FEAR

The drive to keep safe from harm is highly adaptive and necessary for survival. In both human and animal models, the presence of threats engages dedicated neural circuits, elicits physiological adaptations, and mobilizes fight-flight-freeze behaviors, along with cognitive appraisals and conscious attitudes. There is still debate over whether defensive responses can accurately be labeled “fear”, and how well physiological and behavioral responses map onto the human experience of fear. Answering such questions will be crucial in the effort to increase the translational relevance of fear research and ultimately improve treatment options for fear-related disorders.