How inflammation affects the ability to unlearn fear in PTSD
Inflammatory challenge and fear extinction: A model to enhance understanding of posttraumatic stress disorder
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 ID | NIH-11230242 on NIH RePORTER |
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.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: 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.
Not a fit: 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.
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 performed: 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
San Francisco, United States
- 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
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 below.