Parsing neural circuits of fear learning and extinction across basic and clinical neuroscience: Towards better translation

Ho Namkung; Kerrie L Thomas; Jeremy Hall; Akira Sawa

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.025

Parsing neural circuits of fear learning and extinction across basic and clinical neuroscience: Towards better translation

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2022 Mar:134:104502. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.025. Epub 2021 Dec 16.

Authors

Ho Namkung¹, Kerrie L Thomas², Jeremy Hall³, Akira Sawa⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
² Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
³ Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
⁴ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 34921863
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.025

Abstract

Over the past decades, studies of fear learning and extinction have advanced our understanding of the neurobiology of threat and safety learning. Animal studies can provide mechanistic/causal insights into human brain regions and their functional connectivity involved in fear learning and extinction. Findings in humans, conversely, may further enrich our understanding of neural circuits in animals by providing macroscopic insights at the level of brain-wide networks. Nevertheless, there is still much room for improvement in translation between basic and clinical research on fear learning and extinction. Through the lens of neural circuits, in this article, we aim to review the current knowledge of fear learning and extinction in both animals and humans, and to propose strategies to fill in the current knowledge gap for the purpose of enhancing clinical benefits.

Keywords: Animal; Fear conditioning; Fear extinction; Human; Learning and memory; Translation.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Brain
Conditioning, Classical*
Extinction, Psychological*
Fear
Humans
Learning

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding