A new study explores the dual nature of fear memories: difficult to forget but hard to recall.
By using fMRI and machine learning, researchers discovered that fear memories transition from broad associative memories to specific episodic memories, offering insights into PTSD treatment by enhancing memory integration.
Fear Memory Dynamics
A groundbreaking study set to be published today (October 21, 2024) in Nature Communications uncovers the mechanism behind two seemingly opposing effects of fear memories: why they can be hard to forget yet difficult to recall. The research, led by teams from Sony Computer Science Laboratories, ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, and the University of Tokyo, demonstrates how fear is first encoded as broad, associative memories and later evolves into more specific, time-bound episodic memories.
Investigating Memory Formation With fMRI
Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and machine learning, the researchers monitored brain activity in participants who experienced simulated threatening situations, like a car accident. They discovered that right after the event, the brain uses associative memory to generalize the fear, regardless of the order in which events occurred. The next day, however, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex takes over from the hippocampus, organizing the event into a more structured sequence within the fear memory, thereby narrowing the intensity and scope of the fear.
Implications for PTSD and Anxiety Disorders
The study also highlights that individuals with high anxiety, who are at greater risk for PTSD, may struggle with this memory integration. Their brains show weaker integration of time-based episodic memories through the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which may lead to persistent, overwhelming fear linked to associative cues. This insight opens new avenues for PTSD interventions by targeting the brain’s ability to integrate episodic memories after trauma.
Breakthrough in Understanding PTSD Mechanisms
“Our findings reveal a previously unknown phenomenon in how the brain prioritizes and processes fear memories,” said lead author Dr. Aurelio Cortese from Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute (ATR). “This time-dependent rebalancing between brain regions may explain why some individuals develop PTSD while others don’t,” explained the last author Dr. Ai Koizumi from Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc.
The study’s findings have the potential to reshape our understanding of PTSD and fear memory processing, offering novel perspectives for developing more effective interventions.
Reference: “Time-dependent neural arbitration between cue associative and episodic fear memories” 21 October 2024, Nature Communications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52733-4