Researchers from the Advanced Korea Institute of Science and Technology have been able to determine a nervous circle responsible for the formation of the memory of fear resulting from psychological threats, not physical pain.
The results were published in A recent study In the journal “Science Advances”, Jin Han, the leader of the research team in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, comments in exclusive statements to Al -Jazeera Net about the results of his study that “the brain contains two separate systems to treat the two different pain, psychological and physical, due to the diversity of threats, some are painful and others are not painful. In many cases, we test pain Psychological without actual physical pain. Psychological pain may include more complex brain functions.
Fear firm
The research depends on a model for measuring fear in mice, as the researchers used a visually catalyst to simulate the approach of a predator. This methodology enabled the team to study the brain’s response to physically painless threats, and without resorting to the traditionally used electric shocks, which enabled them to select physically painless fear as a threat.
“Using methods for tracking nerve circuits, we found that neurons in the back island shell (in the brain) are directly connected to a specific type of neurons in another area called the nucleus of the side bridge,” Han says.
The importance of this nervous communication, between different regions of the brain, lies in the response of dandruff cells to cases associated with fear and anxiety, while communication cells work in the nucleus of the bridge as a general alarm in the face of dangerous situations.
“Given the functions of these two regions, this path is completely suitable for the transfer of emotional threat signals to the lower brain areas such as the brain amygdala, which addresses feelings of fear and anxiety,” Han adds.
Using an advanced technique, the researchers succeeded in disrupting nervous communication, which prevented the formation of fear of fear when exposed to a threatened visual influence, and in return, when they revitalized this path, a strong memory formed even without a real threat, which confirms that this path alone is sufficient to stimulate the memory of fear.
Optical threat model
Using the visual threat model, which was previously developed in previous research in 2013, according to Han, mice are exposed to a visual catalyst represented in a dark disk that quickly expands to a potential predation.
Mice showed strong defensive behaviors such as freezing in the place or trying to escape. “Although there are factors that need to adjust the speed of expansion and the size of the disk, this type of stimulation leads to strong behavioral responses.”
The study succeeded in distinguishing clearly between immediate instinctive responses, such as fleeing or freezing, and the memory acquired of fear, which relied on the discovered nervous communication circuit. This distinction is of decisive importance in understanding the mental disorders that are related to the long -term memory of threats such as those that are deposited within us due to a hideous accident or a painful psychological experience.
Despite the study of the mice, the application of its results to humans raises great challenges. Han explains: “targeting and manipulation of a specific nervous circle represents a major challenge in translating results into humans. However, there is remarkable progress in applying techniques to non -human mainly and even human beings,” Han explains.
But in light of the accelerated development in brain science, questions are raised about the possibility of misuse of new knowledge in manipulating feelings of fear in humans, whether for security, political or other purposes.
“This is an important issue,” says Han. He concludes: “This is not only a issue of the results of our study, but also applies to all nerve circles associated with the treatment of psychological pain.”
Despite the challenges, this research not only deepens our understanding of brain functions, but also opens new treatment horizons for millions of people around the world suffering from disorders caused by memories of psychological fear of physically painful, but it is no less fierce than any tangible pain.
This discovery may make a fundamental shift in our understanding of how the brain processes the physically painless threats, and enhances the chances of developing new treatments for cases such as PTSD and anxiety disorders.