MentalHealthDaily

PTSD Counterconditioning Strengthened fMRI Safety Memory

by GLOOM

A 2026 functional magnetic resonance imaging study involving 54 adults found that pairing a formerly threatening cue with positive images, a laboratory method called counterconditioning, strengthened later neural safety-memory signals in people with posttraumatic stress disorder. The experiment measured fear-learning biology, not PTSD symptom improvement after therapy.1 Research Highlights 54 adults were analyzed: Cooper et …

Astrocyte Calcium Signals Shape Amygdala Fear Memory and Extinction in Mice

by GLOOM

Photoreal illustration of astrocytes interacting with neurons in the amygdala, conveying glial role in fear circuit dynamics.

A 2026 Nature mouse study found that basolateral amygdala astrocyte Ca2+ signals tracked fear retrieval and extinction, then showed causality: 3 mg/kg CNO manipulations of astrocyte DREADDs pushed early-extinction freezing in opposite directions while both disrupting later extinction retrieval.1 Research Highlights Astrocytes tracked fear state: after 3 tone-shock pairings and 2 days of 25 cue-only …

KNT-127 for Anxiety: Delta Opioid Receptor Agonist via PL-BLA Pathway (2023 Study)

by GLOOM

Recent scientific advancements have illuminated the crucial role of the prelimbic cortex to basolateral amygdala (PL-BLA) pathway in regulating anxiety-like behaviors. Utilizing cutting-edge optogenetic techniques and selective delta-opioid receptor (DOP) agonists, researchers have begun to decode the complex neural circuitry underlying anxiety disorders. Highlights: PL-BLA Pathway Significance: The connection between the prelimbic cortex (PL) and …