Skip to main content
Log in

Behavioural neuroscience

The circuit of fear

  • News & Views
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Do you find it difficult to overcome an irrational fear? Blame it on the specific neural circuits hardwired in the brain that control fear recognition, and fear renewal even when fear has seemingly been overcome.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Figure 1: Neural circuits that mediate fear.

References

  1. Davis, M. Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 15, 353–375 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Herry, C. et al. Nature 454, 600–606 (2008).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Likhtik, E., Popa, D., Apergis-Schoute, J., Fidacaro, G. A. Jr & Paré, D. Nature 454, 642–645 (2008).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Pavlov, I. P. Conditioned Reflexes (Dover, 1927).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Rescorla, R. A. Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 11, 329–352 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Sah, P., Faber, E. S. L., Lopez de Armentia, M. & Power, J. Physiol. Rev. 83, 803–834 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Falls, W. A., Miserendino, M. J. & Davis, M. J. Neurosci. 12, 854–863 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Quirk, G. J., Repa, J. C. & LeDoux, J. E. Neuron 15, 1029–1039 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Collins, D. R. & Paré, D. Learn. Mem. 7, 97–103 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Delaney, A. J. & Sah, P. J. Neurophysiol. 86, 717–723 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. McDonald, A. J., Mascagni, F. & Guo, L. Neuroscience 71, 55–75 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Paré, D., Quirk, G. J. & Ledoux, J. E. J. Neurophysiol. 92, 1–9 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Quirk, G. J., Likhtik, E., Pelletier, J. G. & Paré, D. J. Neurosci. 23, 8800–8807 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Woodruff, A. R. & Sah, P. J. Neurophysiol. 98, 2956–2961 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sah, P., Westbrook, R. The circuit of fear. Nature 454, 589–590 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/454589a

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/454589a

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Navigation