How inflammation affects the ability to unlearn fear in PTSD
Official title: Inflammatory challenge and fear extinction: A model to enhance understanding of posttraumatic stress disorder
Funded at Northern California Institute/res/edu · NIH-11230242 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work sees if a short-term rise in inflammation makes it harder for trauma-exposed men and women, with or without PTSD, to unlearn fearful responses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northern California Institute/res/edu NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2024 |
| Project end | October 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $695,097 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH135076-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11230242 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who have experienced trauma — including people diagnosed with PTSD and trauma-exposed individuals without PTSD — who are medically cleared for brief immune challenges would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without a history of trauma, children, or anyone who cannot safely undergo a temporary inflammatory challenge (for example due to certain medical conditions) are unlikely to benefit from participation.
What this research studies
You would come to the lab and receive a controlled, short-lived inflammatory challenge while researchers guide you through lab-based fear-learning and unlearning exercises and then test whether the unlearning holds up later. Blood samples will be taken to measure inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and researchers will compare people with PTSD to trauma-exposed people without PTSD and compare women and men. The team uses standardized conditioning and extinction procedures that mimic aspects of exposure therapy and tests extinction recall over time. Results will be used to look for ways to personalize or improve treatments for PTSD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could show whether reducing or timing around inflammation improves how well PTSD treatments that rely on unlearning fear work.
How similar studies have gone: Animal studies and some human data suggest inflammation, especially IL-6, can disrupt fear extinction, but controlled human tests of acute inflammatory effects on extinction are still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Northern California Institute/res/edu
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: O'donovan, Aoife — Northern California Institute/res/edu
- Study coordinator: O'donovan, Aoife
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Inflammation and fear learning in PTSD
This study looks at how a temporary inflammatory challenge affects fear extinction in people with and without PTSD to better understand how PTSD could be treated.
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Understanding how inflammation affects fear responses in PTSD
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Ketamine to boost fear extinction and memory on PTSD patients
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Metabolic effects of PFAS exposure in the Cape Fear Basin (GenX Exposure Study)
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Computationally mapping PTSD to better diagnosis and personalized care
A research project uses computer tools to find brain-based patterns that could help diagnose PTSD more clearly and tailor treatments for Veterans and others with PTSD.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.