How social interactions can help reduce fear and avoidance behaviors in rats
Official title: Neural circuit mechanisms in social extinction of conditioned place avoidance
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11030307 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how being around friends can help reduce fear and avoidance in anxious situations, using rats to see how their brains work when they learn that a scary place is actually safe.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | February 6, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $170,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R21MH134095-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11030307 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research would be individuals suffering from anxiety disorders, particularly those with avoidance behaviors.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have anxiety disorders or avoidance behaviors may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the neural mechanisms behind how social support can help reduce fear and avoidance behaviors, which are common in anxiety disorders. Using a specially designed task, rats that have learned to avoid a specific area due to fear will be observed as they interact with other rats that demonstrate that the area is safe. The study will focus on brain regions known to be involved in fear and social learning, specifically the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex, by recording their neural activity during these interactions. The goal is to understand how these brain circuits work together to facilitate the extinction of fear responses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new therapeutic strategies for treating anxiety disorders by leveraging social interactions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that social support can aid in fear extinction, but this study aims to explore the specific neural mechanisms involved, making it a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ji, Daoyun — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Ji, Daoyun
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Multimodal AI to improve genetic diagnosis of congenital heart disease
A new AI tool uses multiple types of patient data to help doctors find genetic causes of congenital heart disease more accurately.
-
Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in Children
This project watches how often common vaccines prevent illnesses in kids who are in the hospital or at the emergency department, and compares them with healthy children getting well-child care.
-
Triple gene therapy approach to heal the heart after a heart attack
A new therapy combines three genetic approaches delivered by a virus to help the heart heal after a heart attack.
-
Thalamic sleep circuit changes in Alzheimer's disease
Aims to understand how sleep-related brain activity in a key sleep regulator called the TRN affects Alzheimer’s progression and whether boosting TRN function could slow symptoms.
-
Cardiomyocyte-fibroblast signaling in atrial fibrillation
A researcher at Baylor College of Medicine is studying how signals between heart muscle cells and supportive heart cells influence atrial fibrillation, with the goal of finding new ways to prevent or treat this common heart rhythm problem.
-
UMPIRE: Keeping Kidneys Healthy for Babies with Spina Bifida
A care protocol for newborns with spina bifida aims to protect kidney function by thoughtful bladder management and monitoring from birth.
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.