extinction

This shows a spider crawling on a person's hand

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 26, 2019

How cortisol affects exposure therapy for anxiety disorders

Cortisol administration after exposure has no beneficial effects for patients suffering from phobias or anxiety disorders. Arachnophobics who received cortisol following exposure were more likely to relapse when they encountered spiders in a different context. Read More

This shows the location of the hippocampus

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 1, 2019

How the brain fights off fears that return to haunt us

Newly identified 'extinction neurons' in the hippocampus suppress fearful memories when activated, and allow the memories to return when deactivated. The findings may provide new treatment avenues for PTSD, phobias, and anxiety. Read More

Featured Psychology

·January 8, 2019

Playing Tetris May Alleviate PTSD Flashbacks

According to a new study, playing the popular video game Tetris may help people with PTSD to alleviate recurring visual memories of their traumatic experiences. Researchers report after playing Tetris, PTSD patients reported a decrease in the number of flashbacks related to the trauma they experienced. Read More

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·December 10, 2018

Your Brain on Imagination: It’s a Lot Like Reality

A new neuroimaging study reveals imagination may help people with fear or anxiety disorders overcome them. The study reports imagining a threat can alter the way it is represented in the brain. Read More

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·June 27, 2018

Dopamine’s Role in Unlearning Fearful Association

Researchers report dopamine neurons may play a role in fear extinction. The study suggests targeting dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area could be of therapeutic benefit to reduce the impact of learned fear in PTSD and anxiety disorders. Read More

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·September 18, 2017

Learning and Unlearning Fear: The Two Faces of Noradrenaline

RIKEN researchers report neurons in the locus coeruleus play a key role in emotional and flexible learning. Read More

This image shows a person in a VR environment.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 14, 2017

Magnetic Fields to Alleviate Anxiety

Using a combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation and virtual reality, researchers have helped to reduce anxiety in people with panic disorders. Read More

Image shows the location of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in the brain.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 11, 2017

Cocaine Users’ Brains Unable to Extinguish Drug Associations

A new study reveals chronic cocaine users have a global impairment of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Read More

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·September 27, 2016

Pinpointing a Brain Circuit That Keeps Fear at Bay

Researchers have discovered a method to prolong the benefits of extinction and identified a new way to improve exposure therapy in people suffering from phobias and PTSD. Read More