Fear-related anxiety disorders - such as phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder - affect millions of Americans. Although treatment options such as psychotherapy, medication, and alternative therapies are widely available, their success rates vary. A team of international neuroscientists may have found a way to "remove" specific fears from the brain.
Nam lim xanh tu nhien
Neuroscientists may have found a way to recondition the brain into overcoming fear.
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) report that 19 million American adults, or 8.7 percent of the population, have specific phobias, or strong irrational fear reactions.
Although some phobias develop in childhood, most phobias appear to emerge unexpectedly and without explanation in adolescence or early adulthood.
Common specific phobias include those centered around animals or insects, germs, heights, open spaces, closed spaces, medical procedures, or flying.
Although most people manage to carry out their daily activities despite their phobias, for others, these fears can be debilitating. Although patients realize their fear is irrational, this does not make their fear any less extreme.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reportedly affects 7.7 million adults, or 3.5 percent of the American population. Experiencing sexual abuse, either in childhood or adulthood, seems to be a main trigger of PTSD.
Overall, anxiety disorders cost the United States healthcare system more than 42 billion dollars every year.
Usually, the recommended form of treatment for phobias is exposure therapy, where patients are gradually exposed to the object of their fear. However, this type of therapy is not very pleasant, and as a consequence, it is often avoided by patients.
A team of international researchers may have found a more effective way to reduce fear, which could ultimately have a positive impact on treatment options for patients with phobias.
Nguon goc nam lim xanh
Studying brain representations of fearUsing a combination of artificial intelligence and brain-scanning technology, a team comprising of researchers from Great Britain, Japan, and the U.S. may have discovered a way to unconsciously remove specific fear memories.
The team was led by Dr. Ai Kozumi, from the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International in Kyoto and the Centre of Information and Neural Networks in Osaka - both in Japan.
The results were published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.
The team used a new technique called "Decoded Neurofeedback" to read and identify fear memories. The technique uses brain scanning to monitor brain activity and identify complex patterns of activity that indicate a fear memory.
Noi ban nam lim xanh
Researchers created fear memories in 17 healthy individuals by administering an electric shock every time they saw a certain computer image.
Dr. Ben Seymour, of the Engineering Department at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom and one of the researchers on the team, explains how using artificial intelligence image recognition enables scientists to recognize the content of neurological information picked up by brain scanners.
Nam lim xanh tu nhien
Neuroscientists may have found a way to recondition the brain into overcoming fear.
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) report that 19 million American adults, or 8.7 percent of the population, have specific phobias, or strong irrational fear reactions.
Although some phobias develop in childhood, most phobias appear to emerge unexpectedly and without explanation in adolescence or early adulthood.
Common specific phobias include those centered around animals or insects, germs, heights, open spaces, closed spaces, medical procedures, or flying.
Although most people manage to carry out their daily activities despite their phobias, for others, these fears can be debilitating. Although patients realize their fear is irrational, this does not make their fear any less extreme.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reportedly affects 7.7 million adults, or 3.5 percent of the American population. Experiencing sexual abuse, either in childhood or adulthood, seems to be a main trigger of PTSD.
Overall, anxiety disorders cost the United States healthcare system more than 42 billion dollars every year.
Usually, the recommended form of treatment for phobias is exposure therapy, where patients are gradually exposed to the object of their fear. However, this type of therapy is not very pleasant, and as a consequence, it is often avoided by patients.
A team of international researchers may have found a more effective way to reduce fear, which could ultimately have a positive impact on treatment options for patients with phobias.
Nguon goc nam lim xanh
Studying brain representations of fearUsing a combination of artificial intelligence and brain-scanning technology, a team comprising of researchers from Great Britain, Japan, and the U.S. may have discovered a way to unconsciously remove specific fear memories.
The team was led by Dr. Ai Kozumi, from the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International in Kyoto and the Centre of Information and Neural Networks in Osaka - both in Japan.
The results were published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.
The team used a new technique called "Decoded Neurofeedback" to read and identify fear memories. The technique uses brain scanning to monitor brain activity and identify complex patterns of activity that indicate a fear memory.
Noi ban nam lim xanh
Researchers created fear memories in 17 healthy individuals by administering an electric shock every time they saw a certain computer image.
Dr. Ben Seymour, of the Engineering Department at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom and one of the researchers on the team, explains how using artificial intelligence image recognition enables scientists to recognize the content of neurological information picked up by brain scanners.