Understanding how the brain learns to avoid fear in PTSD patients
Official title: Neural correlates of active avoidance learning and their interactions with fear extinction mechanisms in PTSD patients
Funded at University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston · NIH-11179316 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $576,492 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH123736-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11179316 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals diagnosed with PTSD as well as healthy controls who have experienced trauma.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have PTSD or a history of trauma may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the brain mechanisms involved in active avoidance learning and how they interact with fear extinction in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Using a novel conditioning and active avoidance paradigm, the study will employ functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe brain activity in both PTSD patients and healthy individuals with trauma exposure. The goal is to understand how the brain processes fear and avoidance, which could lead to improved treatments for PTSD. Participants will be monitored to see how their brain responds to fear-related stimuli and how they learn to avoid these fears.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new therapeutic strategies for treating PTSD by enhancing our understanding of fear and avoidance mechanisms.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding fear conditioning and extinction in both animal models and healthy human subjects, suggesting that this approach could yield valuable insights in PTSD as well.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Milad, Mohammed R — University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
- Study coordinator: Milad, Mohammed R
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.
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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.
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Understanding how fear is learned and remembered in PTSD
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.
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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.
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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.