Publication

The Neurobiology of Fear Generalization

Citation:
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. 2018; 12: 329. Published online 2019 Jan 15. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00329 PMID: 30697153
Authored By:
Arun Asok, Eric R. Kandel, Joseph B. Rayman
Abstract:
The generalization of fear memories is an adaptive neurobiological process that promotes survival in complex and dynamic environments. When confronted with a potential threat, an animal must select an appropriate defensive response based on previous experiences that are not identical, weighing cues and contextual information that may predict safety or danger. Like other aspects of fear memory, generalization is mediated by the coordinated actions of prefrontal, hippocampal, amygdalar, and thalamic brain areas. In this review article, we describe the current understanding of the behavioral, neural, genetic, and biochemical mechanisms involved in the generalization of fear. Fear generalization is a hallmark of many anxiety and stress-related disorders, and its emergence, severity, and manifestation are sex-dependent. Therefore, to improve the dialog between human and animal studies as well as to accelerate the development of effective therapeutics, we emphasize the need to examine both sex differences and remote timescales in rodent models.
Published in:
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience

More Publications

March 5, 2024

Translational Psychiatry

Potential causal association between gut microbiome and posttraumatic stress disorder

January 29, 2024

Scientific Reports

Differential recruitment of brain circuits during fear extinction in non-stressed compared to stress resilient animals

December 29, 2023

Journal of Law and the Biosciences

Defusing the legal and ethical minefield of epigenetic applications in the military, defense, and security context

August 1, 2023

Journal of Psychopharmacology

Improving Translational Relevance in Preclinical Psychopharmacology (iTRIPP)

July 29, 2023

Frontiers in Neurology

Models and methods: a perspective of the impact of six IMI translational data-centric initiatives for Alzheimer’s disease and other neuropsychiatric disorders

July 6, 2023

Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine

Caring for Dementia Caregivers: Understanding Caregiver Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic