Scientists Uncover Brain Mechanism Behind Overcoming Instinctive Fear

New research reveals how the ventrolateral geniculate nucleus and endocannabinoids play key roles in suppressing fear responses in mice.

Researchers identified the ventrolateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN) as the brain region responsible for storing learned fear suppression memories, challenging traditional views of memory storage in the cerebral cortex.
The study demonstrated that specific areas of the visual cortex are essential for learning to suppress instinctive fear responses but are not required for maintaining the learned behavior.
Endocannabinoids, brain messenger molecules, enhance neural activity in the vLGN by reducing inhibitory inputs, enabling the suppression of fear responses to harmless threats.
The findings suggest potential therapeutic targets for fear-related disorders like phobias, anxiety, and PTSD, including vLGN circuits and localized endocannabinoid systems.
Researchers plan to collaborate with clinical teams to investigate these mechanisms in humans, aiming to develop treatments for maladaptive fear responses.