Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness01:14

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness

3.7K
Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
3.7K
Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory01:14

Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory

1.5K
The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the...
1.5K
Preparedness and Phobias01:09

Preparedness and Phobias

439
Human fear responses to certain stimuli, such as darkness, heights, deep water, and blood, can often arise despite the absence of direct negative experiences. This phenomenon is rooted in evolutionary psychology, which posits that humans have developed a predisposition to fear stimuli that historically posed significant survival threats. This predisposition, known as preparedness, suggests that early humans who developed a fear of potentially dangerous entities, such as venomous snakes and...
439
Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction01:24

Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction

1.9K
Generalization, discrimination, and extinction are key concepts in operant conditioning that influence how behaviors are learned and maintained.
Generalization occurs when a behavior reinforced in one context is performed in similar situations. For instance, a student who studies diligently for calculus and receives excellent grades might apply the same study habits to psychology and history, expecting similar results. Generalization shows how learning in one setting can influence behavior in...
1.9K
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

10.6K
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
10.6K
Role of Amygdala in Memory01:16

Role of Amygdala in Memory

1.7K
The amygdala is a small, almond-shaped structure responsible for processing and storing memories, particularly those linked to emotions like fear and stress. It plays an essential role in the brain's response to emotionally significant events and often enhances memory formation by triggering stress hormone release. The amygdala is vital for encoding and retrieving memories associated with fear or stress, a process that is adaptive by helping organisms avoid dangerous situations.
One of the...
1.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The prefrontal cortex outputs to the amygdala facilitate threat-discrimination learning.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

The Neuronal Hypofunction of Subdivisions of the Prefrontal Cortex Shows Differential Effects on Contingency Judgment Learning to Gauge Fear Responses.

Neuroscience insights·2024
Same author

Prefrontal multistimulus integration within a dedicated disambiguation circuit guides interleaving contingency judgment learning.

Cell reports·2024
Same author

Differential fear conditioning generates prefrontal neural ensembles of safety signals.

Behavioural brain research·2018
Same author

Long-Lasting Effects of Prenatal Ethanol Exposure on Fear Learning and Development of the Amygdala.

Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience·2018
Same author

Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome and Epigenetic Alterations.

Advances in experimental medicine and biology·2017

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 5, 2026

Disrupting Reconsolidation of Fear Memory in Humans by a Noradrenergic β-Blocker
08:32

Disrupting Reconsolidation of Fear Memory in Humans by a Noradrenergic β-Blocker

Published on: December 18, 2014

23.5K

Prefrontal Cortex in Learning to Overcome Generalized Fear.

Edward Korzus1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Biomedical Sciences Programs, University of California Riverside, CA, USA.

Journal of Experimental Neuroscience
|August 6, 2015
PubMed
Summary

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) refines fear responses by distinguishing safe from dangerous cues. Molecular mechanisms involving NMDA receptors in the mPFC are key to this fear discrimination learning.

Keywords:
CBPNMDA Receptorfear discriminationovergeneralizationprefrontal cortex

More Related Videos

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear
11:17

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Published on: August 24, 2012

36.4K
A Novel Pavlovian Fear Conditioning Paradigm to Study Freezing and Flight Behavior
09:26

A Novel Pavlovian Fear Conditioning Paradigm to Study Freezing and Flight Behavior

Published on: January 5, 2021

7.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 5, 2026

Disrupting Reconsolidation of Fear Memory in Humans by a Noradrenergic β-Blocker
08:32

Disrupting Reconsolidation of Fear Memory in Humans by a Noradrenergic β-Blocker

Published on: December 18, 2014

23.5K
Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear
11:17

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Published on: August 24, 2012

36.4K
A Novel Pavlovian Fear Conditioning Paradigm to Study Freezing and Flight Behavior
09:26

A Novel Pavlovian Fear Conditioning Paradigm to Study Freezing and Flight Behavior

Published on: January 5, 2021

7.6K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Normal brain function requires precise control over behavioral responses to fear-inducing stimuli.
  • Overgeneralized fear is a hallmark of anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent findings on the medial prefrontal cortex's (mPFC) role in fear response refinement.
  • To discuss molecular mechanisms underlying mPFC involvement in fear discrimination learning.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature and studies.
  • Analysis of molecular mechanisms in fear learning models.

Main Results:

  • The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is critical for refining cues that trigger fear acquisition.
  • Prefrontal N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors on excitatory neurons are implicated in fear discrimination.

Conclusions:

  • Fear discrimination learning is governed by prefrontal NMDA receptors.
  • This process involves a molecular pathway including cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and acetyltransferase.