Take a look at this article from SciAm:
The big news in this study is that at least some cortical inputs to the amygdala — those from the prelimbic cortex — are involved in the expression of conditioned fear. This involvement gives learned fear a previously unrecognized anatomical component. And it establishes that there is at least one difference between the networks underlying the expression of innate and learned fears.
These observations have far-reaching implications. First, they suggest that the expression of learned fear is flexible and subject to modulation by the prelimbic cortex, depending on the circumstances; our expression of learned fears is less rigid and less automatic than the expression of innate fears, which are beyond the reach of the cortex.
These observations also raise the possibility that hyperactivity in the prelimbic region might contribute to human anxiety disorders that are caused by over-expression of learned fear, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. If that proves true, reducing the activity of the prelimbic cortex might constitute a useful strategy for the treatment of these debilitating disorders, while leaving innate fear responses intact. If learned fear is necessary, so is our ability to control it. This study reveals some dynamics that might be crucial in exercising that control.
This is good news for us. Although it’s a bit technical, what’s really being said here is that learned fear is within the reach of our thinking brain. That means we’re able to change learned fear and, subsequently, completely recover from anxiety disorders. This is probably not news to most of us (myself included) who have subscribed to this belief for quite some time now, but many people still insist that anxiety disorders are innate fears that we are born with. This research shows (yet again) that this is patently false.
1 comment
Comments feed for this article
May 3, 2007 at 7:40 pm
HSP Woman
Hi Josh,
Nice post.
I totally agree with you that anxiety disorders are not necessarily innate and, therefore, are not hard-wired and unchangeable.
I recently read something about monkeys and the fear response: it seems that when Rhesus monkeys are introduced to a snake for the first time, there is no reaction. But, when they are shown a video of another Rhesus monkey panicking at the sight of a snake, the next time the monkey is shown a snake, it panics like the monkey in the video.
The cool thing is that if the said monkey sees another monkey panicking with the introduction of a hairbrush or some other inanimate object, this monkey never learns to panic as it did with the snake. Hmm… Seems to support the idea that some learned fears are protective.
This is maybe what people mean about fear being innate? In most cases panic does occur in situations which may trigger some innate protection mechanism — like in a confined space, in a group of people, etc… A hairbrush just doesn’t induce panic response for a logical reason.
The topic of learned versus innate fear really is interesting to me. Like with the learned reaction to the snake, some learned fears must be important to our survival, no?
But, like you mentioned, the ability to control it is equally important, no? This is what I am working on now — to be able to control my learned fears which are based on evolutionary principles without medication. It’s so hard… Anxiety is such a beast!
I’m so glad I stumbled upon your site. I’ll be back!