the work can be used in the treatment of PTSD.^[1]

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