Understanding Why Anxiety Treatments Sometimes Stop Working
Project 3: Latent-cause inference in anxiety
This project explores why anxiety can return after successful therapy, focusing on how our brains learn and unlearn fear.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Princeton University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Princeton, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11167636 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Exposure therapy is a very effective treatment for many anxiety disorders, but it's common for anxiety to return later. This happens because even after learning to feel safe, the brain might still hold onto old fear memories. Our project aims to understand why some individuals experience this return of fear, called spontaneous recovery, and how it connects to their anxiety symptoms. We use advanced computer models to precisely measure how each person's brain processes fear and safety. By examining these individual differences and their brain activity, we hope to uncover the root causes of treatment relapse.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This research is for individuals with anxiety disorders, especially those who have experienced or are at risk of anxiety returning after therapy.
Not a fit: Patients whose anxiety is not related to fear learning or who do not experience relapse after treatment may not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new strategies for making anxiety treatments more effective and preventing relapse, offering longer-lasting relief for patients.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory studies have shown that learned safety can be fragile, leading to the return of fear, which this project builds upon.
Where this research is happening
Princeton, UNITED STATES
- Princeton University — Princeton, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Norman, Kenneth a — Princeton University
- Study coordinator: Norman, Kenneth a
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.