12/13/2022 0 Comments Pathological fear of the swamp![]() ![]() Read previous contributions to this series. When a human or a rat responds to a tone that has been associated with pain. Still, such results reveal that at least to a first approximation the same basic mechanisms are at play Or visual stimuli that have been paired with pain, but cannot reveal the exact areas or mechanisms involved. For example, brain imaging techniques can tell you that the amygdala responds to tones Techniques for studying the human brain cannot reveal brain mechanisms with the same degree of precision possible in animal studies. This neural meshing triggers chemical processes in the amygdala cells that allow the tone to later activate the cells and trigger There that receive sensory information simultaneously about the tone and the pain. The association is formed in a small and very specific part of the amygdala by neurons When a stimulus, like an auditory tone, occurs at the same time as a painful or otherwise aversive event, the toneĬomes to be associated with the pain and thereby acquires the capacity to trigger a protective fear (defense) response on its own. Much of what we know about fear in the brain has come from studies that utilize Pavlovian conditioning. Symbolized by the stimulus is detected, and responses that will help protect the rat or person from the threat are initiated by outputs of the amygdala to motor neurons, which control behavioral responses and other In a nutshell, the representation of the fear-arousing stimulus - say, the sight of a snake or a mugger - travels from the sensory system to a brain region called the amygdala. Of fear and anxiety seem to overlap, so progress in understanding fear also helps understand anxiety as well. This is easier said than done, but much has been learned, and the basic results derived from studies with rats have been shown to apply to humans. All you have to do is follow the stimulus through the brain from the sensory system that receives it (say, the auditory or visual system) to the motor system that controls theĮxpression of the fear response. Indeed, given that fear is a response to a stimulus, the task of finding out how the brainĭoes fear is pretty straightforward. ![]() We know a lot more about fear than anxiety because the former is simpler and easier to study and relate to brain mechanisms. Indeed, scientists are making progress in understanding the brain mechanisms underlying both normal and pathological fear and anxiety, and these findings are pointing the way to Still, of all the various psychiatric disorders, fear and anxiety are probably the most tractable scientifically because they are based on alterations normal brain functions that are beginning Problems with fearĪnd anxiety also are co-conditions in many other psychiatric disorders, like depression, schizophrenia and autism, as well as in most major medical problems.Īs many mental health professionals would tell you, the complicated and often elusive array of factors contributing to pathological fear and anxiety make these conditions challenging The line between normal protective states and disorders can blur, most people agree on a basic guideline: When fear or anxiety begin to interfere with daily life, an anxiety disorder exists. They play a central role in anxiety disorders, which include phobias, panic, post-traumatic stress, generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. ![]() These are normal, adaptive processes that have evolved in the brain because they help animals, includingīut as we know, fear and anxiety can also become harmful. Present stimulus and anxiety as a worry or rumination about something that has yet to occur, or may never occur. In simple terms, I described fear as a response to an immediately #PATHOLOGICAL FEAR OF THE SWAMP SERIES#A gallery of contributors count the ways.Ī few weeks ago I wrote in this series about the difference between fear and anxiety. ![]()
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