Unconscious brain training to reduce animal phobias
Official title: Unconscious reduction of fear through decoded neuro-reinforcement
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11284025 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This approach uses unconscious brain feedback during MRI to reduce fear of animals in people with specific animal phobias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | February 15, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $716,464 |
| NIH project number | 5R33MH135002-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11284025 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with a diagnosed specific phobia of animals (for example spiders or birds) who can safely undergo MRI and who have difficulty tolerating exposure therapy are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without animal-specific phobias, those with contraindications to MRI (e.g., certain implants or severe claustrophobia), or those whose primary issues are other psychiatric conditions may not benefit.
What this research studies
You would come to UCLA for MRI sessions where researchers decode brain patterns tied to images of feared animals and then reinforce those patterns without you consciously seeing the images. The procedure uses neuro-reinforcement to lower fear-related activity in the amygdala while you remain unaware of the specific content being targeted. The trial is double-blind and placebo-controlled, and researchers will track changes in attention to animals, avoidance behavior, and physiological fear responses over time. If eligible, you would attend several visits over weeks to months and complete behavioral tests before and after the intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower animal-related fear and avoidance without the distress of traditional exposure therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Early pilot data from the team showed promising reductions in fear using this unconscious neuro-reinforcement approach, but larger controlled trials are still needed.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Craske, Michelle G — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Craske, Michelle G
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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.