New neurons help us to remember fear
June 15, 2011
Newly born nerve cells (green) colocalizing with a neuronal marker that indicates immature nerve cells (red); astrocytes shown in blue. (Credit: UC Berkeley.)
Newly generated neurons in the hippocampus that get activated by the amygdala may provide a “blank slate” on which a new fearful memory can be strongly imprinted, according to UC Berkeley researchers.
The finding has implications for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other problems caused by faulty regulation of emotional memory.
The team now plans to see whether other negative stimuli, such as stress and anxiety, similarly cooperate with amygdala activity to alter neurogenesis in the hippocampus.
Ref.: Basolateral amygdala regulation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis and fear-related activation of newborn neurons (June 14, 2011 AOP Molecular Psychiatry)
This cross section of a rat brain shows how emotional information from the amygdala promotes the generation of new nerve cells from adult neural stem cells in the hippocampus (left). These neurons can be activated by fear during a critical 2-4 week period after birth, helping to imprint a memory of the fearful situation. Without input from the amygdala (right), the hippocampus produces fewer new neurons. (Credit: UC Berkeley)
Comments (1)
by Ralph Dratman
I supposer we need new fear neurons to make sure we never go to that dangerous place again. In addition, for bad things we have done, probably there are guilt neurons growing too. The combination of fear and guilt memory suffices to make sure combat veterans spend the rest of their lives in the constant presence of the very events they most wish to forget.