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中文Research Highlights
- Publish Date：2024-08-20
New Study Brings Hope for PTSD Treatment! NYCU and International Researchers Discover New Brain Mechanism in Mice
Real-time analysis of the freezing fear response in mice after they hear a sound and receive an electric shock.
In a groundbreaking study, Professor Cheng-Chang Lien from the College of Life Sciences at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), in collaboration with research teams from Denmark and Austria, have discovered a new brain mechanism involved in the formation of fear memories in mice. This discovery could pave the way for reducing the negative impact of fear and potentially offer new treatment methods for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
International Collaboration Sheds Light on Neural Mechanisms of Fear Memory Formation
Professor Lien’s team joined forces with Professor Marco Capogna from Aarhus University in Denmark and Professor Francesco Ferraguti from the Medical University of Innsbruck in Austria. Their study revealed that fearful experiences activate a small group of inhibitory neurons in the amygdala of mice, preventing an overreaction to fear memories.
These findings provide deeper insights into the neural basis of fear memory formation and suggest potential solutions for treating PTSD. The study was published this month (August 5) in Cell Reports.
Dr. Wen-Hsien Hou, Assistant Professor at Aarhus University’s Department of Biomedicine and the study’s first author, explained that fear helps humans remember dangers, enabling quicker responses when facing similar threats in the future. For example, earthquakes are a common fear among Taiwanese people. When an earthquake alert sounds on a mobile phone, it triggers memories of terrifying earthquake experiences, driving protective and evasive actions.
Professor Lien pointed out that recent literature indicates a region beneath the brain’s outer cortex, which regulates fear-related emotions, the central amygdala. However, it was previously unclear whether specific neurons within this region form fear memories and modulate behavioral responses when recalling fearful experiences.
International Collaboration Sheds Light on Neural Mechanisms of Fear Memory Formation
Professor Lien’s team joined forces with Professor Marco Capogna from Aarhus University in Denmark and Professor Francesco Ferraguti from the Medical University of Innsbruck in Austria. Their study revealed that fearful experiences activate a small group of inhibitory neurons in the amygdala of mice, preventing an overreaction to fear memories.
These findings provide deeper insights into the neural basis of fear memory formation and suggest potential solutions for treating PTSD. The study was published this month (August 5) in Cell Reports.
Dr. Wen-Hsien Hou, Assistant Professor at Aarhus University’s Department of Biomedicine and the study’s first author, explained that fear helps humans remember dangers, enabling quicker responses when facing similar threats in the future. For example, earthquakes are a common fear among Taiwanese people. When an earthquake alert sounds on a mobile phone, it triggers memories of terrifying earthquake experiences, driving protective and evasive actions.
Professor Lien pointed out that recent literature indicates a region beneath the brain’s outer cortex, which regulates fear-related emotions, the central amygdala. However, it was previously unclear whether specific neurons within this region form fear memories and modulate behavioral responses when recalling fearful experiences.
Unveiling Complex Mechanisms: Inhibitory Neurons Key to Fear Memory
The research team discovered that fearful experiences lead to the long-term enhancement of a small group of neurons in the lateral central amygdala, which is responsible for inhibiting fear memory. Using genetically modified mice, the team labeled these neurons, primarily somatostatin neurons, activated by different fearful experiences. Professor Lien noted that inhibiting these labeled neurons caused the mice to exhibit even more fear.
Professor Lien emphasized that while most neuroscientists focus on how excitatory neurons in the brain process memory storage and response, this study demonstrates that inhibitory neurons also play a crucial role in modulating fear memory responses in mice, revealing a more complex neural mechanism. This small group of inhibitory neurons in the lateral central amygdala acts like a brake, preventing mice from overreacting.
However, Professor Lien also cautioned that although the brain structures of mice and humans are similar, there are differences in neural circuits and connections between the two species. Further research is needed to determine whether the central amygdala’s neurons regulate fear memory and behavior in PTSD patients. Developing methods to modulate specific neurons for treating PTSD remains a significant clinical challenge for the future.
