Abstract
The generalization of fear memories is an adaptive neurobiological process that promotes survival in complex and dynamic environments. When confronted with a potential threat, an animal must select an appropriate defensive response based on previous experiences that are not identical, weighing cues and contextual information that may predict safety or danger. Like other aspects of fear memory, generalization is mediated by the coordinated actions of prefrontal, hippocampal, amygdalar, and thalamic brain areas. In this review article, we describe the current understanding of the behavioral, neural, genetic, and biochemical mechanisms involved in the generalization of fear. Fear generalization is a hallmark of many anxiety and stress-related disorders, and its emergence, severity, and manifestation are sex-dependent. Therefore, to improve the dialog between human and animal studies as well as to accelerate the development of effective therapeutics, we emphasize the need to examine both sex differences and remote timescales in rodent models.
Highlights
Fear is a primitive emotion that is conserved throughout the animal kingdom (Walters et al, 1981; LeDoux, 2012; Adolphs, 2013)
We explore the neurobiology of fear generalization within a broader historical, theoretical, and behavioral context
As more studies begin to implement this strategy, a major challenge will be to establish agreed upon criteria for clearly defining the boundaries that separate normal from pathological fear generalization
Summary
Edited by: Jacqueline Jeannette Blundell, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. Reviewed by: Aline Desmedt, Université de Bordeaux, France Phillip R. The generalization of fear memories is an adaptive neurobiological process that promotes survival in complex and dynamic environments. Like other aspects of fear memory, generalization is mediated by the coordinated actions of prefrontal, hippocampal, amygdalar, and thalamic brain areas. We describe the current understanding of the behavioral, neural, genetic, and biochemical mechanisms involved in the generalization of fear. Fear generalization is a hallmark of many anxiety and stress-related disorders, and its emergence, severity, and manifestation are sex-dependent. To improve the dialog between human and animal studies as well as to accelerate the development of effective therapeutics, we emphasize the need to examine both sex differences and remote timescales in rodent models
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