Conquering the Beast: Unraveling Remote Fear Memories

Published on February 21, 2023

Like a stubborn stain that won’t come out, fear and trauma-related memories can cling to us tightly. But how can we weaken their grip? A recent study delves into the mysterious realm of remote fear memories, seeking to understand how they can be attenuated. Just as we might use special products to break down and remove tough stains, researchers hope to uncover the neural mechanisms behind weakening these long-lasting memories. Surprisingly, there is limited knowledge about this topic, with only a small percentage of studies focused on remote fear memory. By exploring the boundaries of fear memory and extinction, scientists aim to shed light on novel methods of minimizing the power of traumatic recollections. Discovering new insights in this area could provide valuable tools for helping individuals confront and overcome their fears.

Long-lasting memories lie at the core of an individual’s identity. Unfortunately, this is also true for fear and trauma-related remembrances. Every person with traumatic memories can testify that such memories can be extremely long-lasting and difficult to change. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the neural mechanisms at the basis of the attenuation of remote fear memories. This is showcased by a recent PubMed search using the terms ‘fear memory’ versus ‘remote fear memory’, and ‘fear memory extinction’ versus ‘remote fear memory extinction’, both of which yielded a meager 3% of studies dealing with the remote form.

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