Understanding how fear is learned and remembered in PTSD
Official title: Computational Neuroscience to Decode Higher-Order Fear in PTSD
Funded at University of Texas at Austin · NIH-11138193 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how people with PTSD learn to recognize and remember threats, so we can create better treatments that help them manage their fears in everyday life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas at Austin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Austin, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2025 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $180,439 |
| NIH project number | 1K23MH138889-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11138193 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults aged 21 and older who have been diagnosed with PTSD.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have PTSD or are under 21 years old may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on the computational neuroscience behind how individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) learn and remember threats. It aims to integrate laboratory findings with real-world experiences to better understand and treat trauma and anxiety. By studying how fear responses can be generalized beyond direct experiences, the research seeks to develop more effective therapies for those who struggle with PTSD. The approach includes analyzing brain mechanisms involved in higher-order threat learning, which has been well-studied in animals but not yet fully translated to humans.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatments for PTSD that address a wider range of fear responses.
How similar studies have gone: While there has been significant success in understanding these mechanisms in animal studies, this approach in humans is relatively novel and untested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cooper, Samuel Emerson — University of Texas at Austin
- Study coordinator: Cooper, Samuel Emerson
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Ketamine to boost fear extinction and memory on PTSD patients
A study testing whether ketamine can help people with PTSD better relearn and forget fear when given in a guided treatment plan.
-
Understanding fear system wiring in PTSD and how brain myelin changes relate to symptoms
Researchers are studying how changes in brain myelin in PTSD might drive abnormal fear processing and connectivity to help guide new treatments.
-
Ketamine to boost memory reconsolidation and fear extinction in PTSD
A study at Yale will test whether ketamine given around intensive exposure therapy helps people with PTSD learn to forget or reduce fear more effectively.
-
Understanding how the brain learns to avoid fear in PTSD patients
This study is looking at how the brain helps people with PTSD learn to avoid things that scare them and how this connects to overcoming their fears, using brain scans to compare those with PTSD and those who have experienced trauma but don’t have PTSD.
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Cholinergic Brain Pathways in PTSD and Fear Extinction
We’re studying a brain chemical system (acetylcholine and a key receptor) to understand fear learning and PTSD better, with people who’ve experienced trauma.
-
Understanding how myelination affects the brain's response to fear in PTSD
This study is looking at how changes in the protective covering of nerve fibers in the brain might be linked to the symptoms of PTSD, and it aims to find new ways to help people with this condition by examining brain tissue and using advanced imaging techniques.
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.